Family-centered kindergarten social work services in Hong Kong: A pilot project

Abstract

Social work services at schools in Hong Kong will begin a new chapter in kindergartens in 2018–2019 school year. Early childhood professionals have long considered family-centered service delivery best practice. This paper reports a pioneer project on a family-centered approach in kindergarten social work services in Hong Kong. The project was illustrated according to the following family-centered principles: (a) The family as the unit of attention, (b) Linking families with community resources, (c) Flexible and individualized service provision, and (d) Creating partnerships and supportive relationships. The value and contributions of family-centered social work services in kindergartens and implications for social work training in Hong Kong are discussed.