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.

Since HKSPC established the “Child Safeguarding Support Line” around a year ago, the calls received were not only related to the association’s stakeholders but also to the entire Hong Kong public. Gloria Lau, our “Child Safeguarding Consultant”, shared the following impressive calls for help: 1) Divorced mother feared that her children would be abused A middle-aged divorced lady has called the hotline many times. Due to financial concerns, the custody of three children was awarded to her ex-husband. Her ex-husband married another woman, so her three children now lived with the stepmother. However, the lady suspected that the stepmother had neglected or abused her children. The eldest child had cried to the lady and even stayed at her home temporarily. The lady worried a lot and didn’t know how to help the children, so she called our hotline for help. The woman who asked for help was very emotional, so the Consultant taught her some skills to calm herself down and communicate with others. The Consultant listened patiently and referred her to relevant resources. 2) Abortion consultation for woman of advanced maternal age A woman of advanced maternal age called and consulted for her unexpected pregnancy. She worried that her family’s resources would not be able to afford and support the birth of a child, therefore she was considering an abortion. Yet, Life was not easy to come by and her husband wanted to give birth to a child. The woman wondered whether she needed to have an abortion or not. She wanted to consult someone before deciding, so she called our hotline. The consultant introduced the Day Crèches​ services of our association and other similar services in Hong Kong and comforted her that the problem could always be solved. The above help-seekers were not stakeholders of the association. They simply wanted to find help and searched on the internet, then found our hotline. In the spirit of protecting all children in Hong Kong, our consultant also listened carefully and made referrals with empathy. “I would not make direct suggestions for callers but provide relevant information and resources. I believe it is important to provide hope and listening when people are in desperate situations. ” Gloria said. The hotline has also received calls related to our association, sometimes colleagues will call to make suggestions on how to improve the services. “The colleagues’ willingness to call proves that they trust this hotline, and it is a channel for them to express opinions.” Gloria said. Besides the hotline, the “Child Safeguarding Department” also conducted many internal and external trainings to introduce child safeguarding policies and mandatory reporting mechanisms in the form of interactive workshops. HKSPC has trained more than 700 internal staff and has also cooperated with The Education University of Hong Kong to train students in Early Childhood Education, to enhance the awareness of child protection in the Association and even in Hong Kong.   Welcome to call the ” Child Safeguarding Support Line” / WhatsApp: 2691 0188 SERVICE HOURS: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9:00AM – 1:00PM; 2:00PM – 5:00PM

Our HKSPC Child Safeguarding Academy recently held two useful staff development seminars related to laws and regulations relevant to the work of our colleagues. The first was on the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance delivered by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, and the second addressed the new Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill, delivered by Solicitor Mr Chong Yiu Kwong. The seminars have helped our colleagues to understand more about the regulations, as well as empowered them to act vigilantly when handling related issues. The participants included the Society’s frontline staff, social workers, school principals, teachers and management. HKSPC Child Safeguarding Academy will continue to organise and promote training opportunities in 8 training areas and support our staff to engage in various training and industry exchange, encouraging continuous professional development.

HKSPC is committed to creating and promoting a child safeguarding culture that focuses on children’s developmental needs. We recognise the importance of enhancing our colleagues’ skills and knowledge while encouraging organisational innovation. The HKSPC Child Safeguarding Academy (CSA) has been established with the goal of offering systematic and comprehensive support for professional development to our colleagues and the industry. The key objectives of the CSA are as follows: Promoting and sustaining agency-wide child safeguarding standards and best practices that focus on children’s developmental needs; Ensuring the frontline staff members are equipped with latest skillsets adequate to deliver their responsibilities properly and effectively; Building a lifelong learning culture; Establishing a platform for staff to facilitate continuous development, sharing of practices and knowledge management; and Supporting career and personal development of staff members Since its inception in January, the CSA has provided or promoted over a thousand hours of training opportunities and recorded participation of more than 200 employee-times. We appreciate the support of colleagues and their dedication to lifelong learning. To uphold a sustainable and effective training strategy, the HKSPC has invited professionals and experts from different fields to be the members of the CSA’s Advisory Panel and provide professional advice to the CSA. The Advisory Panel comprises early childhood education academics, medical doctors, psychiatry researcher and psychologists. The CSA’s training activities will cover the following eight areas: Regulations and Compliance Child Care and Education Child Development Early Intervention Family Engagement and Support Management and Leadership Other Functional and Cross-functional Competencies Staff Personal Growth and Self-care This year, the CSA’s focus for training and development is “Attachment and Play”. With the promotion and support of the Academy, colleagues have proactively participated in different training activities. In April, several employees completed the training of Circle of Security Parenting™ Facilitator, which is a widely used theory in the child care and education field, and are now a Registered Circle of Security® Facilitator. Another group of colleagues are going to pursue this qualification in June. Upon attainment of the qualification, colleagues will be able to develop projects that assist carers to meet the true needs of children, thus improving the relationship between children and the carers. Moreover, the training activities will facilitate HKSPC’s services to consolidate and strengthen the adoption of play education, helping children to explore the world under proper protection and to grow up happily. To guide colleagues towards targeted training and development opportunities, the CSA has implemented a comprehensive Continuing Professional Development Framework. In addition, HKSPC has reviewed the staff training subsidy scheme, increasing the amount of training subsidy and number of training leave day offered to staff of different job types, encouraging and offering support for colleagues to engage in continuous development. Our Child Safeguarding Consultant is delivering training on Regulations and Compliance to colleagues. Colleagues are having small group discussion on the core values of child care. Related news:CRHK: 保護兒童會成立學院 培訓員工提升照顧兒童技巧TVB News: 保護兒童會成立守護兒童學院加強員工培訓 圍繞嬰幼兒發展等範疇

