Director of Social Welfare Carol Yip, the department choir, volunteers and department wards raised their voices in song today in support of the Child Development Matching Fund.
"We wish to share the festive joy with the audience here as well as arouse public concern of the importance of youth development," Ms Yip said.
Now in its fourth year, the carol singing festival raises money for the fund, a community organisation that promotes child development initiatives to alleviate poverty. The fund is also a strategic partner of the Child Development Fund, which supports the development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with pooled funds from the Government, families, the private sector and the community.
In the past three years, the festivals raised more than $8 million, and the Child Development Matching Fund has provided a total of $3.45 million in matching grants to 11 projects, benefiting 1,275 children and teenagers, Ms Yip added.
"The Government is dedicated to promoting the development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with a view to reducing inter-generational poverty."
Some department staff who joined the event today also serve as volunteers who visit wards of the department when they are off duty, to help them experience family life.
The court makes some children and teens wards of the department in accordance with the Protection of Children & Juveniles Ordinance, for reasons such as death, loss, imprisonment, long-term hospitalisation or incapability of their parents, or their being unable or unsuitable to live with their family members. At the end of last month, there were 713 department wards.
