Child Development Fund projects can enhance underprivileged children's abilities in resource management and future planning, expand their personal networks and help them develop a persistent savings habit.
This is according to the findings of a Labour & Welfare Bureau report released today.
The bureau commissioned the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Social Work & Social Administration and Policy 21 to conduct the study to assess the benefits the fund's projects have brought to participants and the longer-term influence on them.
The study said participants had greater motivation and pleasure in learning and studying, and had higher academic expectations, with 80.1% of them aiming to gain a bachelor's degree or above, while only 64.3% of non-participant respondents from similar family and economic backgrounds had the same goal.
It said 77.6% of participants maintained a savings habit after completing their project, compared to only 43.6% of non-participants.
The study also showed participants reported less problematic behaviours like hyperactivity and emotional problems, reported higher levels of social support, and displayed higher levels of positive exploration of and commitment to their education and career goals.
The Child Development Fund, which facilitates longer-term development of underprivileged children, has launched 145 projects that have benefitted 13,500 youngsters.
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