Facing the outburst of SARS, the Social Welfare Department and the Education & Manpower Bureau announced the suspension of classes in April. In spite of the announcement, all Day Care Centres remained open to support parents who needed the service. Thus, especially during that critical period when everyone is fighting against SARS, these centres operated with heightened alertness.

Special arrangements were made also at our Day Care Centres. For instance, one of our Day Care Centres, United Church Medical Service Day Care Centre, due to its location being next to the United Hospital, children at that Centre were relocated to the nearby Kwun Tong Day Care Centre during the epidemic peak of SARS (i.e. approximately the first 2 to 3 weeks) in order to avoid any potentially infectious contacts.

There were enquiries for assistance from parents whose handicapped children (either mentally or physically) were under our integrated program. Their primary difficulty was to teach their children the importance of wearing masks. Our recommendation was to encourage the parents to bring the children to the centres where our teachers would assist them through "individual education plan" (IEP), a step by step teaching method for children through imitation games. This is also an effective method to help alleviate frustrations for both parent and child.

During the class suspension period, while parents found themselves short of ideas as how to spend the extended time with their children having to stay home due to SARS, our centres assisted the parents in that aspect by referring them to some existing on-line parent-child activities and also encouraged parents to utilize our library resources of children story books.

Telephone communication with our children and their parents was one of our vital chores during that 'Atypical vacation'. It was also a way to express our care and support to them. The communication meant a lot particularly to those parents who were in the medical field as they chose to stay isolated from their families for the sake of their safety. Our constant updates of their children in the Child Care Centre had greatly uplifted their spirit during those depressed days.

While school days continued, we encouraged students to create greeting cards and send them to medical workers. We also suggested the students to write inspiring e-mails to community hospitals; and to act on behalf of the people of Hong Kong, we encourage them to send sympathy cards to the martyrs of SARS in memory of their heroism.

SARS, in spite of its destructive nature, it most definitely provided a valuable opportunity for all of us to learn to appreciate life, to care for one another in the community and to witness the meaning and actions of selflessness.