Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“We will set up white spaces at or near rental clusters where volunteers, civic organisations and corporates can establish and run customised services and programmes. To enable and support community efforts, MSF and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth have been gathering community partners through SG Cares Community Network sessions to facilitate cross-agency conversations and collaborations among community partners so that they can better support areas of need in the respective towns. With a common picture of the community's needs and assets, community partners can pool their resources more effectively to co-create customised local programmes and services. The Ministry of Health will also step up support for low-income and vulnerable seniors through the Community Networks for Seniors, bringing together Government agencies, community partners and volunteers to promote active ageing and provide health and social care services. Supporting our low-income and vulnerable families requires a whole-of-society approach. We invite everyone from all sectors to join us in this collective effort.”
“The Adapt and Grow initiative helps unemployed and at-risk workers to take up new jobs as quickly as possible. SkillsFuture provides Singaporeans with training opportunities for lifelong learning and reskilling, so as to equip them with industry-relevant skills and broaden the opportunities that they can access throughout life. The Government will also continue to support the training and upskilling of lower-wage workers through Workfare Training Support, to achieve sustainable productivity and wage growth. Third, low-income and vulnerable families often have complex needs and require coordinated help from multiple agencies. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will work with other Government and community agencies to enhance our social service delivery and strengthen our social service network of support. For example, we are progressively equipping frontline officers with knowledge of different help schemes and services, so that they can help families access schemes and services to meet their needs holistically. We are also sharing information and assessments across agencies to reduce the need for households in need to submit multiple applications. We will also facilitate the appointment of a lead agency to coordinate support for complex cases, to ensure that agencies' interventions work in tandem with one another, to help families towards longer-term stability. To strengthen support for vulnerable families living in rental housing, MSF and the Ministry of National Development will bring together community partners to provide more targeted support to rental families and work with them on a joint plan of action.”
“The Government is committed to building a fair, inclusive and caring society where all Singaporeans have opportunities to do well and progress. In the past decade, outcomes for the low-income and vulnerable families have improved in various aspects, such as education, employment, income, housing and healthcare. Nonetheless, our system is not perfect, and the Government will continue to work with the community to find ways to do better. First, as the economy matures, we recognise that one's family resources or disadvantages may be passed on and amplified in the next generation, which will affect social mobility. Hence, the Government will continue to invest even earlier in our children's educational journey, especially for those from disadvantaged families, through initiatives, such as the Early Childhood Development Agency's (ECDA's) KidSTART pilot. ECDA will continue to increase the number of accessible, affordable and quality preschool places, and partner the community to reach out to children from low-income families who are not attending preschool to better understand their reasons for non-participation and facilitate enrolment. The community plays an important role to complement the Government's efforts. For example, to support low-income families where parents are working at night, community initiatives, such as CareNights@Morning Star by Temasek Foundation Cares, provide free night care for their children. Second, with a volatile global environment and the emergence of new technologies, the sense of economic insecurity among Singaporeans may increase. The Workfare Income Supplement scheme helps lower-wage workers raise their incomes and encourages them to stay employed by providing Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-ups and cash supplements.”
“The prevalence rate of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Singapore is as shown in the table below. Persons with sensory (blindness and deafness) and physical disabilities constitute half of the disability group. The other half comprises those with Intellectual Disabilities, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and other types of disabilities.4 As part of efforts to better support PwDs, the Ministry of Social and Family Development is working with the Department of Statistics to include disability-related questions in the upcoming population census to be conducted in 2020. Data collected from the census will enable Government agencies to better plan services and programmes for different groups of PwDs. On the issue of data sharing, we will look into sharing appropriate data with voluntary welfare organisations and other help organisations when the census data is available. However, sharing of personal information with non-governmental organisations will require consent, so as to protect the privacy of individuals.”
