DAY-CARE CENTRE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 7

DAY-CARE CENTRE

Government Subsidy

The Government will pay a subsidy of up to $20,000 towards a day-care centre to be built by the Auckland branch of the Intellectually Handicapped Children's Society.

The Minister of Health (Mr McKay) said that the centre would be on Oakley Hospital land leased from the Government at a pepper com rental.

Mr McKay said that the centre, which would accommodate an average of 50 persons >a day, would receive the subsidy of up to $4OO a place under a Cabinet decision made in May to extend a 1964 approval to include subsidies for day-care facilities other than those attached to after-care centres or sheltered workshops. ‘The Division of Mental Health has always supported the provision of day-care centres by the society because they provide a muchneeded community facility,” said Mr McKay. “Also, to some extent they assist the division by keeping severely handicapped persons at home instead of increasing the pressure on the division’s hospitals and training schools.” Day-care centres, by providing care for severely handicapped persons throughout the working day, relieved the strain on families while making it easier for the handicapped member to remain living in his own home, said Mr McKay.