USJ holds “2nd Child Protection Conference”
USJ holds "2nd Child Protection Conference"
14
Jun
14/06/2023
The “2nd Child Protection Conference – Working together to safeguard children in Macau: From theory to practice” was held on June 9 and 10 in the Auditório Centenário de Fátima in the USJ Ilha Verde Campus.
The “2nd Child Protection Conference – Working together to safeguard children in Macau: From theory to practice”, organized by the Cradle of Hope Association, hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), and co-organized by the International Ladies Club of Macau, as well as ten academic and social service institutions, including the Department of Innovative Social Work of the City University of Macau, Good Shepherd Centre, Christian New Life Fellowship (in Macau), Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Services Coordination Office, Caritas Macau, Young Men’s Christian Association of Macau, UGAMM Youth Service Team, La De Jovens de Mong-Ha, Paróquia de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Taipa, and the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abuser’s Macau (ARTM), was held on June 9 and 10 in the Auditório Centenário de Fátima in the USJ Ilha Verde Campus.
This event was well received, with approximately 250 attendees from different sectors, including staff members from the sectors of social services and education and professionals and university students concerned about child protection. Prof. Stephen Morgan, Rector of the USJ, addressed the opening ceremony, during which he mentioned that the University had realised the importance of serving the community and meeting its needs. He said, “the Faculty of Health Sciences is committed to promoting research transformation and focuses on the integration of research and practice, especially in the area of child and youth health and wellbeing. Hence, we feel quite honored to be able to host this conference. We hope to forge closer ties between the stakeholders from Macao and the Greater Bay Area through the 2nd Child Protection Conference.”
Ms. Marjory, President of the Cradle of Hope Association, expressed her hope at the opening ceremony that this seminar would raise the child protection awareness of the community of Macao. Additionally, this seminar would develop relevant resources to improve the capacity of those working in the field of child and youth services, thus creating a safe environment for children.
This conference was intended to continuously strengthen and raise the child protection awareness of people from all walks of life. Doing so can create a safe environment for children. Additionally, this conference was aimed at enhancing the knowledge and competence of fellows from the childcare and education sectors in child protection and helping them understand and recognize the importance of implementing child protection policies. Jacky Ho, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the USJ, and Prof. Helen Liu, Research Coordinator, were also invited to this conference to share their research on promoting the transformation of health and welfare for children and youth, discuss the future development of child and youth health in Macao from an academic perspective, and summarize the strategies and necessary conditions for the development of public health from the global research in this regard. At the same time, Ms. Wong Kit Cheng, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Macao, introduced Macao’s child protection policies, and several government department representatives, including Ms. Chu Sa Sa, Acting Director of the Family Service Division of the Social Welfare Bureau, shared the child protection work of relevant government officers in different positions. Additionally, scholars and representatives from the social service sectors in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were invited to this conference to share the experience of different regions in child protection.
One of the processes of this conference was designed for the introduction to the formulation process of the model of the child protection policies by Lecturer Ben Cheng Chun Wah, Internship Supervisor of the Department of Innovative Social Work, the City University of Macau, Ms. Hsiao Yi Pin, Superintendent of Astor Shore, and Ms. Edith Un, Director of YMCA (Villa Lok Tou). This conference hoped that the management of providers of children’s residential services in Macao could formulate their own complete child protection policies by referencing the forgoing model and share their experience in formulating and implementing child protection policies with other units in the sectors of child care and education in the future, thus “working together to safeguard children in Macau”. This conference also included a process for guests and lecturers to exchange their views on child protection with the attendees. The view exchange process was animated and benefited attendees a lot.
