The HKCS was the first organization to provide foster care service locally in 1972. Till 1993, our service has expanded to include children of mildly mental disability. During the same year, due to an increase in cases that parents could not look after their children because of emergency instances, another organization had provided emergency foster care service. It was soon recognized by the Government and became one of the subvented programmes. This year, the HKCS has been subvented to provide emergency foster care service. We have 4 service capacity, together with the other organization, there are 16 service capacity in total.

Emergency Foster Care Service provides service to families that are unable to take care of their children due to emergency situations. Within a short period of time, their children under 18 years of age will be directed to foster care homes so that they will be taken care of under a safe and stable environment. Other kind of services such as dealing with children's adaption problems due to a new environment and a sudden separation with their parents, helping the children to keep in touch with their parents, arranging different parties to plan and perform the welfare programmes related to the children, preparing the children to be reunited with their families again or transferred to other long term residential service.

Children from the emergency foster care service may not stay in foster care homes for more than 6 weeks. However, an extension may be applied to some unique circumstances. Applications may be evaluated and accepted instantly through telephone by our social workers on duty via family service workers, medical workers, and school social workers from the Social Welfare Department or non-governmental organizations.
Pic: The phamplet on" Emergency Foster Care Service ".