**************************
Following is a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, to a question by the Hon Albert Ho on foster care service in the Legislative Council today (May 21):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council of:
(a) the number of children placed in foster families and the number of foster families newly registered in each of the past three years;
(b) the number of cases in which foster families ceased to provide foster care service in the past three years, the respective numbers of such cases in which the provision of the service was ceased at the request of the families concerned and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), and the number of such cases involving criminal offences or requiring follow-up actions by the Police; and
(c) the current average unit cost of the foster care service, the average amounts of allowance and incentive payment currently received monthly by foster parents, and whether SWD had adjusted the amounts of such allowance and incentive payment in the past three years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) According to the statistics of the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the number of children placed in foster families and the number of foster families newly registered in each of the past three financial years from 2005-06 to 2007-08 are as follows :
No. of children No. of newly
Financial placed in foster registered foster
year families families
--------- ---------------- -----------------
2005-06 802 118
2006-07 870 113
2007-08 890 80
(b) From 2005-06 to 2007-08, a total of 295 foster homes were de-registered from the foster care service. The number included both foster homes providing service immediately before de-registration and those which were not, but no breakdown was available. Of the 295 homes mentioned above, 290 de-registered of their own accord, one at the request of SWD due to unsatisfactory performance, and four at the request of SWD due to suspected criminal act.
(c) According to the 2007-08 revised estimate, the average cost for providing foster care service to a child is $8,609 per month, including the expenditures incurred by SWD and the foster care service agencies in providing administrative support and following up the placement arrangement. Foster homes receive a foster care allowance of $4,411 per foster child per month, which covers the child's maintenance and incentive for the foster family. There is an additional one-off setting up grant of $1,451 for each child newly placed in a foster home for the procurement of necessities. The allowances are adjusted annually for inflation.
Ends/Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:20
NNNN
