The Hong Kong foster mum who’s given a loving home to 57 children

Chin Pui-chun has been an emergency foster care mum for 14 years, and she plans to keep taking in children as long as she is physically able.

She started because of her work at Tuen Mun Hospital. Chin had been a volunteer on another programme for 10 years when severe acute respiratory syndrome broke out in 2003.

That scheme abruptly ended because the hospital was worried about safety in the wake of the health scare. After seeing a child being sent to emergency foster care because the father had died in hospital, she asked around and decided to volunteer as a foster mum.

Now 57, Chin is taking care of her 57th foster child. Her entire family is involved, with her husband and children helping out with caring. Her son even gave up his bedroom for those who come to their home. Chin said this was nothing compared to what the foster children had gone through.

“The children who come to my home, they come from very unhappy, unsafe and complicated places,” she said.