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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (September 19) invited applications for a training subsidy for children who are on the waiting list for subvented pre-school rehabilitation services. The assistance programme was previously administered by the Community Care Fund and will be regularised under government subsidy from 2014-15.
"The Programme aims to provide a training subsidy for children from low-income families waitlisted for subvented pre-school rehabilitation services. The subsidy will enable them to acquire training and treatment provided by recognised service providers to facilitate their learning and development while waiting for subvented services," an SWD spokesman said.
Officially launching the programme on October 1, the SWD is now inviting parents/guardians of eligible children to apply for the subsidy if their children meet the eligibility criteria as follows:
1. They are on the waiting list for subvented pre-school rehabilitation services; and
2. They are from a low-income family, i.e. the monthly household income of the family members living together with the child does not exceed the income limit. (The monthly household income refers to the average monthly income for the three months preceding the date of submission of application. The income limit is set at 75 per cent of the Median Monthly Domestic Household Income (MMDHI) on the General Household Survey published by the Census and Statistics Department applicable to the applicant's household size at the time of application.)
Each eligible child waitlisted for an Early Education and Training Centre or the Integrated Programme in Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centre may receive a maximum monthly subsidy of $2,763, while each eligible child waitlisted for a Special Child Care Centre or Residential Special Child Care Centre may receive a maximum subsidy of $3,867 per month to receive subsidised training services provided by special child care workers, psychologists or occupational therapists/physiotherapists/speech therapists, and family support services from service providers recognised by the SWD.
The spokesman said the SWD will invite applications from parents/guardians of children who are on the waiting list of the Central Referral System for Rehabilitation Services for pre-school rehabilitation services by letter. It has issued letters separately to existing beneficiaries of the CCF Training Subsidy for Children who are on the Waiting List of Subvented Pre-school Rehabilitation Services programme to inform the parents/guardians concerned of the transitional arrangements.
Please visit the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) for details. For enquiries, please call the Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch of the SWD at 2892 5573 during office hours.
Ends/Friday, September 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:02
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