The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) is committed to the focus of "Nurture the Young, Create the Future" and providing comprehensive services that cater to the wellbeing and development of children and youth. We hope that the contents of the Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address will create the conditions conducive to their development and foster a child and youth-friendly growth environment that lets them realise their potential and contribute to society. In this regard, we put forward the following recommendations for services directed at children and youth:
1. Prepare for the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance
The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance was gazetted on 19 July and will officially come into effect on 20 January 2026. BGCA urges all responsible departments to establish a work plan and timeline to make full use of the 18-month transition period to strengthen public education and help mandatory reporters understand the importance of the new ordinance. We call on the government to ensure that sufficient support services and manpower are in place to prevent the mishandling of child abuse cases due to inadequate resources. Only by investing sufficient resources, from early prevention to the follow-up on reports, can we create a comprehensive and effective safety net for the protection of children.
1.1 Collect frontline feedback on the Mandatory Reporting Guide
After the relevant departments and professional advisory groups have created the initial draft of the Mandatory Reporting Guide, we hope that they will consult with mandatory reporters from various sectors to collect feedback and address questions from frontline workers in order to further improve the guide. Regarding the reporting format, we suggest that in addition to written reports, an online interactive platform and mobile application be established to integrate the reporting form, reporting flowchart and analytic framework. This will make it easier for mandatory reporters to follow the guide, assess the severity and risk of suspected child abuse, input necessary and supplementary information, and complete the assessment and reporting process all in one go. We also recommend that the relevant authorities provide mandatory reporters with a simple written response on the investigation results within a specified timeframe. This will help alleviate their concerns about long-term follow-up after reporting suspected child abuse.
Currently, professionals carry out child protection work in accordance to the Protecting Children from Maltreatment Procedural Guide for Multi-disciplinary Co-operation (Revised 2020). In light of the future implementation of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance and the Mandatory Reporting Guide, we recommend that the government review and revise the contents of the procedural guide to ensure that all three documents are consistently aligned. This is so that in the future, regardless of whether mandatory reporting is required, they can help mandatory reporters protect children suspected of abuse, uphold their best interest and safeguard them from harm.
1.2 Increase and strengthen residential child care services
The implementation of mandatory reporting for child abuse cases will likely increase the demand for residential child care services. The industry will need more manpower, training and equipment to provide related services. BGCA calls on the government to ensure that sufficient residential child care services and manpower are in place by the time the ordinance comes into effect. This is to ensure that reports of suspected abuse cases can be followed up on properly and effectively, and not become a bottleneck in child protection efforts.
The industry is currently facing manpower shortage. As such, the authorities should take responsibility for 24-hour care, on-the-job training, staff leave arrangements etc. to address the situation. Meanwhile, we recommend considering the establishment of residential facilities for children and youth dedicated to providing psychological trauma treatment, with each facility caring for four victims of psychological trauma to ensure that service users from different backgrounds can receive more individualised services. This can help ensure that suspected cases are effectively followed up on after reporting and will not become a bottleneck in child protection efforts. We urge the authorities to work with the industry to establish a plan and timetable for implementing the recommendations in the Report of the Review of Residential Child Care and Related Services and allocating sufficient financial resources to enhance the response capability of residential homes and avoid missing out on opportunities to handle cases in a timely manner.
1.3 Promote the future development of child protection work in Hong Kong
Currently, the Social Welfare Department publishes the Child Protection Registry Statistical Report annually, providing an overview of child protection and risk of abuse cases reported to the system, giving a reflection of the reality of child abuse issues in Hong Kong. Moving on, we recommend that the government compile, publish and discuss information related to mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse cases annually and, after removing all personal data, make the mandatory reports and the Child Protection Data System available to scholars and researchers for further compilation and analysis. This will help us understand the characteristics and backgrounds of such cases, letting us prevent child abuse, improve the definition, process and decision-making tools of mandatory reporting, promote the planning, development and educational effort of child protection services, assess the effectiveness of child protection work and more.