“Close coordination between the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is key to ensuring safety and security within the Singapore Boys’ Home (SBH). There were three incidents of mass disturbance where resources from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) were activated in the last five years. MSF works closely with the Home Team departments to learn from these incidents in order to strengthen our standard operating procedures and activation protocols. Early prevention and intervention are the first line of defence. MSF staff is trained to identify early signs of conflict. Youth management plans are developed to address tensions and to support the youths with counselling or psychological treatment where necessary. This allows the Home to manage conflicts before they escalate. If an incident of mass disturbance were to happen, the MSF officers have been trained in a series of protocols, which include activating reinforcements, de-escalating the conflict, and physically separating residents to ensure their safety. SPF is also activated as part of the protocol to pre-empt further escalations. Post-incident, there are after-action reviews so that we can continue to improve the incident management and rehabilitation approach. Where necessary, SPF will undertake investigations.”
“As stated in Singapore's combined 4th and 5th periodic report submitted in November 2017 to the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is assessing, as part of its review of the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA), the timing to include young persons from 16 to 18 years of age who may require care or protection. MSF has been working closely with our partners on the CYPA review. We will announce details of this review in due course.”
“The median and average monthly income for citizen mothers with non-marital births is in the table below. These figures are derived by dividing their annual income by 12. For those aged below 35, it is likely that quite a number may be working in part-time jobs or only for a few months of the year, contributing to their lower monthly income.”
“Three groups of professionals can act as Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) certificate issuers, namely, doctors accredited by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), lawyers or registered psychiatrists. Most members of the public applying for LPAs use doctors and lawyers, rather than psychiatrists. The 10 most visited accredited medical practitioners charge fees ranging from $25 to $80, with most charging $50 for the LPA certificate issuing fee. The 10 most visited lawyers charge fees ranging from $80 to $400, with most charging $150. There are also not-for-profit organisations that offer subsidised rates to the lower-income and the elderly. Members of the public can refer to OPG's website at www.bit.ly/LPACertIssuers for the lists of 10 most visited certificate issuers among doctors and lawyers and not-for-profit organisations. Currently, there are approximately 6,200 certificate issuers catering to Singaporeans with different needs and preferences. As demand for certificate issuers is adequately met, there are no plans to expand the categories of LPA certificate issuers.”
“Currently, out of 51,000 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) made, 23,000 were made by Singaporeans aged 65 and above. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has been working closely with various organisations to raise awareness on the importance of making an LPA among seniors. These include conducting talks and disseminating LPA collaterals at community touchpoints, such as Community Centres, public libraries and Senior Activity Centres. Going forward, we will work with the Silver Generation Office to promote awareness of LPA. We have also promoted the LPA through radio. We will continue to tap on the mass media and social media to reach out to more seniors. For seniors with no family support, the newly launched Professional Deputies and Donees scheme allows them to appoint registered professionals, such as lawyers, accountants and medical professionals, as their donees in an LPA. The application fee waiver for Singapore Citizens making an LPA Form 1 has been extended to 31 August 2020 and we encourage more seniors to make their LPAs.”
“From 1 July to 31 December 2017, 67 mothers applied to adopt a child aged below 12 months. Twenty-four have taken adoption leave. Not all of the adoptive mothers require adoption leave, as some may not be working. This number may still increase as adoptive mothers have the flexibility to take adoption leave till their adopted child turns 12 months old.”
“The process provides ample avenue for input to be considered before any Bill is passed, without the need for a separate governmental body to be established.”
“It was estimated that more than 8,600 persons with disabilities (PWDs) were employed in the private and public sectors in 2017. This was an increase of nearly 9% from the figure in 2015. The Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Department of Statistics will also be collecting more information on PWDs through the upcoming population census in 2020 which will provide further information and more accurate data on PWDs. Like many of us, the challenges faced by different PWDs during their journey towards employment could be unique to their circumstances, as this is dependent on the individual’s readiness and their prospective employers' expectation. To maximise the potential of PWDs and empower them to participate fully in society, we are working closely with employers to help them build inclusive working environments and to redesign jobs for PWDs. For example, the School-to-Work Transition programme aims to support Special Education (SPED) students who are assessed to be work-capable to transition from school to employment. It has helped 120 SPED students thus far and will be fully rolled out to SPED schools by 2019. Before Bills are introduced by the Government, the Ministry introducing the Bill consults other Ministries to ensure that the Bill has taken into account relevant perspectives. Apart from the Government departments, the consultation could be extended to an identified group of stakeholders, which could include members of the public and representatives from both the private and people sectors. As the Member would know, after the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill in Parliament, the Bill is circulated to every Member of Parliament, and Members of Parliament can raise questions on the Bill in the process and propose amendments.”
