The Public and Social Policy Research Centre, under the School of Arts and Social Sciences of Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), is commissioned by the Hong Kong Network for the Promotion of Inclusive Society (HKNPIS) to evaluate the effectiveness of its Jockey Club Support Service for the Children of Disabled Parents 2.0 scheme. The support scheme is targeted at parents who have difficulty performing their parenting role due to physical or mental disabilities. By matching them with young volunteers, who provide academic and personal guidance for their able-bodied children, as well as offering a series of parental training and counselling services, the scheme aims to enhance the communication between disabled parents and their children and reduce the risk of intergenerational poverty for these families.

The research team invited participating disabled parents, their children and the young volunteers to fill in a questionnaire and collected additional feedback through case interviews. Senior Lecturer of the School of Arts and Social Sciences Dr Chan Wai-leung, who led the research, stated that the parents, children and young volunteers all expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the support scheme. The results indicated that parents in the final year of the scheme found the most satisfaction in the positive relationship established with the volunteers and the skills acquired for enhancing parent-child communications, leading to a significant improvement in their overall quality of life and psychological wellbeing. The responding able-bodied children believed that the scheme allowed them to build a trusting relationship with the young volunteers, learn interpersonal skills and maintain a positive relationship with their parents. They also recognised the scheme's effectiveness in enhancing their self-confidence and self-esteem, which enabled them to be more active in engaging with the community and make more friends. For volunteers in their third year with the scheme, their greatest satisfaction lied in a deepened understanding of the abilities and needs of people with disabilities. They showed an increased willingness to support disabled people, and expressed that the scheme had prompted them to reflect on their lives, fostered their personal growth and taught them to treasure what they have.

The HKMU School of Arts and Social Sciences has been collaborating with various social service providers for the benefits of its students as well as society at large. Apart from conducting the commissioned research, it has been sending students to participate in the above-mentioned scheme as part of its service-learning co-curriculum.