Finally, we believe that passing the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance is only the first step in protecting children. The government should consider the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in the long run and establish a "failure to protect” offence to impose criminal liability on bystanders who fail to protect children from death or serious harm.
2. Support the needs of local young children and establish diverse district community hubs for children based on regional needs
Early childhood development is a very important milestone. BGCA believes that creating an environment that is conducive to early childhood development and child protection not only encourages childbirth, but also supports new families and alleviates caregiving pressures faced by vulnerable parents. Taking inspiration from Amazing Start, which is co-established by BGCA and the business community and provides evidence-based community and home services to disadvantaged families with infants aged 0-3 years old, and the Key Steps service model, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, we recommend setting up district community hubs for children aged 0 to 6 to provide early intervention services to them and their parents. These services will cover five major areas — health, nutrition, safe environment, quality parenting and early learning – so as to promote the holistic early development of young children.
In general districts, the district community hubs for children can be integrated with the local children centre while also supporting the district's child care centres and after school care programme for pre-primary children and providing early intervention activities for young children. They can also play a role in educating parents and supporting the physical and mental needs of caregivers, promoting positive discipline, building a close relationship with children, and creating a healthy and happy growth environment, ultimately achieving the goal of child protection.
In districts with high child abuse rates and a significant need for community support, we can refer to the model of Amazing Start, which has been established by BGCA since 2021. The project has established FocalPoint@AmazingStart in Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long, serving over 200 families referred by hospitals, preventing multiple suspected child abuse incidents, and providing immediate support and intervention including hospitals and social welfare organisations. Preliminary analysis of service data conducted by university research institutions indicate that families referred to Amazing Start have experienced significant improvement after nine months, with parents experience reduced emotional stress and infants reaching their age-appropriate developmental milestones. In addition, the Amazing Start also provides parenting services to over a thousand ordinary families in the district, aiming to build a universal safety net for families with infants in the community.
3. Strengthen Tier-2 support to bridge adaptation gap for primary school students
Since September 2023, the government regularised On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services (OPRS) through inter-disciplinary service teams under a school-based and integrated approach, providing school-based and integrated on-site training and support services to children under the age of 6, who are assessed with mild disabilities and are attending kindergartens or kindergarten-cum-child care centres. At the same time, primary and secondary schools currently provide appropriate support to students with special educational needs (SEN) based on the Education Bureau’s three-tier support model, which optimises classroom teaching, provides additional support and strengthens individualised support. According to the Education Bureau's Operation Guide on the Whole School Approach to Integrated Education, most SEN students require Tier-2 support.
As of the 2023/24 school year, more than 32,000 SEN students enrolled in public primary schools in Hong Kong are receiving Tier-2 support services. SEN students transitioning from kindergarten to primary school face the challenge of adapting to an unfamiliar environment, necessitating early adaption strategies in learning, social and emotional aspects. In addition, teachers may be unfamiliar with the needs of SEN students, often leading to adaptation difficulties with far-reaching impacts. We recommend allocating additional resources to strengthen OPRS and collaborating with primary schools to enhance Tier-2 support to fill the gap in adaptive training for students entering primary school. This will help them and their parents integrate into primary school life as soon as possible, ensuring that SEN students can transition into primary education with adequate support. At the same time, we suggest providing professional training to primary school teachers to enhance their knowledge and methods for supporting SEN students. This can help increase their confidence and ability to support students with special needs.
Finally, when it comes to adaptation services for SEN students, a continuous collaborative model involving families, schools and the community is crucial for parents and caregivers. It can focus on the mental health of parents and caregivers, alleviate their adaptation pressures and negative emotions, effectively strengthen the protective factors in child development and promote their long-term positive growth.
4. Focus on youth mental health and establish emotional support spaces
In light of the severe shortage of mental health professionals and high costs associated with training psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, it will be difficult to solve manpower challenges in the short term. Therefore, support and collaboration from other professions have become particularly important in addressing youth mental health problems.
