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Foster care and Emergency Foster Care
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Service Description
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 Foster care
Foster care provides family care to children under 18 years of age whose parents cannot adequately take care of them due to various family problems, so that they can continue to enjoy family life and share the family happiness until they can return to their families, join an adoptive family or live independently.
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Emergency foster care service
Emergency foster care provides immediate and short-term family care to children under 18 years of age whose parents cannot care for them because of emergency or crisis situations so that they can continue to enjoy family life and share the family happiness until they can reunite with their families or secure a long-term placement. The duration of care should not exceed 6 weeks.
Day foster care service
Day foster care provides family day care care to children under 10 years of age whose parents have difficulty to take care of them during daytime. The birth parents will escort the children back home in the evenings. In this way, the children can continue to enjoy family life and share the family happiness. |
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Target Groups
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Foster child
between newborn and under 18 years of age, normal in health and intelligence or mildly mentally handicapped.
Day Foster child
between newborn and under 10 years of age, normal in health and intelligence or mildly mentally handicapped.
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Foster parents
The ideal foster parents should preferably have:
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happy family life and stable family relationship |
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good health and stable emotion |
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reached the age of 25 or above |
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one of the applicants being a full-time carer at home |
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primary education standard |
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tidy, clean and safe living condition with sufficient living space |
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fondness for children and experience and ability in child care |
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readiness to accept social worker's investigation and supervision
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Information on Service Statistics (including foster care and emergency foster care services)
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As at 27.10.2008, the service statistics on foster care service are as follows:
| No. of Foster Homes |
960 |
| No. of Foster Children in Placement |
886 | |
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Application Procedures
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For children in need of foster care, emergency foster care or day foster care placement
Please contact integrated family service centre, medical social work unit or other social service units for interviews and referrals.
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For individuals interested to become foster, emergency or day foster parents
Please contact Central Foster Care Unit of the Social Welfare Department
Room 2202, 22/F., Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel. No.: 2573 2282
Fax No.: 2573 2120 |
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Foster Care Service Leaflet (Chinese Version Only)
 (JPEG Document)
(JPEG Document)
(JPEG Document)
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Fees and Charges
Foster care and emergency foster care and day foster care services are free of charge. Foster parents will receive Foster Care Allowance, which is non-taxable, for the care of foster children.
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Intranet of Foster Care Service
'Intranet of Foster Care Service' is a quarterly newsletter published by the Central Foster Care Unit. The content of the Newsletter includes the latest development of foster care service, programme forecast on training and publicity, etc. It aims at facilitating stakeholders on foster care service, including foster parents, foster children, referring workers and foster care workers, to attain a better understanding of the service development and enhance their mutual communication for a smooth cooperation.
Our most recent Newsletter (in Chinese version only) is placed below for your reference :
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