“A Lasting Power of Attorney can only be used on behalf of a person, if the person has lost mental capacity. If the doctor's medical report states that this mental capacity loss is permanent, there is no limit on the validity period of the medical report. If the loss is temporary, the validity is subject to the person's condition, and respective third parties' due diligence requirements based on their risk assessment. As such, the Ministry cannot standardise the validity period of medical reports stating temporary loss of mental capacity. The Housing and Development Board, insurance companies under the Life Insurance Association Singapore, and banks under the Association of Banks in Singapore would apply a six-month validity period.”
“The average waiting time required to register the Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPAs) received in June 2018 is approximately 60 working days. This includes the mandatory six weeks' waiting period required under the law. Applications to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to make LPAs have doubled, from an average of 950 per month in 2016 to an average of 1,928 per month for the first seven months in 2018. OPG has increased its resources to handle the rise in applications, and the waiting time has shortened. Currently, LPAs can only be made in hardcopy, which requires manual processing. This impacts efficiency. OPG is undertaking a Business Process Re-engineering study, with a view towards developing an online, more citizen-centric LPA system, which should cut down processing time.”
“ComCare is part of the multiple layers of assistance provided by the Government to support low-income individuals and families. Other programmes include Workfare, medical and education subsidies, and housing assistance. Households that require help to tide over periods of difficulty are provided Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA), which provides financial assistance for daily living expenses, help with household bills, and other forms of support, such as referrals to Workforce Singapore’s Careers Connect for employment assistance or to Family Service Centres for casework and counselling. Social Service Offices (SSOs) keep track of clients' situations while they are receiving ComCare assistance. Those who have gained employment while on ComCare assistance may still receive assistance for a period of time as they work towards financial stability in their new jobs. SSOs may also continue to provide assistance if their clients' incomes from work are assessed to be insufficient for their household living expenses, for example, those who are in part-time jobs. There are various reasons why clients reapply for assistance, such as when they face new challenges in their family, work or health circumstances. We do not have readily available data for households that gained employment while they were on SMTA and subsequently reapplied for ComCare within a year after SMTA ended.”
“Every case is unique. There may be some commonalities but, working on the ground, I think Members would know that each family's circumstances would differ. The key is that ComCare support provides, in a way, a safety net. After individuals have exhausted their own means, have relied on family but find that it is inadequate, the state will come in to provide support. So, it is not a science. There is no standard operating procedure which drives inexorably in any one direction. We have certain guidelines and procedures. We could say, "Well, if you have assets that you can monetise, you have a spare room, and you are comfortable doing so and that supplements your income, then we will top up." We top up in different ways – whether it is ComCare, interim assistance, MediFund, rental assistance, food assistance, Government scheme, a local community scheme, a community voluntary welfare organisation-based scheme – these will all then chip in, and, in a coordinated way, we will render assistance to the senior. But there may be various reasons why some seniors that we seek to assist face challenges adopting some of the proposals that we put before them. And I think the key is to adopt the social work approach, understand their mindset, understand what their concerns are, journey with them along the way, see if they can be persuaded, and, if they cannot, why not? And ultimately, see how we can better allow the individual to tap on his or her assets, to be able to rely on his family if possible, and with the help of the Commissioner of the Maintenance of Parents if need be, for conciliation. Then, ultimately, the state will come in to provide that safety net support.”
