Comprehensive Child Development Service (CCDS)

Bureau / Department	Labour and Welfare Bureau, Education Bureau, Department of Health, Social Welfare Department and Hospital Authority
Objective	CCDS aims to augment the existing service in Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) through better alignment of the delivery of health, education and social services to ensure early identification of the varied needs of children and their families so that appropriate services can be made available to them in a timely manner.
Content	The Administration has since 2005 launched CCDS in phases in selected communities. With an aim to identify the varied needs of at-risk pregnant women, children and families at an early stage, the community-based CCDS uses the MCHCs under the Department of Health as a platform to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration and communication. Through better alignment of existing health, education and social welfare services, CCDS facilitates timely referral of identified clients to appropriate health and social service units for early intervention. CCDS includes the identification and management of - Children and families with psychosocial needs; and Pre-primary children with physical, developmental and behavioural problems.
Groups / Persons Affected	Children aged 0-5 and their parents / families.
Impact	Pre-primary boys and girls and their families benefit from the component targeting pre-primary children with physical, emotional and developmental problems. Training has been provided for pre-primary educators to enhance their identification and referral of pre-primary children with physical, developmental and behavioural problems. A referral and feedback system has been devised and children in need are referred to receive appropriate services after assessments at MCHCs. More pre-primary boys have been referred to MCHCs for assessment for physical, developmental and behavioural problems than girls. The pattern is consistent with relevant literature. Clients generally commend the service of CCDS. It has strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration and more children and families in need, particularly the socially disadvantaged groups, have accessed and accepted different health and social services. CCDS enhances women's access to and control of resources by connecting them to various health and social services and contributes towards empowerment of women.
Success Factor / Lessons Learned	Knowledge, skills and attitude of frontline staff are very important. The deployment of visiting psychiatric nurses and social workers in MCHCs, where appropriate, reduces the perception of stigmatization and inconvenience, thus increased client's access to and acceptability of various health and social service, particularly women as a result of client profile. CCDS has enhanced women's access to and control of resources by connecting them to various health and social services contribute towards empowerment of women. Since the service is targeted for parents attending MCHCs, working mothers who do not turn up at MCHCs may not be able to receive the service.