CHILDREN & YOUTH SERVICE IN
HONG KONG
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Youth
Population
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According to the statistics released
by the Census and Statistics Department at the end-2006, there
were 1,847,800 young persons aged 0-24 (27% of total population)
in Hong Kong. When compared with the figure in 1991, the youth
population had dropped from 36.1% of total population to 27%.
Refer to the government projection, in 2033, the population
of 0-24 age group will further drop to 1,659,800, only 19.8%
of the total population. |
Age
Group |
2001 |
2004 |
2006 |
0-14 |
1,109,417
(16.5%) |
1,025,200 (14.9%) |
939,200 (13.7%) |
15-24 |
920,445
(13.7%) |
900,200 (13%) |
908,600 (13.3%) |
Total |
2,029,862
(30.2%) |
1,928,400 (27.9%) |
1,847,800 (27.0%) |
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School attendance rates of 3 ¡V 16 age
group is over 97%, while aged 17-18 is 71%. When compared
with the figures in 1991, the rates for the former age group
were similar and yet there was an increase of 13% for the
latter age group. Education and Manpower Bureau announced
that in 2005/06 academic year, the number of students attending
primary and secondary school were 425,864 and 478,440 respectively
(44.7% and 44.9% of youth population). While the school
dropout rate of 6-15 age group was 0.186%(1,200). |
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According to the latest labour force
statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department,
in February 2007, the overall number of labour force is
3,470,800, and the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Around 40%
of the labour force is aged 15 ¡V24; the unemployment rate
is 17.6% (around 76,771) of the age group 15 ¡V19, four times
higher than the total unemployment rate. |
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According to the registration record
for the age of 0-14 using psychiatric outpatient clinic,
the number of patients increased by nearly 30% from 14,348
in 2001 to 18,516 in 2005. |
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Children
and Youth Service
The objective of children and youth service
in Hong Kong is to provide opportunities, counselling service
and support for young persons who are with different abilities
and facing different situations, so that they may develop
their potentials, actualize their ideals, prepare for adulthood,
and become mature and contributing members of our society.
The focus of work can be concluded in the
following three directions:
Enhance
their capacities and foster harmonious interpersonal relationship;
Promote
volunteerism and enhance their commitment to the community
and one's country;
Provide
support to disadvantaged youth and young persons in need.
Major
types of services:
Service
Types |
Services
Provided |
Accommodation |
| Creche and
Nursery |
Child care and education services
are provided for those who are aged 0-3. Some crˆoches
and nurseries will provide occasional child care service
or extended hours service when necessary. Services for
age 3-6 are arranged and coordinated by Education And
Manpower Bureau after harmonization. |
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| Residential
Child Care Services |
Services are provided for children
and young persons under the age of 21 who cannot be
adequately cared for by their families because of various
reasons such as behavioral, emotional or family problems.
Institutional care and non-institutional care are available. |
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Non-institutional
care includes:
- Foster
care - for children under 18 years of age
- Small
group homes - for children from 4 to 18 years of
age
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Institutional
care includes:
- Residential crˆoches and nurseries - for babies
to children under 6
- Children's reception centres - for children aged
under 18 years of age whose families are facing
emergency
- Children's homes - for those who are aged 6-21
- Boys' / girls' homes and hostels - The homes
are for children or young persons between 7 and
under 21 years of age with behavioral or emotional
problems. The hostels are for those who are aged
14-21.
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- 207 places
- 75 places
- 391 places
- 922 places
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| After School
Care Service |
Half-day after school care service
is provided for those who are aged 6-12, including tutorial
service, meals, group activities and parent education,
etc. |
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| Children and
Youth Centres (CYCs) |
One CYC will be established for
every 6,500 youth population, to provide them with individual
and group counselling, developmental programmes and
activities. |
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| School Social
Work Service |
Each secondary school will have
one social worker stationed to provide counselling service,
group work, support service and parent work. Student
Guidance Officers from the Education Department will
undertake counselling work at primary schools. |
- 496 social workers are now providing school social
work in secondary school and student guidance service
is provided in more than 700 primary schools.
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| Outreaching
Social Work Service |
Starting from September 2002, the
existing Outreaching Social Work Teams will be restructured
to form 16 District Youth Outreaching Teams to reach
out to street youth. |
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| Integrated
Teams (ITs) |
One IT will be established for
every 12,000 youth population. Most of the teams are
formed by merging CYCs, school social work service and
outreaching social work teams. ITs will provide centre-based
services. They will also outreach to and work closely
with school, family and the community. |
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| Services for
Young Night Drifters |
The service is attached to ITs.
Services are provided for young night drifters or youth
at risks. Service hours start from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00
a.m. |
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| Community
Support Service Scheme (CSSS) |
CSSS is designed for young persons
under the Police Superintendents' Discretion Scheme.
Individual and group counselling, employment service,
counselling on further study, as well as activities
to facilitate personal growth will be provided. |
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| Child and Adolescent Mental Health Community Support
Project |
The Project is a new initiative specially developed
by the Social Welfare Department and the Hospital Authority
to provide early identification and early intervention
services to children and adolescents with mental health
problems (e.g. depressed mood, anxiety). |
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| Other Services |
Uniformed Group Service, Hong Kong
Award For Young persons, Temporary Residential Service,
Hotline Service, Probation Service, etc. |
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Future
Trends and Challenges
Youth mental health
Childhood and adolescence are stages of transition and
reorganization. There is chance for them to develop any
kinds of mental disorders or mental health problems. Community
education, training for teachers and social workers are
both essential for early identification and intervention.
Youth Unemployment
Though the unemployment rate has decreased, the youth
unemployment rate is still four times higher than the overall
unemployment rate. Amongst the unemployed youth, some experienced
particular difficulties and are least competitive in the
job market. Special service, for example intensive coaching
in the open market and social enterprises, should be developed
in order to cater their needs.
Cross-sectoral partnership
Children and youth are having different kinds of needs.
Social workers alone cannot meet all the needs, and so,
cross-sectoral partnership, such as with school, police
and the medical sector, is strengthened to assess the overall
needs of young persons and provide the support they need.
Parent Work
Family education and happy family life can foster self-confidence
and self-image of young persons, equip them to face challenges
and facilitate their growth. The sector in general recognizes
that family problems generate youth problems, and so, strengthening
support to the family and parent work (such as public education
on parenting, and activities to facilitate communication
between parents and children) will help prevent youth problems.
Holistic Care for Child Development
Childhood is the important stage of development. The more
effort we put to care and nurture our child, the more positive
outcome for the development of our next generation. However,
our families are facing the challenge of socio-cultural
changes, nuclear family structure and economic turmoil.
Families need support in order to strengthen their roles
and functions. Comprehensive review on existing education,
physical and mental health, family care quality, community
facilities and participation channel can help to formulate
long-term policies on holistic care for child development.
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(April 2007 version)
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