On June 27, 2024, the “Joint Graduation Ceremony of Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children Nursery Schools 2023-2024” successfully concluded amidst applause and cheers at Sha Tin Town Hall.   Professor The Hon CHEUNG Kin- Chung, Matthew GBM, GBS, JP; Former Chief Secretary for Administration, Hong Kong SAR Government; Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong officiated at the ceremony, together with Mr. Vincent Lee, Chairman of HKSPC Executive Committee, Ms. Subrina Chow, Director of HKSPC, as well as Ms. Yada Wuthinitikornkit, Member of HKSPC Fund Raising Committee, presenting graduation certificates to 461 graduates, witnessing the unforgettable moment filled with joy and celebration.     This year, the theme of our Joint Graduation Ceremony was "Brighten children’s future together." Mr. Vincent Lee wished the graduates a fulfilling primary school life. He promised that HKSPC would continue to promote childhood wellbeing, ensuring every child who comes to the Society builds happy memories.   Addressing the graduation ceremony, Professor the Hon CHEUNG Kin- Chung wished graduates to be responsible students who can be courageous in trying new things, and face challenges with a cheerful outlook. He complimented the nursery schools on their experiential learning and free play, which effectively stimulate students with curiosity, exploration, and self-directed learning. He also praised our gala show performed by our graduates, as the most splendid performance among the graduation ceremonies he has attended over the past 25 years, which is indeed a great honour for the Society.     During the ceremony, graduates expressed their gratitude to their alma mater and parents through speeches and singing the graduation song. Graduates’ representatives then presented handmade light clay souvenirs to officiating guests as a token of gratitude on behalf of all graduates.     Near the end of the ceremony, all graduates presented a spectacular finale performance, presenting the 24 solar terms through various forms such as drama, music, and dance, combined with different talent performances, winning applause from parents and guests alike. The performance not only demonstrated the students' confidence and vitality but also allowed parents to witness their children's growth throughout their four years at nursery schools.           As the four-year school life comes to an end, HKSPC sincerely wishes each graduate the best on their upcoming new journey. We will continue to create environments where children can explore, discover, and develop their full potential, ensuring every child who comes to HKSPC builds happy memories that last a lifetime.          

Our Fund Raising Committee hosted the Summer Cocktail Party at Cardinal Point in Central on June 12, inviting over 80 guests to participate. The event aimed to promote our new brand image while raise funds for our two children and family service centres.     The event featured both live and silent auctions with 46 items generously donated by various corporate sponsors and individuals. Guests enthusiastically bid on the pieces, and some made pledge donations to further support our work.     A total of over $460,000 was raised on the night. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the corporate and individual donors who contributed to this successful fundraiser.

  日期：2024年7月4日 (星期四) 時間：下午2時至5時 地點：九龍觀塘翠屏道3號基督教家庭服務中心201室   目的： 從幼兒教育、家庭支援及社會企業跨專業界別，多角度探討照顧者的需要，及如何協助他們獲得所需要的社會資源與服務，讓照顧者發揮更大的照顧功能，我們的兒童才能得到更多保障，快樂成長。   對象：社工／老師／家長 語言：廣東話   研討會報名 （費用全免）：https://shorturl.at/UDh6d   出席及完成問卷的人士，可獲出席證書及HK$25禮券   查詢 ： 3184 7206   csa@hkspc.org   講題 嘉賓講者 如何與幼兒建立安全依附關係? 香港保護兒童會幼兒學校服務總監 – 林育行女士 育有特殊需要子女的家長需要及支援服務 香港明愛康復服務高級督導主任 – 鄭燕萍女士  照顧者的自我照顧與生涯發展 香港中華基督教青年會協調幹事 – 黎宇先生 提升家庭幸福感的三大要訣 正向家長學院創辦人 – 梁辰民先生 (辰民爸爸)

