Hong Kong’s John Lee pledges to expand after-school care for low-income families

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has committed to expanding the city's School-based After-School Care Service Scheme, a targeted poverty alleviation program designed to support low-income families. The announcement follows positive feedback from participating families who report that the scheme provides them with the security to pursue careers while their children receive supervised care on school campuses. Lee emphasized his administration's focus on channeling resources to those most in need through various targeted projects.

During a recent school visit before the Easter break, Lee noted that the program has helped promote family harmony while children showed improvements in both academic performance and social life. Social workers and educators have welcomed the initiative, proposing that the government widen the scheme's coverage to include more pupils and provide subsidies to encourage greater school participation. While Lee didn't provide specific details or a timeline for the expansion, he stated his governance team would explore ways to fully utilize resources to benefit more families.