ISSHK notes that the 2025 Policy Address focuses on "Care" with a series of commendable policies and measures aimed at children and families, the elderly, and ethnic minority groups.

1. Support for the Elderly and Cross-Border Arrangements

The government will continue to enhance the Payment Connect and plans to allow Hong Kong elders living in Fujian to directly transfer the "Portable Cash Assistance" to their mainland bank accounts. Having supported the government in implementing the "Fujian Scheme," ISSHK believes this practical initiative will enhance the daily lives of elders under the scheme.

2. Support for Ethnic Minorities

The Home Affairs Department continues to roll out policies specially for ethnic minority groups, such as setting up "Youth Network" and "Women’s Network" at ten ethnic minority support service centres to engage youth and women. They also promote employment opportunities for ethnic minority tertiary students, and providing support for non-Chinese speaking students. The government also proposes the establishment of one additional EM Care Team under the support service centres, serving the North and Islands Districts respectively.

The Policy Address mentions the opening of a translation and interpretation service center for ethnic minorities, which will be operated by ISSHK starting December 2025. We look forward to providing comprehensive language services for ethnic minority residents.

3. Child Protection and Family Support

The establishment of the Kwu Tung North Integrated Family Service Centre in the Northern Metropolis, enhanced support for divorced parents, and transitional support for youths lacking family care after leaving residential child care services are all commendable measures. Meanwhile, the upcoming implementation of the 'Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance' emphasizes the importance of related guidelines and professional training. To support this initiative, ISS-HK will regularly conduct workshops to help staff understand the ordinance and its guidelines, thereby raising child protection awareness and reaffirming our commitment to service quality.

4. Support for Working Families and Childcare Services

The Policy Address also proposes several measures to support working families, such as extending after-school care services for pre-school children across Hong Kong, with plans to gradually increase the number of service centres from 16 to 28 within three years, and expanding the number of service places from about 670 to nearly 1,200.

Our Sham Shui Po and Tin Shui Wai Integrated Family Service Centres have long supported grassroots families and children. We believe these measures effectively address the urgent needs of grassroots parents, alleviate caregiving burdens, and help maximize family labour capacity, thereby enhancing overall social resilience.