This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, highlighting its ongoing development of services and garnering support across sectors for "family wellbeing."

Grounded in a “family-centric” belief, the Society aims to nurture a caring and happy community. The Integrated Family Services persist in promoting "Child Protection in Action", underscoring the importance of child protection, while enabling members of our society to identify children at risk early and promoting positive parenting. The children's services extend their range of services and have successfully won the bid for "Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions" implemented by the Social Welfare Department in Tuen Mun (East), Kwai Tsing, and Kwun Tong districts. The service centre in Tuen Mun (East) has already started operations, while the social worker teams in the other two districts will soon begin to serve the pre-primary institutions. The "Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project", which has been in operation for years, has also successfully expanded to Sai Kung area, offering quality child care assistance to families in need.

Elderly Services integrates gerontechnology for rehabilitation and aging in place, while offering psychosocial support to enhance social networks, promote community engagement, and advocate for advanced care planning for a dignified life journey. Youth Services are unwavering in their commitment to promote mental health of young people through initiatives such as the "Power T.A.G. – Boosting Inner Strength Project", designed to boost their inner strength and cultivate a growth-oriented mindset. The Mediation Services, exemplified by the "Happy Family with M.E." programme, are enhancing the public's conflict management skills with positive feedback. Noteworthy is the commissioning of service by Home and Youth Affairs Bureau for the implementation of a maintenance mediation pilot scheme in the latter half of 2024 through the Community Care Fund. The scheme aims to deliver mediation services related to maintenance fees for individuals in need.

The Financial Education Centre participates in the "Elder Academy Scheme" jointly promoted by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Elderly Commission. We employed a cross-sector collaboration model to design and coordinate the "Elderly Financial Wisdom Course." Additionally, The "Money Wise New Generation" financial education programme was once again funded by the HKEX Foundation, and allocated and monitored by the Hong Kong Community Chest, aiming to comprehensively enhance the financial literacy of young people. The "Financial Education Programme for Students”, planned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, aims to instill practical financial knowledge and values in primary school students and parents. The Society particularly offers relevant training for parents to enhance their grasp of parent-child financial education. Employee support services offer counseling, training, crisis intervention, and management support. We are proud to have inaugural collaboration with the Civil Service Bureau, achieving tangible results.

The Society is committed not only to the betterment of families, but also to the pursuit of operational excellence. Embracing change and innovation, we ensure service quality and efficiency remain paramount. The Executive Committee has established the Legal Support Steering Committee early this year. Tasked with evaluating mechanisms for legal support services, overseeing legal affairs related to the Society, and providing professional guidance on regulatory compliance, risk management and corporate governance, this committee stands as a cornerstone for prudent decision-making and organisational governance. Meanwhile, we diligently refine our information technology infrastructure and upgrade the necessary equipment for staff. The IT team has particularly strengthened the network security systems to ensure that our employees can work with high network security standards, thereby elevating the overall efficacy of our services. 

In the fourth year of the "HKFWS Envisioning 2024" strategic plan, the Society has made significant progress toward two goals: strengthen the ‘family-centric’ intervention model across service, and engage the community and foster partnerships to advocate family values. We continue to align staff with this ‘family-centric’ approach and enhance collaboration through the ‘Internal Communication Programme.’

As the Society entered its 75th anniversary, under the theme “Family is where Love is”, we orchestrated a series of vibrant events to raise public awareness of family wellbeing. These initiatives encompassed the hosting of a principal gathering to bolster communication and collaboration with schools; the 23rd Peer Mediation Project Recognition Ceremony brought together peer mediators from 20 secondary schools, emphasising the importance of mediation among the youth community; and Happy Volunteer Day 2024 featured around 160 service volunteers and corporate representatives commemorating years of fruitful achievements. Likewise, family-oriented activities such as the "Homeland" Family Market and "Home Sweet Home" Ice-Cream Truck provided opportunities for quality family time.

With a legacy spanning 75 years, the Society has achieved outstanding accomplishments in professional social services. Apart from extending gratitude to benefactors, government bodies, partners, and supportive community, I would like to thank all the Executive Committee members, Service Committee members and all staff for years of dedicated contribution, laying a solid foundation for organisational growth. I am convicted that this spirit of dedication and progress will be carried forward. Our gratitude also extends to every family in Hong Kong in witnessing this memorable instance. Together, let’s uphold the “family-centric” belief and embark on a new chapter in promoting family wellbeing.

Ms. Kitty Chau
Chief Executive
Hong Kong Family Welfare Society