本會一直致力促進幼兒福祉，以成就更和諧幸福的社會。為了讓兒童能盡情自由遊戲，留下更多愉快回憶，保會疫情後首次舉辦大型遊戲日Mega Play Date 2024，今天的活動吸引逾二千名兒童及家長參與。   今次遊戲日的主題是「玩出快樂童年」，透過超過30個親子工作坊和攤位遊戲，例如親子共讀、幼兒運動、充氣彈床、面部彩繪、圖工製作和家長按摩，涵蓋語言、藝術、運動、音樂及感知探索等範疇，讓孩子盡情玩樂，亦鼓勵家庭成員之間互動合作，加強彼此溝通及增進親子關係。   大會邀得油尖旺民政事務專員余健強太平紳士、油尖旺區議會議員李思敏，以及油尖旺區議會議員李家軒，聯同本會執行委員會主席李永誠先生和總幹事周舜宜女士擔任開幕典禮主禮嘉賓，為Mega Play Date揭開序幕。   香港保護兒童會執行委員會主席李永誠先生表示：「保會的使命是為兒童和家庭提供全面照顧和支援，促進幼兒福祉和發展。我們深信兒童有幸福快樂的童年，對他們的長遠發展尤其重要，是整個社會幸福的基礎。今日舉行的大型遊戲日旨在為兒童及家長提供一個可以一起遊玩，增進彼此交流的機會，因爲幸福快樂的童年始於良好的親子關係。」   保會亦趁著今天的活動，向公衆展示過去一年品牌重塑工作的成果。揮別使用了近百年背著小孩、穿木屐的女孩，為新面貌揭幕：一個充滿色彩的笑臉漣漪。李永誠先生說：「新標誌設計的靈感源自在水面向外蕩開的一圈圈漣漪。歡欣的笑臉體現本會讓每個孩子都得到快樂童年的承諾，把兒童福祉放在首位，確保每一個孩子都得到愛與關懷。」   新品牌短語 ──「快樂童年眾幸福」，強調兒童與社會密不可分的關係，因爲社會是由人和家庭組成，而快樂童年是幸福人生的基石。當兒童擁有快樂童年，這份幸福感能促使他們長大後回饋社會，用生命影響生命。   是次品牌重塑計劃反映保會與時並進的精神，持續進步以適應瞬息萬變的社會步伐。保會將繼續與政府和社會各界包括關愛隊、地區組織等緊密合作，一同實踐本會倡導幼兒福祉的使命。

本港市民生活節奏急速，大家習慣做任何事情都要用最短的時間達成最大的效益。很多父母教育孩子亦如是，幾乎自出生開始便要求幼兒學習不同的中英文生字，以及五花八門的才藝，努力讓孩子成為「全材」。然而，小朋友早上累得睜不開眼，吃早餐也會睡著；他們發脾氣丟圖書，視線永遠不在圖書的文字上……在孩子這些「唔聽話」的背後，其實孩子真正需要的是什麼？要怎樣做，孩子才會每天精神抖擻，快樂地開懷大笑？   今期我們邀請到各界別的資深人士，帶領大家一步步思考怎樣的成長環境和條件，可以培育孩子成為一個健康快樂的人，讓孩子擁有一個快樂的童年。   孩子是我們的未來，孩子健康快樂地成長，整個社會都會收穫幸福。   按此閱讀《童心．家Fun》Vol.3 成就快樂童年     關於《童心．家Fun》 於2023年5月份創刊，以向家長及公眾分享本會累積多年的專業育兒知識為宗旨。雜誌每期主要收錄數篇幼兒照顧、幼兒教育、家庭服務等界別之專業人士的撰文，對於公眾的育兒知識有所增益。每期雜誌於各地點免費向公眾派發，派發地點包括本會屬下單位、私人診所、健康中心等。

