260 families awarded for care and devotion to foster children

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) organized a joyful reunion for about 700 foster parents and children on Sunday, with 260 families awarded for their care, devotion, and exceptional contributions to bringing love and care to needy children.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han officiated at the Foster Families Service Award Presentation Ceremony and praised the foster parents for making significant contributions to protect children's well-being. 

He noted that the government has increased the incentive payment for foster families from around HK$5,000 to about HK$11,000 per month, and that for emergency foster care service from around HK$6,600 to about HK$13,000 per month. 

Sun hoped the initiatives would impress upon foster families the support and appreciation for them in the community while urging the public interested in serving needy children to submit applications for caring for them.

In addition, 18 families were presented long-service awards for providing foster care service for more than 25 years. About 180 families which have been providing the service from five to 20 years were also awarded. Special awards were given to foster families with outstanding performances.

Sun also called for support for the "one-plus-one" recruitment scheme for foster families, where interested parties in serving needy children can submit applications together with their families and friends to take care of the same foster child so that they can swiftly stand in for one another when any of them cannot assume the caring role due to temporary reasons. 

He said such approach not only promotes mutual support among peers and families, but also saves the need to arrange for a foster child to stay in an unfamiliar living environment.

The SWD's Central Foster Care Unit was established in 1982 to oversee and coordinate the provision of foster care services provided by non-governmental organizations. Foster care aims to provide family-like care for children whose parents cannot provide proper care for them due to family problems. 

There are currently about 980 registered foster families. Members of the public who are interested in becoming foster parents may contact SWD's Central Foster Care Unit at 2573 2282 during office hours.