To tackle the issue of mental distress among youth, BGCA received funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in 2019 and implemented LevelMind@JC through an inter-disciplinary collaboration with five non-profit organisations and the University of Hong Kong. This project provided a youth-exclusive, stigma-free one-stop service for young people in the community who experience early-stage mental distress. It offered consultation, assessment and appropriate referrals, while innovatively changing their help-seeking habits to enhance personal awareness, strengths and overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
We recommend the government to expand relevant services in various districts, or combine them with Integrated Children and Youth Service Centres, and regularise the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism to create an environment where youth can relieve stress. This should include early intervention and support services provided by professional social workers and counsellors. The age range of Integrated Children and Youth Service Centres should also be extended to 29 years old, so as to support secondary school students, students in tertiary education and working youth in preventing suicide and providing emotional support.
5. Support divorced families and implement “child-centred co-parenting”
The Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services discussed the Children Proceedings (Parental Responsibility) Bill on 17 June. With regards to helping divorced parents implement the "parental responsibility model", BGCA recommends that couples undergoing divorce with children under the age of 12 must complete a shared parenting workshop/course and undergo mandatory mediation. This will help them arrange matters of care, discipline and finance surrounding their children in a timely manner and speed up legal proceedings. At the same time, participation in counselling for divorced parents and individual emotional support should be required, focusing on managing child care and discipline, reducing stress and dissatisfaction in the divorce process, and facilitating co-parenting in the future. Furthermore, to improve the current services and assist divorced parents facing cooperation difficulties and conflicts, we strongly recommend that the government provide comprehensive legal support, clinical supervision, professional training, and adequate staff to case ratio.
Proper handling of financial disputes in divorced families is also crucial to implementing the "parental responsibility model". Single-parent families have been identified as one of the specific groups for targeted poverty alleviation. Frontline staff have occasionally learnt that service users face financial difficulties due to defaults in maintenance payments. Therefore, we recommend that the Social Welfare Department optimise existing procedures to allow single parents to immediately stop deducting maintenance from their Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) by providing a simple proof or oath. Applicants can then later submit the court documents for maintenance recovery as proof. If the applicant subsequently recovers owed maintenance payments, the Social Welfare Department can deduct the relevant amount from their monthly CSSA, either in one lump sum or in instalments based on their financial capacity.
6. Improve the existing poverty line to resolve the various deprivations of children
After years of advocacy from the industry, the government established an official poverty line in 2013, using 50% of the median household income as the threshold. This provided a clear standard for assessing poverty levels, helping the government formulate poverty alleviation policies for the poor, ensuring the effective allocation of resources, and allowing for the comparison of poverty conditions in different districts and over different periods to understand poverty trends and changes. However, the current poverty line only considers income and ignores other important factors that contribute to poverty, such as access to education, healthcare, housing, and social support systems. This narrow perspective leads to an incomplete assessment of poverty and may hinder the development of comprehensive poverty alleviation strategies.
Targeted poverty alleviation is the current government's strategy, which directs resources to those with the greatest needs. The government has identified households residing in subdivided unit, single-parent households and elderly households as the three groups slated for targeted poverty alleviation, and has implemented plans based on the needs of each group. We recommend that in addition to the poverty line, the government should also introduce the concept of "deprivation" in the future to comprehensively and systematically understand the situation of impoverished children. The Census and Statistics Department can conduct regular surveys of households residing in subdivided units, single-parent families and their children to assess whether their living standards meet social standards. The areas of assessment should include "personal growth needs", "capacity for family discipline " and "family and environmental factors" to understand the extent of deprivation and living conditions of impoverished children. Through these objective indicators and data, the government will not only better formulate strategies and implementation for targeted poverty alleviation plans, but also evaluate the effectiveness of future efforts and improve the shortcomings of the existing poverty line.
In the current economic downturn in Hong Kong, all sectors of society are facing unprecedented challenges. BGCA hopes that the Chief Executive can lead the community to drive the economy, seek development, improve livelihoods, and increase happiness, especially for grassroots children, youth and their families, helping them overcome difficulties and grow up healthy and happy.
