Service Introduction

Kindergarten school social work service experience

Caritas Family Service has provided school social work stationing service at kindergarten since 2007.  In 2019 and 2020, Caritas Family Service have participated in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the “Pilot Scheme on Social Work Service for Pre-primary institutions” respectively.

 

The Pilot Scheme has been launched in three phases as follows:

Phase 1: February 2019 to July 2022 (3.5 years)

Phase 2: August 2019 to July 2022 (3 years)

Phase 3: August 2020 to July 2022 (2 years)

 

Service Objectives

-To strengthen child protection, early identify and intervene the needy families.

-To develop children’s character strengths in order to enhance their emotional management, social interaction and resilience.

-To support parents to manage parental stress, strengthen positive parenting and family functioning, and effectively nurture children's growth.

- To provide workshops for school staff on team building, stress management, child protection, etc.

 

Service Targets

Students, parents and school staff of 32 kindergartens/nursery schools/day crèche.

 

Strong Support Team

Caritas has 8 Integrated Family Service Centres, 7 centres of Integrated Service for Young People and 6 Community Centres in Hong Kong with clinical psychological services to provide schools with appropriate activities, community resources and emergency support.

 

Service Rationale

1Early identification and intervention of families with welfare needs

A. Using the "Caritas Service Need Assessment on Children and Families" survey to  early identify children and families with welfare needs.

  • Identify the needy children and families into four levels for follow-up actions, and early intervene and protect children under risk and domestic violence through casework approach. Provide counselling for families with special needs. Use different parent-child activities to alleviate the unfavorable impacts on the development of children, and strengthen the parenting capacity of the parents.

B. Identify children and families in need through observations, groups, activities and regular meeting with principals and teachers.

 

2 Cultivating parent-child relationships and parenting attitudes with Love

A. Prepare “Seeds of Excellence and Joy” Character Strengths Education – Teaching Package for Children, including character strength animations, puppets, teacher manuals, Growth diaries (for parents). Various courses include parenting talks and groups, teacher training. The purpose is to "focus on love, cultivate children's moral growth, and build a life full of hope and joy".

B. In view of matching the five core values of Catholic education in pre-primary institutions (truth, justice, love, life and family), design related teaching materials based on 6 virtues and 24 character strengths. Work with schools and parents to cultivate children's balanced development of 24 character strengths, and to exercise the gift of the Lord.

 

C Couple relationship and Fatherhood support service

i. The relationship between parents has a profound impact on the growth of children. New parents are prone to conflicts due to the change of their roles and identities, different attitudes towards raising children, and the pressure of life, which affect the relationship between husband and wife. Therefore, the service also introduces ways to strengthen the family and couple relationship.

 

3 Heart Connect – Parent Child Attachment

A series of parent and parent-child programmes designed on the basis of attachment theory. We believe emotional connection is an invisible but eternal link between parents and children. When parents use children’s perspectives to connect their grown-up self with their children, they can build a close and safe parent-child bonding.

 

Service Contents

1. Emergency casework services (work with suspected child abuse and high risk cases)

2. Counselling casework services (treat the physical, psychological and mental issues, and fulfill families’ welfare needs)

3. Play therapy (treat the children’s emotional and behavioral problems)

4. Children groups and activities (related to moral education, social interaction, emotional nurturing, executive skills groups)

5. Parenting activities (Play therapy parenting groups, Triple P® Positive Parenting Programme, 6A Character Education, parent-child programs)

6. Teachers’ Trainings (early identification and intervention of high risk families, crisis management, relaxation exercises)

7. Consultations and referral services (assess the families’ welfare needs and make referrals to seek community resources) 

8. Collaborate with community partners


 


 

Contact Us

School Social Work Service - Kindergarten

Address : Unit 1212, 1213 & 1215, 12/F., Grand City Plaza, 1 Sai Lau Kok Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
Tel:3579 1122
Fax:3579 1166
Email:fssswskg@caritassws.org.hk