“Mr Speaker, ComCare is part of our multiple layers of assistance to support low-income individuals and families. It is intended to provide for basic needs, enable self-reliance and complement family and community support. ComCare applicants with assets that can be monetised are encouraged to tap on them first. There is a referral process in place for the Social Service Offices (SSOs) to refer ComCare applicants who are assessed to qualify for the Lease Buyback Scheme to the Housing and Development Board for further advice. Low-income seniors who are in financial need and are in the process of applying for the Lease Buyback Scheme or need time to think through their options, may receive ComCare support to tide over their difficult circumstances in the interim. We recognise that some seniors may have good reasons for not taking up the Lease Buyback Scheme. For example, they may prefer to sublet a room to generate additional income or keep the unit for their children who are permanently unable to work. In such cases, the SSOs will continue to provide the seniors with financial assistance for basic needs under ComCare and link them up with other relevant assistance and social services.”
“The ComCare Long-Term Assistance (LTA) scheme, which is commonly known as the Public Assistance (PA) scheme, provides a package of support for individuals and families who are permanently unable to work due to illness or old age, and lack familial support. Households on the LTA scheme receive monthly cash assistance for their daily living expenses. Additional assistance is provided for those who have recurrent medical needs, such as consumables, or specialised one-off needs, such as medical equipment. LTA clients also receive free medical and dental treatment at the polyclinics and Government hospitals and have access to Government-funded social services, such as Senior Activity Centres and befriending services. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) regularly reviews the scope and coverage of our ComCare assistance schemes to ensure that they meet the needs of low-income groups. The last enhancement to the LTA scheme was in 2016 when the cash assistance rates were raised. We are in the midst of our latest review.”
“The age profile of citizen mothers with non-marital births, at point of birth registration, is as shown in the table below.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Towards a Plastic-lite Singapore 7.34 pm”
“Under the Third Enabling Masterplan, the Government will also enhance opportunities for persons with disabilities to leverage their abilities and secure meaningful jobs. We will work with key stakeholders, such as industry leaders, to identify new areas of skills development and to refine training and vocational programmes in our special education schools, to better prepare our students for employment. Business networks, such as the Enabling Employers Network, have also been set up so that businesses can learn from one another and support one another as they work towards becoming more inclusive.”
“To date, SG Enable and its voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) partners have worked with more than 1,000 employers to hire persons with disabilities. SG Enable works with employers to build up their capabilities to train, hire and integrate persons with disabilities into their workforce. It offers advisory and consultancy services, disability management workshops and training at the Enabling Village, as well as job shadowing, internship and mentorship programmes and various online resources. It also helps employers assess their readiness to hire persons with disability and to identify areas they could work on to become more inclusive employers. When employers are ready to hire, SG Enable and its VWO partners will provide job placement and job support services. The Government supports private sector employers who hire persons with disability in a variety of ways. For example, we give a Special Employment Credit to provide a wage offset and defray costs for employers hiring persons with disabilities. We also provide grants under the Open Door Programme, which is a scheme administered by SG Enable and supported by Workforce Singapore and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). The Open Door Programme helps to fund employee training, workplace modifications, job redesign as well as the purchase of assistive technology devices that support persons with disabilities at work. Later this month, SG Enable will hold the annual Inclusive Business Forum, which brings employers and other stakeholders together to share best practices and to collaborate in order to create more opportunities and supportive workplaces for persons with disabilities. MSF will continue to work with our partners to bring more employers on board the inclusive hiring journey.”
“Over the next four years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development will expand LS and DS to more preschools and build up a pool of 200 LSEds to provide targeted intervention and learning support for children with developmental needs in preschools. This will support more early childhood educators in the care and education for their children.”
