Policy Address

Provide Support for Ethnic Minorities

206. To help ethnic minorities (EMs) better integrate into the community, I announced the setting up of two additional support-service centres for EMs last year, which will begin operation by the end of this year. The Government will engage one more support service centre to provide interpretation and translation services for EMs next year, reducing language barrier concerns. The EDB will strengthen Chinese learning support and parental assistance for non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students (including EM students), providing after-school Chinese-language courses, enhancing the Online Chinese Language Self-learning Resources and organising cross-school, teacher-learning communities. The EDB will also provide parental education activities for the parents of NCS children.

Care Teams

207. Care Teams are the Government's key service teams under the improved district governance structure. Fully launched across the city last year, all 452 Care Teams have been working diligently and providing a wide range of caring and support services for the community. To date, they have visited about 230 000 elderly households and other households in need, and provided over 22 000 counts of simple household care or other support services. Their service have been well-received by the public. The Government will regularise the funding provision for Care Teams and increase funding by 50% in the next term of service in support of their work.