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Critics argued the spending in child care training for grandparents should be invested expanding the current social services, calling the Financial Secretary’s HK$3.3 million initiative “unrealistic”.
The government claimed that the program, announced by John Tsang in his budget speech, can encourage women to participate in the job market and enhance intergenerational harmony between elderly and children.
The pilot scheme was first announced by Secretary of Labor and Welfare, Matthew Cheung, in October last year, saying that it will consult the Employees Retraining Board’s related programs.
The training will be launched in the first quarter of this year, which will target 540 “qualified grandparents”with at least one child aged from 1 to 6. After finishing 60 hours of training, certificates will be given to them.
Mrs. Wong Kam-sui, 75, an owner of furniture store in Mongkok, has a 6-year-old granddaughter. Although she and her husband retired at around the age of 72, they restarted their furniture business three years ago.
“I don’t love to take care of my granddaughter at home,” she said, adding that prefer to work on her business since her son hired a domestic helper to take care of her granddaughter.
Besides, the program doesn’t require the age limitation among grandparents. Mrs. Yu Hei-mui, 52, fisherwoman in Sai Kung, has a grandchild studying at kindergarten. She would not consider enrolling the child care training either.
“I took care of my sons and daughters when I was young. I am knowledgeable in child care,” she continued.
The census in 2011 revealed that the number of over-65s persons in the labor force increased by 11,898 (22%) to 65,888 in 2011, while the male and female persons increased 16.1% and 47.1% within 10 years.
The one of main reasons is the retirement pension is not enough for retired life.
“I think most elderly don’t know this policy and I have never heard there is a demand of elderly child care training,” said Mrs, Iris Po, a social worker from Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association Kwun Lung Lau Community Development Office, approaches different ages of people in her center, including working women and elderly.
“Some well educated people retired in recent years. They can search online when they are willing to learn child care,” she added.
Furthermore, she mentioned that there are so many activities that elderly can join. This program is not “attractive” since they won't take care of other children.
“It is a kind of mismatch of resources, the HK$ 3.3 million should be used in other areas, like Old Age Allowance or child care center services,” she said. “The policy is unrealistic.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Miu Tang, women affairs expert and the chairman of Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mothers Association, thought the program is“weird”and won’t be helpful for the working mothers.
She believed the elderly have worked for many years, adding that they desire to have some happy pastures rather than to take this course.
“Most elderly people monitor domestic helpers in taking care of their grandchildren, they won't do it personally,” she stressed.
She proposed it would be useful for working mother when the government and NGOs can provide training for housewives to become babysitters, so they would feel that they are needed and can also earn money.
The numbers of working women increased by 400,000 (4%) from 1.4 million (50.8%) in 2001 to 1.8 million (54.6%) in 2014, according to the Women and Men in Hong Kong -Key Statistics published in 2015.