Many children in Hong Kong’s residential care system are stuck there for years

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Lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung (centre) and representatives from children’s welfare groups are calling for the government to increase the number of places in homes for children who cannot be adequately cared for by their families. Photo: Peace Chiu

Published: 12:17am, 1 Jan 2017Updated: 12:43pm, 15 Oct 2020

The report, “About 60 vulnerable Hong Kong children remain in hospital as they lack a safe home” (December 22), highlights the huge need that we see daily at Mother’s Choice.

That this issue was discussed in the Legislative Council is testament to the many child welfare groups and charities which are actively working together to bring this critical problem to light.

It is unacceptable for a vulnerable child to remain stuck in a hospital or unsafe home because there is no place for them in the residential care system. However, merely increasing the number of places for children to live in residential care will not solve the underlying problem.

We must first ask ourselves why each of the 3,700 places are filled to capacity. There are so few places available because so many of the children who enter into the residential care system will remain stuck there for many years, most until adulthood, without ever returning to their birth families or being released for adoption. Greater effort must be made to get children out of this system, not just into the system.

Residential care should never be a permanent home for a child. We must make sure that each of the thousands of children currently living in residential care across Hong Kong is not left there indefinitely. Giving each child a safe, loving, and permanent family should always be our first priority, and most fundamental goal.

We cannot measure the success of our child welfare system by merely counting the number of places available for vulnerable children.