Policy Address

155.         The Government will continue to increase manpower to better implement and monitor rehabilitation services.  It will provide additional service places, increase the number of places purchased under the Bought Place Scheme from private residential care homes for persons with disabilities, raise subventions for visiting medical practitioners to enhance the primary medical service for users of residential care homes, and provide additional Rehabuses and replace the old ones. 

Children with Special Needs

156.         The Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services introduced in 2015-16 provides timely support for children waitlisted for services.  The Government has approved the provision of over 2 900 on-site service places by 16 NGOs for more than 450 kindergartens or child care centres. 

157.         To fulfil the performance pledge of providing assessment and professional diagnosis within six months, the Department of Health will set up an additional Child Assessment Centre.  The Government will also increase the training hours for those children on the waiting list for special child care centres. 

158.         Some middle-income parents are concerned that after their passing, the care for their children with special needs, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, would be upset.  The Labour and Welfare Bureau will establish a working group to explore the feasibility of setting up a public trust and review the related guardianship system, with a view to providing affordable services. 

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