Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited a Short-term Food Assistance Service centre in Kwun Tong and a kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin to learn about the services they provide.
Since its introduction in 2009, the Short-term Food Assistance Service has provided basic food supply for low-income earners who have difficulties in coping with their food expenditure for a period of up to eight weeks.
Mrs Lam said, as stated in her Policy Address, the Government will allocate an additional $447 million to extend the service until 2021 to help people in need.
She said the Social Welfare Department will conduct a comprehensive review of the initiative, including the positioning of the services and the way forward.
Mrs Lam then visited a Wong Tai Sin kindergarten to look at the rehabilitation services provided to children in pre-primary education who have special needs.
Mrs Lam said she pledged in the Policy Address the Government will regularise the Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services, upon its completion, from the 2018-19 school year.
She said the Government will earmark $460 million a year in recurrent expenditure for the programme and increase the service places from about 3,000 to 7,000 in two years to achieve the policy objective of "zero waiting time" for pre-school rehabilitation services.
Mrs Lam added she will continue to contact different sectors of the community to garner their views.
