28th October 2026 – (Hong Kong) In a written reply to the Legislative Council, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun addressed a question from the Hon Lau Ka‑keung on strengthening safeguards for children amid heightened public concern over recent suspected abuse cases. Mr Sun said implementation of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, which commenced on 20th January 2026, has proceeded smoothly, boosting awareness and training among specified professionals who must report suspected serious harm. He noted that while the Law Reform Commission recommended a separate “failure to protect” offence in 2021, the Government’s immediate priority is to consolidate the mandatory reporting regime, ensure adequate emergency placements and professional support, and continue public education, before considering further legislative steps.
Mr Sun outlined multi‑pronged early‑identification efforts for high‑risk families. The Comprehensive Child Development Service, jointly operated by the Social Welfare Department, Department of Health, Hospital Authority and Education Bureau, screens needs for families with children from birth to five and refers cases for follow‑up. To bolster preventive services, four Community Parents and Children Centres were established this year to promote positive parenting and direct families to appropriate medical, welfare and community support. Across the city, 65 Integrated Family Service Centres and two Integrated Services Centres provide preventive, supportive and remedial assistance under a child‑centred, family‑focused and community‑based approach.
Looking ahead, the Government will phase in a welfare information‑sharing e‑platform to integrate data from relevant departments and non‑governmental organisations. With artificial intelligence applied to data analysis, the platform aims to enable earlier identification of high‑risk individuals or families for targeted intervention, shifting the approach from reactive response to proactive support. Child protection is among the initial priorities, with a pilot of data integration and analytics involving selected departments and NGOs targeted to begin in the first half of next year, followed by a progressive expansion of use cases.
On concerns about possible misuse of social assistance, Mr Sun stressed that the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme is a last‑resort safety net governed by rigorous income and asset tests. While recipients’ living circumstances vary and blanket consumption rules are impractical, the Social Welfare Department adopts zero tolerance toward abuse. Reports from the public are investigated, regular data‑matching and risk‑based reviews are conducted, and suspected fraud cases are pursued with recovery of overpayments and, where appropriate, referral to Police for investigation or prosecution. If CSSA payments are adjusted or ceased and welfare needs arise, including for children, referrals will be made to suitable service units to ensure basic needs are not compromised.
