Hong Kong Family Welfare Society

Infobox Organization
name = Hong Kong Family Welfare Society


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motto = A family-oriented, people love themselves and others
formation = 1938
extinction =
type = Non-governmental organization
headquarters = WanChai, Hong Kong
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membership =
language =
leader_title = President
leader_name = Maria Tam Wai-Chu
key_people = Donald Tsang (Patron)
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website = http://www.hkfws.org.hk/The Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (HKFWS; Chinese: 香港家庭福利會) is a non-governmental organization that runs on subsidies donated by the government, donations from The Community Chest of Hong Kong and individual sponsorships. HKFWS focuses on social services through a family perspective that aims to enhance the well-being of families and individuals in Hong Kong. Services such as counseling are used to help reconcile issues related to family, marriage, and friendship to help prevent family breakups and other societal problems. The HKFWS now has over 30 service centers and networks helping families across Hong Kong.

HKFWS's official mission statement is:

"With a family perspective, we are committed to delivering quality and professional social services to enhance the well-being of families and individuals in Hong Kong and to foster a caring community."citequote

HKFWS pioneers service projects to meet changing needs of the people and advocates a comprehensive public policy for needy families.

History

The "Hong Kong Family Welfare Society" was formally known as the Social Service Centre of the Churches. It was founded in 1938, but only became a public agency on January 1, 1949. The Society started out by being heavily involved with relief work after World War II. After concerns for the growth of distressed families resonated with the members, the Society further expanded its scope. Today the bulk of their work revolves around counselling families with management difficulties or communication issues. In addition, the Society focuses on preventive measures for family problems, resulting in the creation of Family Life Education in 1971. Other services like Home Help, School Social Work services, Clinical Psychological services and Foster Care came about in 1971, 1979 and 1984 respectively.

Development of HKFWS

HKFWS services include:
# Family resource centre in Tuen Mun
# 'Drop-in' services for single parents
# Mental health services
# Senior social work practice
# Therapeutic group for abusive families
# Emergency foster care
# Volunteer service
# Family aid services
# Services for new arrivals from the Mainland
# Carers support service
# Peer/divorce/family mediation service
# Family retreat centre
# Clinical psychological service
# Youth employment
# Community rehabilitation and pain relief service

One programme since 1997 is the Integrated Elderly and Community Support Service to alleviate the problems associated with an aging population. Between 2002 and 2004, the Society made help accessible by piloting programs on Integrated Family Service Centres at its West Kowloon, East Kowloon (Shun Lee) and New Territories (Kwai Fong) Centres. For information on these centres:
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/centre_hk.htm Hong Kong]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/centre_kln.htm Kowloon]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/centre_nt.htm New Territories]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/centre_island.htm Islands]

Programmes and services

One of the methods of relieving tension in families is the use of mediation. This is vital due to the sharp increase in divorce rates in Hong Kong and the lack of communication between parents and children. Mediation is used in a bid to help salvage the family situation. It teaches individuals to reach a settlement acceptable to all parties. The Society also provides five types of services and programs namely; Special and Innovative Services, Children and Youth, Elderly and Community, Family and Child Care. The Special and Innovative Services includes programmes for employment and fund assistance.

HKFWS also has a subsidiary association called the [http://www.mediationcentrehk.org/index.htm Hong Kong Family Welfare Society Mediation Centre] where seminars and mediation services are available to the public.

Funding

Due to the nature of the HKFWS as a NGO, the Society relies largely on donations from the public and even the government. Important sources are the Community Chest, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, civic minded companies, charitable foundations and individual sponsorships.

tructure

The HKFWS is made up of employees and a team of volunteers. The Society is composed of the following committees:
*Patron
*President
*Executive Committee
*Honorary Legal Advisor
*Foster Care Service Advisory Committee
*Benefactors Fund Allocation Committee
*Family Mental Health Group Advisory Committee
*Senior Citizen Centre (Kowloon City) Advisory Committee
*Family Resource Centre Advisory Committee
*Family Retreat Centre Management Committee
*New Arrivals Project Management Committee
*Family Retreat Centre Advisory Committee
*Home Care Advisory Committee

A detailed list of the structure and committee members is here: [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/intro01_committee.htm here]

Volunteer service

The Society encourages individuals to become volunteers.