“In line with their training, early childhood educators who notice a child falling behind his/her development milestones will advise parents to bring the child to a polyclinic or general practitioner for referral to KK Women's and Children's Hospital or to the National University Hospital Child Development Programme for further assessment. ECDA has also worked with educational institutes and training providers to offer Continuing Professional Development modular courses to existing early childhood educators to be equipped with further skills to better support children with a range of developmental needs. In addition, early childhood educators may take up the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Intervention (Special Needs) or the Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Learning Support at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development campus to gain specialised knowledge and skills to identify and work with children with additional needs. The Specialist Diploma will allow early childhood educators to become Learning Support Educators (LSEds), who are able to identify children with developmental needs in relation to their peers, and to deliver the appropriate intervention in the preschool setting, also known as the Learning Support (LS) and Development Support (DS) programmes. LS and DS are Government-funded early intervention programmes for children with mild developmental needs and provide targeted short-term support through LSEds and therapists in the preschools. LSEds also collaborate with the main early childhood educators of the classes in preschools to adapt teaching methods and activities to better engage children with mild development needs in the classroom. This is critical in sustaining the progress made by the child after the interventions.”
“The Disability Office within the Ministry of Social and Family Development coordinates the planning, development, resourcing and service delivery of programmes for persons with disabilities, including Early Intervention services. The Disability Office works closely with the hospitals, polyclinics and preschools, for the timely detection of children with developmental needs. The Office also works closely with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), SG Enable, voluntary welfare organisation providers of early intervention services, and with preschools to provide early intervention services to children with developmental needs, and caregiver training for their families. The Ministry also oversees service management for early intervention services to ensure that service standards are met. It also works with key partners, including the National Council of Social Service and Institutes of Higher Learning, to support the early intervention sector through coordinating manpower planning, capability development for early intervention professionals and setting salary guidelines. All early childhood educators are trained in the development milestones of young children. As part of their pre-service training, they are also introduced to various forms of special needs in young children, including cognitive, behavioural, emotional and sensory characteristics. They are also briefed on the availability of community resources and professionals that provide support for these children.”
“In the case of MOE Kindergartens, headquarter and centre-level induction programmes have helped incoming MOE Kindergarten teachers adjust well to their new working environment. Given the growth and transformation of the sector, Early Childhood educators today have a wide array of options for their career development. We will continue to encourage all early childhood educators to deepen their competencies through continuing development opportunities and milestone programmes for the sector. This not only helps them to keep current with professional requirements and developments in the early childhood field but also enhances their chances to teach in the centres of their choice. Overall, the quality of the sector will rise.”
“With more dual-income families and working grandparents, as well as growing awareness of the importance of early childhood development, there has been a rising demand for preschool services in Singapore. To meet this demand, over 30% more or 40,000 new preschool places will be provided by 2023. The expansion of MOE Kindergartens, which cater to children aged five to six, is only one part of this effort to provide for more affordable and quality early childhood services. Selected MOE Kindergartens partner Anchor Operators, which run Early Years Centres catering to children aged four and below. The sector remains open to other operators, who continue to play an important role in meeting the demand for preschool services and the different needs of parents and children. In this context, the demand for early childhood educators for the entire sector, and not just the MOE Kindergartens, will continue to grow. For this reason, the Early Childhood Diploma intake at polytechnics has almost doubled from 380 places in 2015 to 727 places in 2017. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will work with the new National Institute of Early Childhood Development to ensure a sufficient pipeline of qualified early childhood educators for the entire sector. ECDA requires the same professional qualifications for early childhood educators, regardless of the preschool they work in. Hence, existing early childhood educators who have taken up employment at the MOE Kindergartens would have similar skillsets needed to succeed in their new environment. To supplement their professional training, operators generally have their own onboarding and induction programmes for new staff to smoothen the transition for them into the workplace.”
“There were 119 and 161 divorce cases where shared care and control was awarded in 2015 and 20161 respectively, which were 3% and 4.1% of the total number of divorces with care and control orders made for the respective years2.”
