Children and adolescents commended for outstanding achievements in 2023 Award Presentation Ceremony for DSW wards (with photos)
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Speaking at the ceremony, Miss Lee expressed her appreciation to the awardees for their resilience to withstand adversity and their positive attitude in meeting challenges. She also extended her gratitude to the relatives, carers, volunteers and social workers of the children and adolescents for their care, guidance, compassion and companionship, which have played a vital role for these children during their difficult times and the important stages of their life.
Miss Lee was pleased to learn that some carers at the event today are foster parents. They have selflessly provided the children and adolescents whose parents cannot adequately take care of them due to various family circumstances with an opportunity to enjoy family life, be cared for and grow healthily in a family-like environment. She encouraged more families to sign up as foster parents to share the joy and love of their families and enrich the children's lives.
Miss Lee also thanked the TWGHs for its support for the event as well as the encouragement and blessings for the children and adolescents under guardianship over the years.
At the ceremony today, a total of 44 children and adolescents were presented with either Best Achievement Awards or Best Improvement Awards.
Ah Lok (pseudonym), aged 18, was one of the awardees of the Best Achievement Award. He has been living in a small group home since Secondary One and became a DSW ward in 2019 after he had lost contact with his parents. With the care and encouragement of the social worker and the house parent of the small group home, Ah Lok has showed great perseverance despite the challenges in his daily life and studies. He is friendly, empathetic and patient. He plays the role of an "elder brother" in the residential home and supports his young housemates. Inspired by his social workers, Ah Lok is determined to join the social work profession. He hopes to make use of his personal experience to serve those in need in society.
Another awardee of the Best Achievement Award was a 17-year-old boy, Ah Chun (pseudonym), who has spent his childhood in a children's home, as his mother was unable to take care of him due to her work commitments and caring duties in the family. Ah Chun is currently a Secondary Five student whose goal is to gain admission to his preferred degree course at a university. He is especially good at sports. As a member of the school's basketball team and track and field team, he has won various awards in inter-school competitions. He has been working hard to equip himself, and hopes that he can sustain his own living with a stable income after graduation and relieve the burden on his mother.
With the prime concern being the best interests of children and adolescents, the SWD's caseworkers would, depending on individual case merits, consider applying for a wardship for a case in accordance with the court procedures stipulated in the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213). Children and adolescents are made wards of the DSW for various reasons, such as death, loss, imprisonment, long-term hospitalisation or incapability of their parents, or their being unable or unsuitable to live with their family members. The SWD's caseworkers would also draw up appropriate long-term welfare plans for them according to the family conditions and needs of the wards, such as arranging for adoption or reunion with their families, or preparing them to live independently when they become adults.
At the end of December 2022, there were a total of 762 DSW wards. Among them, 48 per cent lived in foster care homes or small group homes. Thirty-three per cent lived in institutions, while the rest may be subject to other arrangements, such as living with relatives.
Ends/Saturday, March 11, 2023
Issued at HKT 13:30
Issued at HKT 13:30
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