*Corporate Volunteer

The function of the Corporate Volunteer Service is to link voluntary organizations and service users to volunteers. Over the years, many corporations, schools, non-profit organizations and government bodies have played their part in providing services to the HKFWS service users that consists of ethnic minorities, children, elderly, and foster care families.

*Family Volunteer

The organization seeks to advocate family volunteering so that family members will share experiences thus producing solidarity.

Achievements

At present, the revamped services operated by the Society includes five Integrated Family Service Centres, eight Integrated Home Care Teams (in 15 centres), one Integrated Children and Youth Service Centre and one Neighbourhood Elderly Centre.

Campaigns and activities

The HKFWS and its branches have participated in campaigns co-organized by Ho-Sum that has allowed members to interact with the elderly, handicapped, young children, youths and volunteers. These campaigns are aimed at building relationships between family units and the Hong Kong society.

Community partnerships

*Caltex Children Development Fund

To provide short-term financial assistance to children from families in need so that they can enjoy proper care, full development and have growth in physical, psychological, social and learning aspects. More information:
* [http://www.caltex.com/corp/en/Partnerships.asp Caltex -- Community Partnerships]
* [http://www.chevron.com/cr_report/2005/priorities_progress_plans/community_engagement/supplemental/more_investing_communities.asp Chevron -- More Investing In Communities]

Research

The Society has a strong commitment to research. To date, 11 research studies have been conducted on the services of School Social Work, Family Casework, Integrated Family Service Centres, Child Protection Registry, Alternative to Violence Project, Peer Mediation, and various problems involving secondary school and primary school students.

Some of the topics include:

*Evaluation on Participants’ Satisfaction Towards Alternative to Violence Project
*Evalutation on Participants' Satisfaction Towards Family Volunteer Movement Project
*Evaluation on the Peer Mediation Projects
* [http://www.hkcss.org.hk/fs/SemNov25_2004/Shirley%20Tang.pdf#search='hong%20kong%20family%20welfare%20society' Study on Batterer Intervention Programme and Outcome Management in Hong Kong 2004]
*Study on Child Protection Registry submitted by HKFWS 1999-2003
*Survey on Key Elements for Creating Harmony Within Families
*Study on Progress on Goal Achievement for Clients Receiving Counselling Service 2001 -2003
*Survey on Users of Integrated Family Service Centres About Their Stress and Outcome of Using the Service

Publications

HKFWS has publications that focus on its research and services. These include research reports, problem solving guides, case studies, care service guides and a VCD:

# Marriage Enrichment Couple Course Manual
# Empowering Families - A Collection of Concepts & Methods
# Report on Independence in Home Care – Home Help and Community Occupational Therapy Service
# The Family Functioning of Newly Arrived Families in Hong Kong
# Manual on School Social Work - Crisis Management (2nd Edition)
# An Evaluation Study of Group Therapy for Male Batterers Cum Intervention
# An Exploratory Study on the Outcomes of Foster Care Service: Emotions and Behaviour of Foster Children Satisfaction and Difficulties Experienced by Birth Parents and Foster Parents
# An Exploratory Study on Self-reliance of Low Income Families
# Home-training Manual to Care-givers Of Elders: Fight Against SARS
# Research on Exploration on Parenting Difficulties

For a full list of publications see HKFWS' Official Website [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/publication01.htm here]