“Each year, about 120 students with intellectual disability graduate with vocational certifications in a range of industry areas. These schools continually update their vocational programmes so that SPED students of diverse disabilities can be better prepared for employment. For SPED students who may not benefit from vocational certification but are capable of work, SG Enable works with SPED schools to support their transition into employment under the School-to-Work (S2W) Transition Programme. Students on the programme receive customised job training with job support from Job Coaches for up to one year post graduation to prepare them for eventual employment. About 30 students each year with diverse disabilities have benefited from the S2W Transition Programme. The programme will be rolled out to all SPED schools serving secondary-level students by 2019. Other SPED students with heavier care needs may require closer supervision in their daily lives. They can be admitted into Sheltered Workshops or Day Activity Centres, depending on the level of care support required. Sheltered Workshops allow Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to be engaged in completing straightforward tasks that are part of a simplified work process. Day Activity Centres provide long-term care services and equip PwDs with skills so that they can live as independently as possible within their homes and community. These centres provide therapeutic and behavioural intervention, training in interpersonal and community living skills, and support in activities of daily living.”
“Students with special educational needs (SEN) who graduate from mainstream secondary schools and Special Education (SPED) schools may apply for enrolment into Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs), that is, junior colleges and centralised institutes, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or specialised vocational training schools for further studies or vocational training. Most of the students with a SEN diagnosis in mainstream schools, similar to their schoolmates, advance to the PSEIs every year. For those in SPED schools, a smaller proportion move to the PSEIs, given their need for more specialised and intensive support. Since 2014, SEN Support Offices have been set up in all polytechnics, ITE colleges, autonomous universities and arts institutions. These offices serve as a first-stop support unit for students to provide course counselling and access arrangements for students with SEN. They also administer funding support for students with physical or sensory impairment to purchase assistive technology devices and support services. The SEN Support Offices also collaborate with voluntary welfare organisations to provide external support for students with SEN, such as internship placements and job matching. The Ministry of Education will continue to work with the PSEIs and agencies, such as SG Enable, to ensure that students receive sufficient support to continue with their education and prepare for future employment. For students with moderate to severe SEN, two schools, Metta School and Delta Senior School, offer vocational training leading to nationally-accredited certifications for students up to 21 years old.”
“Vulnerable elderly Singaporeans without family support may receive assistance for their basic needs under the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) ComCare Long-Term Assistance and/or support in our sheltered and welfare homes. ComCare Long-Term Assistance helps persons who are unable to work due to old age, illness or disability, have limited or no means of income, and have little or no family support. They receive cash assistance for their basic living expenses, and assistance for medical and other needs. As at end-2017, there were over 3,300 persons aged 60 and above receiving ComCare Long-Term Assistance. Over 60% of those assisted by ComCare Long-Term Assistance were males and more than 70% were aged 70 and above. About 85% of these persons were Chinese, 8% were Malay, and 6% were Indian. Vulnerable seniors aged 60 and above, with weak family support and no alternative accommodation arrangements are cared for in residential homes funded by MSF and operated by voluntary welfare organisations. As at end-2017, there were slightly over 1,000 persons aged 60 and above residing in these facilities. About eight out of 10 were males, and around half were 70 years old and above. Around 71% were Chinese, 17% were Malay and 11% were Indian. We do not have data on seniors who have been abandoned overseas by their families.”