  本會積極提倡幼兒福祉，同時致力為家長提供專業及貼心的親職教育及支援服務，紓解他們培育子女時所面對的壓力及困難。   本問卷調查目的是讓各界人士了解本港婦女的第二胎生育意願；了解婦女對不同階段的育兒知識的認識；及探討婦女對家庭友善僱傭措施的訴求，從而向當局提出建議，增加適切支援以承托婦女生育需要。   對象：本港18-45歲、已生育一胎的婦女   首四百名完成回答整份問卷者則有機會獲得價值20元的現金券乙張，每人只能回答一次。 您只要花數分鐘時間作答：https://forms.office.com/r/bEqxUCWewz   截止日期：2024年6月7日   所提供的個人資料和回答內容將會完全保密，調查結果只供整合數據及研究分析之用，所有含有個人信息的文件數據將於五年後銷毀或刪除。   如對本調查有任何疑問，請與香港保護兒童會聯絡 (電郵：research@hkspc.org，電話：3184 6628)。

Two major fundraising activities of the year – Autumn Dinner and “HKSPC Flag Day – Kowloon Region” were held on 23rd September and 28th October respectively and concluded successfully. The raised funds will be used on our various services to support thousands of local children and families, fulfilling the mission of “Child Safeguarding”. Autumn Dinner HKSPC’s Fund Raising Committee held the Autumn Dinner on 23rd September (Saturday) at HKGTA Town Club. 70 guests joined the evening event to enjoy delicious food and play games, all for a great cause. With 100% of the wines and lucky draw prizes generously sponsored, all proceeds go to our 2 Children and Family Services Centres to support their daily operation and to start a Sensory Play Project for infants and young children. Guests had a delightful and delicious time with their friends. Children from our Children and Family Services Centre brought solo piano performances to the guests to raise funds for the service. HKSPC Flag Day – Kowloon Region 2023 The HKSPC Flag Day was held again in Kowloon Region on 28th October (Saturday), 5 years after the last event. We are delighted to be backed by 3,000 enrolled flag-selling volunteers from different corporations, organizations, primary and secondary schools, as well as students and parents from HKSPC’s various service units. We also received support from organisations in the forms of internal fundraisers and direct donations. The 2 Children and Family Services Centres that will benefit from this Flag Day provide much-needed services for working parents. Without direct subvention from the government, their operation relies on the support of the community. Many students and parents of HKSPC’s Nursery Schools joined as volunteers to support our services. Parents and children work together seamlessly to sell the flags. Ms. Subrina Chow, HKSPC’s Director, participated as a flag-selling volunteer as well. Many secondary and primary schools supported the event. We would like to extend our appreciation to all the participating schools and student volunteers. Every flag sold by our volunteers represents the blessing and kindness extended by the donors. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the organizations which allowed us to sell flags within their premises; banks which allowed us to use their branches as flag bag collection depots; enthusiastic volunteers who devoted their time and effort; and every donor for their benevolent contribution. All of the good deeds and charitable acts enable us to continue enriching the lives of children under our care for a brighter tomorrow. Your generous donation and sponsorship offer support and resources to the children and families in need, allowing us to further serve the community. For any enquiry, please call us at 2396 0264 or email fundraising@hkspc.org.