See also

# Speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr. Henry Tang, on November 12th at the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society 55th Annual General Meeting in London:"'
# [http://www.judiciary.gov.hk/en/other_info/speeches/f_welfare.htm Speech by The Hon. Mr. Justice Hartmann, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, at the Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Eastern (Healthy Village) CentreHong on 26th November 1999]
# [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/Intro01_e_director_remark.htm Director's Words by Mrs. Cecilia Kwan (Director of HKEWS Executive Committee 05/06)]
# [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2206.2003.00261.x?cookieSet=1 Social welfare services for single parent families in Hong Kong: a paradox]
# [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_n11_v27/ai_18540902 Biting the invisible hand - social welfare in Hong Kong]
# T.L. Shek, Mong Chow Lam, Chor Fai Au, and J.J. Lee, "Advances in Social Welfare in Hong Kong Daniel", Columbia University Press, March 2003 (ISBN 962-996-025-7)
# Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, "Hong Kong Family Welfare Society 40th anniversary commemorative issue, 1949-1989.", Hong Kong : the Society, 1990
# Lam, Gladys L. T., "Foster care service in the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society : client profile and operational procedures", Hong Kong : Hong Kong Family Welfare Society] , 1992.
# "Hong Kong Family Welfare Society : peer mediation programme : implementation guide / [organizer, Hong Kong Family Welfare Society ; sponsor, The HongKong Bank Foundation] .", Hong Kong : Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, Mediation Centre, 2003.
# [http://www.hkcss.org.hk/scenario/download/11_collaboration.pdf "Bank Consortium Trust Company Limited - Sharing Is More Important Than Donation --- Samond Traders Holding Limited - Small In Size But Big In Networking"]
# [http://ch.shvoong.com/humanities/education/277568-%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E4%BA%BA%E7%9A%84%E5%AE%B6%E6%95%99%E8%A7%82%E5%BF%B5 "13 Principals of Education"]

External links

* [http://www.aca.org.hk Against child abuse]
* [http://www.commchest.org/eng/ The Community Chest]
* [http://www.ho-sum.org/ Ho-Sum]
* [http://www.hab.gov.hk/ Home Affairs Bureau]
* [http://www.childrenrights.org.hk Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights]
* [http://www.hkcss.org.hk Hong Kong Council of Social Services]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/index.html Hong Kong Family Welfare Society]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/chi/index.html Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (Chinese Text)]
* [http://www.mediationcentrehk.org/index.htm Hong Kong Family Welfare Society Mediation Centre]
* [http://www.news.gov.hk/ Hong Kong's Information Services Department]
* [http://hk.geocities.com/care4uhk/ Hong Kong Western Center]
* [http://www.phaphama.org Phaphama Initiatives]
* [http://www.mhahk.org.hk/ Mental Health Association of Hong Kong]
* [http://hk.geocities.com/hkeactivities/ North Point Intergrated Family Service Centre]
* [http://parent-link.socialnet.org.hk/ Parent Link]
* [http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/ Social Welfare Department, The Government of Hong Kong SAR]
* [http://www.unicef.org.hk/docs/new/index1.php?lang=e UNICEF - Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF]
* [http://ftp.citac.hk/sswnews/ Youth Service Newsletter]

References

* [http://www.caltex.com/corp/en/Partnerships.asp Caltex -- Community Partnerships]
* [http://www.chevron.com/cr_report/2005/priorities_progress_plans/community_engagement/supplemental/more_investing_communities.asp Chevron -- More Investing In Communities]
* [http://www.hkfws.org.hk/new/eng/index.html Hong Kong Family Welfare Society]
* [http://www.ho-sum.org/eng/about/about.jsp?section=gallery Ho-Sum Feel Good Gallery]
* [http://www.hkcss.org.hk/scenario/detailse.asp?IssueID=2 Hong Kong Council of Social Services, Senario (online magazine) Inaugural Issue, Feb 2003]
* [http://www.hkcss.org.hk/scenario/detailse.asp?IssueID=13 Hong Kong Council of Social Services, Senario (online magazine) 11th Issue, Sept 2005]