“The Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers (PPIP) scheme complements the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC). It provides developmental and therapy services for children aged zero-six who are at risk of moderate to severe developmental delays. Parents whose children are referred to EIPIC can also enrol their child in an approved PPIP Early Intervention programme. Children will receive the same Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) subsidies, whether they enrol in the PPIP or EIPIC programme. There are currently 21 EIPIC centres serving 3,000 children with developmental delays. MSF has recently increased the number of PPIP providers from six to 10. From 2015 to 2017, an average of 115 children were enrolled in PPIP each year. To ensure that these centres are accessible to parents and children, we have expanded the geographic spread of the centres. Earlier, the six PPIP centres were located in the Central, West and East regions. The current 10 centres operating are geographically spread across the North, North-East, Central, West and East regions.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Some of the 150 blocks are not eligible for LUP because of very severe site constraints. Part of it is technical, part of it is just the way in which the block is designed in relation to the land surrounding it. But for those blocks that are not eligible because of cost considerations, they are well in excess of $100,000 per unit. So, even if you drive this as a part of the overall LUP, which they were, because, LUP, when you call the contract, it is for all unavailable blocks that qualify. The nature of these remaining number of blocks, the cost would be way in excess of $100,000. So, that is a very different order altogether. 1.30 pm”
“Speaker, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) monitors the salary trends of early childhood educators in a few ways. First, ECDA commissions surveys from time to time on salary and other job-related issues in the preschool sector. The last survey was conducted two years ago, 2016, and it covered the 79 operators employing close to two-thirds of the educators in the sector. Second, the polytechnics collect data on the starting salaries of polytechnic graduates, including those from the early childhood Diploma courses, through their annual Graduate Employment Surveys. Based on ECDA's survey which they conducted in 2016, basic salaries for educarers with a professional certificate range from about $1,800 to $2,100 per month, salaries for teachers with a professional teaching Diploma range from $2,200 to $3,000, and salaries for principals with a professional leadership Diploma range from $3,100 to $6,000. These salaries have increased by about 15% since the previous survey in 2013, outpacing that of the general market for similar job sizes which grew by about 8% over the same period. Also, based on the 2017 Polytechnic Graduate Employment Survey, the starting salaries of full-time early childhood Diploma fresh graduates have increased by about 20% to $2,300 since 2013. Going forward, ECDA expects salary growth for early childhood educators to continue to outpace that of the general market. Apart from the continued expansion of the sector, which will require 20,000 early childhood educators by 2020, from about 17,000 today, ECDA is working closely with anchor as well as partner operators to ensure salary and career progression for their teachers, commensurate with their contributions and professional skills.”
“Those who are assessed to have high potential for reintegration into society are placed on external employment, home leave and pre-discharge programmes to support their transition back to the community. They are also linked up with community resources, where necessary, to support their reintegration. The Welfare Home staff also support family reconciliation to address underlying issues and strengthen family relationships. Volunteers and community agencies work with Welfare Homes to complement their rehabilitative efforts, foster a sense of community belonging in residents, and facilitate their reintegration to society.”
“Welfare Homes provide long-term care and support to destitute persons who are admitted under the Destitute Persons Act. They may be elderly or may have complex needs, such as chronic psychiatric conditions, addiction and physical or intellectual disabilities. Most have limited or no family support. The Welfare Homes are run by voluntary welfare organisations, with Ministry of Social and Family Development funding. The care teams assess the needs of residents and review their individualised care plans regularly. This is to ensure that they get appropriate support for their physical, emotional and social needs. The residents have their own bed and personal space to store their belongings. Their meals are based on menus endorsed by a nutritionist or dietician. In addition, they undergo regular medical reviews by a doctor and receive nursing care from an inhouse nursing team to address their healthcare needs. Residents are provided with fully-subsidised standard medical treatment and medication at public healthcare institutions. Besides these, they also receive counselling and social work support and, if necessary, therapy, to help them resolve their underlying issues and improve their well-being. To ensure that residents receive high standards of care, the Ministry stipulates minimum care standards and conducts unannounced inspections on Welfare Homes. In addition, there is a Board of Visitors, an independent panel of professional volunteers appointed by the Ministry, which visits the Welfare Homes on a regular basis to ensure that care standards are met. At the Welfare Homes, the residents undergo rehabilitation programmes to build social, work and life skills to prepare them for independent living in the community, wherever possible.”
“Upstream prevention of child abuse and self-protection are equally important. Children are taught about personal safety in schools. They are taught to recognise sexual abuse and harassment, acquire skills to protect themselves both in real life and online, and understand the laws that protect them in Singapore. They also learn to seek help from trusted adults, such as their parents, teachers and school counsellors, when there is risk of their personal safety being compromised. Beyond the existing multi-agency network of help, members of the public can also play their part. Noticing child abuse and bringing it to attention is the first step that enables the range of support services to kick in. Anyone who is aware of a child being or at risk of being abused, can help by alerting a community-based Child Protection Specialist Centre, MSF's Child Protective Service, the ComCare Hotline 1800- 222-0000 or their nearest Family Service Centre. Where a life is in danger, the public should immediately call the Police.”
