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Learning outside school in the long Easter holidays HKFYG was concerned when the news came of school suspensions and a longer than usual Easter holiday. But learning outside the classroom is readily available, especially with the internet and the u21 website. We responded quickly, putting free, downloadable, one-a-day worksheets on the website. Students will also find interactive imagination games and creative puzzles to keep their young minds occupied. Meanwhile, Youthline, the counselling arm of the Federation, is backing up its regular info and hotlines with stimulating stories on the phone. Call 2777 8899 then press 1 for the stories. Visit www.u21.hk for online educational and recreational extras.   What's new Youth Dialogue with the Financial Secretary Date 17 March 2008 Venue Academy of Medicine Participants 1200 students from over 88 schools took part in the face-to-face Q&A session Topics included examination fees, sales tax, financial management Visit www.u21.hk for a video recording of the event.   HK winner at First Lego League Robotic Tournament in Shanghai Date 16 March 2008 HK representative team Carmel Secondary School 1st runner up, also champion team in HKFYG's local FLL Robotic Tournament this year. Contact Aggie tel 2561 6149 for more info or visit www.firstlegoleague.org   What's on Hong Kong Odyssey of the Mind Programme Date & time Saturday 29 March 9am-5pm Competition venue City University of Hong Kong Competition participants 107 teams from 80+ schools Winners go to World Finals of the Odyssey of the Mind in Maryland May 2008 Contact Aggie tel 2561 6149 Visit www.hkom.org.hk HKFYG's Hong Kong Melody Makers Annual Concert Sing Aloud Move Along The Hong Kong Melody Makers in Concert Venue Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Jockey Club Auditorium Date Saturday 26 April 2007 8pm Guest of Honour Mrs Cissy Pao Watari Contact Maggie tel 2395 5759 for more information Online Trading Seminar Organizers HKFYG Youth Business Hong Kong and Yahoo! Date & time 1-2 April 2008 7-9pm Venue 27/F Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Speakers Winnie Ng, Business Development Manager Yahoo! Hong Kong Ltd Chan Yat Tung, First A Industry & TradeInternational Company (YBHK supported business) Target audience youth aged 18-35 Visit http://yen.hkfyg.org.hk/ybhk for more information Thank you partners   Mission Hills sponsors youth golf camp The golf camp will take place on 23-24 July 2008 with 40 student participants, thanks to the kindness of Mission Hills Golf Club. The students will have free accommodation, meals and activities. Contact Katie tel 3755 7076 for more details. Lunar New Year Bazaar Award Ceremony 2007-08 The ceremony was on 15 March 2008 at the HKFYG Building with our partner, Shell Hong Kong Ltd and media partner Mingpao Jump. The Guest of Honour was Legislative Councillor, The Hon Jeffrey Lam Kin Fung, SBS, JP. We are most grateful to Shell for the awards to young participants at this year's Lunar New Year bazaars. Over 120 did business, using the opportunity as a testing ground for their creativity, selling many products and practising entrepreneurial skills. The award for champion secondary school team went to the Hang Seng School of Commerce. STFA Yung Yau College, Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School, CCC Tam Lee Lai Fun Memorial Secondary School, Pui Ching Middle School were also outstanding. The open team champion was 招財褔鼠大戰噴錢金魚 and發維, 冬甩站, 勁有米, 夜成名 received awards as outstanding teams. Visit www.u21.hk/yen for more information Training for Olympics Junior Reporters with RTHK Training workshops for about 60 pupils selected from primary 4-6 classes are being co-organized with RTHK on 19 April. An RTHK DJ and news reporter will train them in skills for interviewing athletes in preparation for their first experience as journalists this May. Radio segments with their interviews will be produced and broadcast on RTHK in June and edited versions will be on the Teen Power internet portal of RTHK and on the HKFYG U21 website. Contact Fanny tel 2395 0162 for more details. New benefits from Theatre Ensemble for u21 youthnet members Theatre Ensemble has donated approximately 440 wristbands to HKFYG for distribution to u21 youthnet members. Contact Marian tel 3755 7088 for more information Donation for the Felix Wong Youth Improvement Award Recipients of the Felix Wong Youth Improvement Award give inspiration to many others, encouraging them to face life's challenges positively. We are very grateful for this generous donation from the family who gave their name to this award. It is very encouraging for our work on behalf of youth who have faced and overcome hardship. Contact School Social Work Unit tel 2395 0161 Goldlion (Far East) Ltd donates clothing for the needy Goldlion has donated over 2,000 shirts and other garments to be distributed by HKFYG to underprivileged youth. Many thanks to Goldlion for their generosity. Contact Bonnie tel 3755 7101 for more information

Youth Concerns Child care in Hong Kong: flexible alternatives and overseas examples The demand for child care services increases parallel to the number of families with parents working long hours. School holidays accentuate their needs and when the holidays are longer than usual this imposes an extra burden. If relatives cannot baby-sit on a regular basis government and non-government agencies try to step in to provide services for the needy. A pilot scheme has been proposed by government to back up existing child care services by providing trained 'neighbourhood nannies'. This new departure will provide much-needed support for working families who want alternatives to existing care centres. In Australia, figures* for child care in the under 12s show: 48% receive either formal or informal child care 33% receive informal care at home+ 23% receive formal care away from home, up from 14% over 10 years In 65% of cases, the reason given was work-related. +provided by all babysitters, whether or not related In Hong Kong, the Social Welfare Department maintains integrated family service centres as well as subventing non government day nurseries such as the HKFYG's, which provide a parallel facility.** The 2008-09 Hong Kong budget proposed provision of $45 million in the next three years to strengthen and promote flexible services: ... we will promote more flexible neighbourhood mutual-help day child care services, including supervised child minding service, in districts with greater demand for such services.*** Figures available for use of these centres shows 24,585 cases in 2004/2005. Subsidised Mutual Help Child Care Centres at neighbourhood level have been another feature since January this year but other alternatives will also be needed. Secretary for Labour & Welfare, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a recent session of Legco said: ... For those parents who are unable to take care of their children for an extended period of time, we suggest ... a comprehensive child care plan ...*** The scheme for providing nannies to babysit in the homes where parents are out till late is part of a plan recently announced by Mr Cheung.** Trained nannies may be hired by parents to look after the children or may be provided as part of a subsidised social welfare programme. In Canada, published longitudinal surveys**** of child care for 0-6 year-olds show over half of all children in this age group receive some form of child care but the rate showed a significant drop when leave for new parents was doubled. In the UK, statistics *****for the past decade show that the demand for day care has increased incrementally with the rise of women with dependent children in the workplace. 52% of women with children under 5 with jobs 1 million places with childminders, in playgroups or day nurseries a 50% increase in 15 years 9% of social protection expenditure in the UK is on children and families the majority of this amount is on services for children including day-care services *http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/productsbytitle/03D307053D1CECA5CA2571730011452E?OpenDocument **http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_family/sub_listofserv/id_childcares/ and 2008-09 Budget Speech, section 131 ***http://www.lwb.gov.hk/eng/legco/05032008a.htm 5 March **** http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/06-405/d060405a.htm ***** http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nscl.asp?ID=6322

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