Leung Yuk-yin had enrolled her son in kindergarten in the early 1990s when she saw a television commercial calling for people to sign on as foster families. The recruitment drive rolled out at just the right time. Her boy was settling in nicely in the nursery, so the housewife from Tuen Mun suddenly found herself with time to spare.
'I like babies, and I enjoy the feeling of being a mother, so I made the call and got started,' she says.
Leung, who has taken 14 children under her wing over the past two decades, finds the effort fulfilling even if it's still something of a wrench when they have to leave her nest.
'In the beginning I didn't know how to handle that, and I missed the child badly. But now I have learned to adjust,' says Leung. 'When a child leaves, I give myself a week to feel sad and worry. I still cry, but after that I tell myself to move on and do something to cheer myself up.'
Still, she stays in touch with many of her former charges. A visit to the home of a little girl she fostered for almost two years was especially memorable. The taciturn birth father left the flat abruptly and came back with a bouquet of roses to express his gratitude.
'These experiences keep me going,' says Leung. 'I want to do something meaningful, and take care of children who are in need of help.'
According to the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department, Leung's family is among 966 households in Hong Kong providing children with shelter and support while they await adoption or while their birth families are unable to care for them properly.