Over 4,000 children and youth in Hong Kong’s residential care homes experience a lack of parental support and the resources they need to thrive. To bridge the gap, JC Project Bonfire uses a customised and comprehensive approach to support these young people.

Under the project, children and youth create an individual development plan to improve their social connections, skills and experiences for their growth and success. They receive on-going guidance and support from a dedicated Trajectory Development Manager (TDM) and financial assistance from the Positive Trajectory Fund (PTF).

The TDMs are trained using a specialised development curriculum created by local and international experts, equipping them to serve as mentors and advocates for the programme participants. The PTF offers a monthly stipend for three to five years to help these young people put their development plan into action and access the resources they need.

As the first and largest initiative of its kind in Hong Kong’s residential childcare services sector, the project supports over 1,300 children and youth across 80% of the city’s Small Group Homes, bringing together over 150 institutes to provide structured and long-term support. It is making a measurable impact on improving these young people’s social connections, resilience and self-esteem.