The
Deputy Director, Miss Betty Woo, had joined a visit to Sydney
and Melbourne, Australia for the exploration of their local
Family Services. The tour lasted from 8th October to 12th October
2001 was organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.
Issues of Family have become more and more complex
in Hong Kong over the past decade. Many families are either
faced with increasingly frequent acute situations or developing
various types of domestic issues. It is time for family service
providers to consider the possibility of making changes to its
service types, modes, and deliveries in order to address the
wider and more complicated family issues in today's society.
Family Services Review has taken event in Hong
Kong and so as the government subvention mode for social services.
While integration of services, early identification of needy
families and cost-effective service measuring performance outcome
are emphasized, family services is, to a larger or lesser extent,
called for a reform.
Since
Australia appears to be at a similar level of development in
social service as in Hong Kong, the purpose of the visit is
to explore its mechanics in running the social services system.
The target areas included the types of family problem encountered,
identification measures to service those needs, planning mechanism
for services, service delivery modes, special and targeted services
including innovative programs, subvention systems and marketing
strategies. The organizations visited during the tour included
the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services
, New South Wales Council of Social Services, Australian Institutes
of Family Studies, CentaCare, Unitingcare connections, Family
Services Association, Family Mediation Centre and the Brotherhood
for St Lawrence.
