Regular payments, instead of a lump sum, are made from the We Care Education Fund to SARS-affected children to better meet their education expenses as they grow up, the Social Welfare Department says.

This is also the preferred payment method their parents unanimously indicated during meetings from May to July with former Director of Social Welfare Carrie Lam, who is also one of the fund's co-founders, and advisory committee members.

Responding to a press report that only $3.3 million of the fund has been paid out to the intended beneficiaries, the department said it has undertaken to take good care of the SARS-affected children until they become adults.

$82m raised for We Care Education Fund 

Despite the large number of children who became potential fund beneficiaries during the SARS outbreak, that ambitious objective can be met thanks to the generous donations collected from almost every sector of the community. A total of $82 million has been raised.

The department pointed out that the majority of the allocations are to meet educational expenses for private tuition, special interest classes, textbook and stationery, transport, and so on, in line with the objective of meeting each child's individual needs, as most of the children are receiving free primary and junior secondary education in public schools.

Maximum flexibility preserved to meet various needs

Tailoring to meet every child's individual needs, the fund is supporting the more expensive school fees for a few children studying in local private and international schools and three children on overseas studies. It is projected that outlays from the fund will increase in the years ahead.

The department also stressed that the fund operates as a trust for the children, except that it is a collective one.  Instead of cutting up the fund in equal portions at the outset, the fund has tried to preserve maximum flexibility to meet the children's varied needs.

Families that had financial needs beyond those of their child's education have been helped initially through other sources, such as the Business Community Relief Fund for Victims of SARS.

Regular contacts with affected families maintained

The Government-funded SARS Trust Fund that recently won the Legislative Council's approval will also be able to provide the needed relief through substantial lump-sum payments.

The department stressed that the We Care Education Fund is a privately-funded initiative characterised by compassion and concern.

It requires no application from the family, no production of documents and no verification of spending.

To ensure continued support for the families, the department will maintain regular contacts with them and relay their requirements to the fund's committee.