Dear Friends, I am honoured to have served the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC) since 2013 and chaired its Management Committee for the last two years. At the Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting of December 7, I was elected the new Chairman for a two-year term. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our immediate past ExCo Chairman, Mr. Robin Hammond, for driving and leading many changes in HKSPC in these exceptional times. My gratitude also goes to Mr. Timothy Lam, Jr., who just stepped down as President of HKSPC, and Mr. Peter Wong, who will shortly step down as Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, for their remarkable work and foresight. Change to Improve Rebuilding the Children’s Residential Home (CRH) is the top priority for HKSPC. There is no doubt that we disappointed our service users, donors, friends and supporters over the CRH incident. We are profoundly sorry for what happened. Since then, HKSPC has been wholeheartedly striving for long-lasting changes at the CRH, as well as strengthening the governance, management and workings of the Society more generally. Our work has been guided by three simple beliefs: Better care for children in need Looking after our employees Good governance to sustain what we do To date, CRH has made substantial progress. We have added new Child Care Workers to improve the day-time staff to child ratio to 1:5, well above the regulatory minimum of 1:8. We have implemented a new educare model to better nurture our children. We have set aside additional resources to ensure adequate training for our staff in the CRH. We have installed a full-time Child Safeguarding Consultant, the first among local NGOs, who reports independently to the Director and a designated member of our ExCo, who is herself an experienced pediatrician, on issues relating to child protection. At the Society level, we carried out a review of the employment terms and conditions of our staff and have made adjustments to ensure that we stay competitive in attracting and retaining talents. We are about to embark on a digitalisation programme to upgrade our IT systems for greater efficiency. We have established the Risk Management, Compliance and Internal Audit Department to be more forward-looking on risk matters and a whistleblowing policy to put a stop to unacceptable behaviour. These are just some of the positive changes we have introduced in the last two years. We are committed to listening and being responsive to our employees’ concerns. Planning for the Future We will be front-footed in planning our child care services and empowering our employees. We will ensure that our staff are properly prepared for the new regime on mandatory reporting of child abuse. We are planning for HKSPC to be in a position to better support the Government’s objectives, as set out in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address, to support families with newborns, assist working families in childbearing, and promote family education. We will announce new / enhanced services in due course. A Strong Culture for Growth A key foundation for our future development is the cultivation of an inclusive, open and performance-based culture at HKSPC. Better connection with and between our staff to build a common purpose and promoting lifelong learning for them is key. The recent founding of the HKSPC Child Safeguarding Academy will support meeting this objective. I have been visiting our service units to meet colleagues, whom I encourage to come forward with new ideas as we continue to review and put in place measures to reinforce a strong and positive culture in the Society. Thank You All I want to sincerely thank our friends and supporters for their unwavering belief in the mission of the Society, and our staff for their steadfast commitment to serving children, particularly those from an underprivileged background and those with special education needs. The Society will collaborate closely with the Government, professionals from various sectors including social work and education, community leaders, donors, and other stakeholders to do a better job. Our goal is to share our beliefs and experiences in sustaining a child safeguarding culture, and to foster a community that cares for children and families. We are fast approaching the centenary of HKSPC in 2026. Few institutions enjoy such a long and distinguished history. We are committed to the core values that have sustained the Society for nearly a century and would ensure that, going forward, they are always reflected in our services. We must also be forward looking. As the new Chairman of HKSPC, I will uphold the faith of past ExCo Chairmen and members and persevere in leading the Society forward to be more proactive in engaging with the community and the people we serve. I look forward to writing the next chapter of the HKSPC story together with you! As the year will soon come to a close, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of you, your family and loved ones. Best wishes, Vincent Lee Chairman of Executive Committee

The Children and Family Services Centre (Kowloon City) of HKSPC has served ethnic minority families for many years and has many service users from Southeast Asia. Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is similar to the Chinese Lunar New Year. It is a traditional grand festival for Indians to reunite with relatives and friends. This year, ‘Diwali’ falls on mid-November. Ethnic minority families shared their hometown culture with the volunteers. They danced, painted, and made handicrafts together to promote racial integration. The “iFAST ePension Services Limited” volunteer team reciprocated with gifts and donations for the children. On the day of the event, parents of Indian service users placed red dots representing ‘blessing’ on the foreheads of each participant. Indian families then explained the historical origins of ‘Diwali’ and conducted a “Q & A” session, which was enjoyed by volunteers and children alike. Afterwards, the ethnic minority children taught and performed traditional dances from their hometowns, and both child service users and volunteers danced together. The two parties also collaborated to colour and paint “Rangoli” – which combined geometric patterns and Indian mythological images to symbolise welcoming gods and blessings. One of the important activities of Diwali is ‘lighting up lamps’ or lighting candles, representing the idea of ‘driving away darkness with light’. When making handcrafted candles, we ensured that one adult volunteer paired up with one child to safeguard the children. This wonderful event allowed people of different ethnic groups to get to know each other and build relationships. It helps local people better understand the cultural traditions of ethnic minorities, thus fostering an ethnically-friendly environment in Hong Kong. In addition, HKSPC’s staff briefed volunteers on the Child Safeguarding Policy before any event to ensure they have appropriate attitudes and behaviour towards children. We try our best to ensure that children are nourished by a warm and friendly environment and enjoy a happy childhood.