What are the eligibility criteria for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme?

Contents

• Applicant
• Student-applicant
• Family of the student-applicant

Eligibility criteria of 2023/24 KCFRS

Kindergarten children who require financial assistance on top of the fee subsidy from the New Kindergarten Education Scheme (New KG Education Scheme) or Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) may apply for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS). In addition, KCFRS will provide assistance to children who are receiving whole-day child care services in child care centres.  

KCFRS is now under application. The eligibility criteria as follows:-

I) Applicant must be:

The mother or father of the student-applicant (if the applicant is not the father or mother of the student-applicant, he/she must submit written explanation to the SFO and provide supporting documents).

II) The student-applicant must be:

1. Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than the limit of stay) in Hong Kong (students holding visitor visas, two-way exit permits, student visas or who are dependents of student-visa / visitor-visa holders are not eligible); and
2. Attending the following classes in 2023/24:

(a) Nursery, Lower and Upper classes in Kindergarten (K1 to K3):

• born on or before 31 December 2020（at least 2 years and 8 months old as at 31 August 2023）；
• attending non-profit-making kindergarten under the KG education scheme

(For the kindergarten does not intend to stay in the KG education scheme in the 2022/23 school year, those students have admitted before the 2023/24 school year and remaining in the eligible classes in that kindergarten (referring to eligible lower kindergarten (K2) and upper kindergarten (K3) classes in the 2023/24 school year and eligible K3 classes in the 2024/25 school year) will still be eligible for applying financial assistance for pre-primary students until the end of operation of all eligible classes or they leave the kindergarten (whichever is earlier).  Hence, children of needy families may also apply for financial assistance for pre-primary students); AND

• Holding valid Registration Certificate under KG Education Scheme

Or

(b) Child Care Centre (group aged 0-2)/ Child Care Centre (group aged 2-3):

• receiving whole-day care services in child care centres (day crèches, day nurseries or relevant age groups in kindergarten-cum-child care centres) registered with EDB/Social Welfare Department (SWD).

III) The family of the student-applicant must be:

• Passing the means test. Please click here for the details of means test.
• To qualify for fee remission for children receiving whole-day child care services (i.e. groups aged 0-2 and 2-3), the applicant's family must also pass the 'social needs' test during the same assessment period in addition to the means test. Otherwise, they will be ineligible for any fee remission.  In addition to complete the application form for KCFRS, the above applicants should also complete the “Social Needs” Assessment Form for Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission ( SFO235A ) and submit the completed form and related documentary evidence to the SFO directly.  About the criteria for assessing social needs and documentary evidence required, please refer to the back side of “Social Needs” Assessment Form for Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission ( SFO235A).

Note: Children in receipt of special grant under CSSA to cover kindergarten fees will not be provided with fee remission from KCFRS for the same period.