On 15 May, Ms Subrina Chow, Director of HKSPC, led our group of colleagues to visit the campuses of Tung Wah College in Mong Kok and Ho Man Tin, and to discuss and exchange with the College’s President, Professor Sally Chan, Vice President (Academic), Professor David Man, and their management team. The College gave us a tour of their Early Childhood Play / Learning Laboratory, Paediatric Occupational Therapy Laboratory, Virtual Reality Laboratory and Challenge Based Learning Nursing Laboratory, from which we have gained valuable insights and experience on nurturing healthcare and early childhood edu-care professionals. As a charitable organisation dedicated to safeguarding children in Hong Kong, HKSPC looks forward to working hand in hand with our peers to improve the quality and standard of early childhood education and care services , as well as providing the best care and protection for our children.

HKSPC concluded the 9-month Reform Project at the Children’s Residential Home (CRH) last December, which laid a solid foundation for our enhanced residential child care service quality and our new child-centric caring culture. Meanwhile, we strive to keep abreast of the best standards of care, education, rehabilitation and social work services for our children and families. That is why we have established the HKSPC Child Safeguarding Academy earlier this year to provide our staff with systematic and comprehensive professional training and support to promote a child safeguarding culture centred on children’s developmental needs. We sincerely thank the following elites in the industry who have joined the Advisory Panel of the Academy: 周婉芬博士（Dr. Iris Chau） 鄭慧芬醫生（Dr. Anna Cheng） 鄭佩華教授（Prof. Doris Cheng） 葉柏強醫生（Dr. Patrick Ip） 李南玉博士（Dr. Amelia Lee） 潘麥瑞雯博士（Dr. Rachel Poon） 葉錦成教授（Prof. Yip Kam Shing） In its initial phase, the Academy is conducting training mainly for the staff of CRH and our other children service units. In future, the Academy’s mission is to extend its service in stages to the entire staff of HKSPC, professionals in the industry, child carers and, in due course, the general public, so as to share professional knowledge and experience, and contribute to the development of child educare and support for the carers. “Child Safeguarding Policy” can now be viewed at HKSPC website Furthermore, HKSPC has recently formulated the Child Safeguarding Policy. All staff members are to be trained on and strictly follow this new policy as well as the previously implemented Whistleblowing Policy. They also have to possess a valid checking code from the Sexual Conviction Record Check scheme. Both our Child Safeguarding Policy and Whistleblowing Policy have been uploaded to HKSPC’s website for public access. By progressively implementing the various reform measures, we are confident in sustaining the positive changes introduced by the CRH Reform Project, continuing to deepen and promote the new child safeguarding culture and best service standards. Ming Pao’s interview story: 保會成立守護兒童學院 統籌培訓 總幹事：童樂居完成重整「只是開始」 長遠冀支援業界

A group of volunteers from “群芳雅集”, a district service organisation of The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions in Hong Kong Island South, visited Children’s Residential Home on 5 February to provide hairdressing service to more than 30 young children. We hereby extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the volunteers for their valuable time and love for the children! The volunteers gave children fresh looks with their skilful hands. Sincere thanks to the volunteers for sharing our children with their time and skills!