Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ16: Home foster care

Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (June 25):

Question:

It is learnt that families selected by the Social Welfare Department to provide home foster care must be families with both parents, while single parent families are not allowed to provide the service. However, in many overseas countries, such as Canada and the United States, single parent families may provide home foster care as well. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a) the rule in Hong Kong disallowing single parent families in providing home foster care is discriminatory against single parent families; and

(b) it will review the rule so that single parent families may provide home foster care as well?

Reply:

At present, there is no rule/regulation imposing any restrictions on single parent families becoming foster families and providing foster care service. In conducting assessments on prospective foster homes, the Social Welfare Department takes into account various factors, including the applicants' family relationship, financial condition, home environment, child care experience and knowledge about foster care services, etc., and makes an overall assessment on their suitability to be a foster family.

According to the Social Welfare Department, there were 714 foster families registered in the home pool as at 14 June 2003. Among them, eight were single parent families. Some of these single parent families are currently providing a foster care service. Therefore, single parent families can and do provide a foster care service as long as they are assessed to be suitable foster parents. There is no discrimination against single parent families.

End/Wednesday, June 25, 2003
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