ABSTRACT
Adoption is one of the earliest social services in Hong Kong. In the 1970s, some joint work began to take place between the government and Caritas-Hong Kong. The Adoption Unit of the Social Welfare Department was established in 1956–57 when the Adoption Ordinance came into force on 12th October, 1956. Adoption has a long history; it can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome. It was then performed mainly for religious and property interest of kin groups. In Hong Kong, the relatively slow development of adoption work is very much affected by the cultural value held among Chinese people towards adoptive kinship. Changes in the philosophy and practice of adoption call forth the need to understand contemporary adoption scene with reference to the child and family welfare context in Hong Kong. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