“Keeping children safe from sexual abuse requires a whole-of-society effort. There are established interagency protocols, services and programmes to support victims and their families, and to bring perpetrators to justice. When children experience or are suspected of having experienced sexual abuse, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) will step in. Children who are not safe at home may be placed temporarily with relatives, a foster family or a children's home. These children and their families are also supported with a range of community services and may be referred to MSF psychologists to help them recover from the trauma of abuse. Each child is affected differently by the abuse, and the intervention will be tailored according to the different risks and needs of the child and the family. MSF is constantly looking at ways to improve the assessment and evidence-based intervention for our clients, in line with international practices. Concurrently, suspected perpetrators will be investigated by SPF. The child plays an important role in the investigation. To reduce the trauma faced by child victims from having to travel to different locations and recounting the incident to different professionals, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and MSF will be piloting a one-stop, multidisciplinary approach at KK Women’s and Children's Hospital. Perpetrators of child abuse may be charged under the Penal Code, or the Children and Young Persons Act. At the same time, their longer-term rehabilitation is needed to prevent the abuse from recurring. The Court can order the perpetrator, who may be a parent or guardian, to undergo counselling, assessments, treatments or other programmes.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) Social Service Offices help FSCs to coordinate with various Government agencies to ensure appropriate support for clients and work through the potential stressors on the family.”
“Self-harm typically occurs in private. The child's injury may come to the attention of others when there are observable scars or medical attention is required. In school, students are taught healthy ways of coping with stress and personal difficulties and are encouraged to seek help from trusted adults. They are also taught to look out for and support one another and to alert their teacher or school counsellor if their friends encounter difficulties. Students who self-harm would be referred to school counsellors for help. For complex cases, school counsellors would refer them for further assessment and intervention by medical doctors, clinical psychologists or other relevant specialists. The number of students aged 14 and below who have been referred for school counselling over the past three years has been small with no significant increase. Self-harm cases may also present at hospitals for treatment of physical injuries. Over the past three years, the number of hospital admissions for self-inflicted injuries among children aged 14 and below was 42 in 2015, 37 in 2016 and 30 in 2017. These children would be treated for their physical injuries and provided with counselling and psychological support to empower them with other forms of coping techniques. Mental well-being is important in enabling our children to manage stress well. As the causes of self-harm are often complex and multifaceted, we take a holistic approach to support children with self-harming behaviour, as well as their families. Families and children with psycho-social issues are referred directly to professionals or community touchpoints, such as Family Service Centres (FSCs), so that they can receive appropriate help to deal with the issues and achieve greater resilience.”
“The breakdown of custody orders for divorces from 2014 to 2016 is as shown in Table 1 below. Table 1: Orders Made for Custody for Divorces Granted/Registered in 2014-2016”
“It is also taking on the role of building a network of support for caregivers of persons with disabilities, without duplicating the roles played by existing disability service providers and SNTC. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will draw on synergies between SNTC and SG Enable in supporting caregivers. For instance, SNTC clients will be able to reach out to other caregivers at the SG Enable Caregivers' Space at the Enabling Village, which will be set up by end 2018. Information on SNTC schemes is already available on SG Enable's website. MSF also announced at this year's Committee of Supply that ComCare applicants with disabilities will be able to get information on schemes and services for persons with disabilities, such as those offered by SNTC and SG Enable, at the SSOs from the third quarter of this year. By the end of this year, the SSO at Geylang Serai will also pilot video-conferencing links with SNTC and SG Enable, so that ComCare applicants who are caregivers for persons with disabilities or who are themselves persons with disabilities will be able to consult SNTC and SG Enable staff without having to travel to SNTC's or SG Enable's offices unless necessary.”
“The Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) is the only non-profit trust company in Singapore that provides affordable trust management services for persons with special needs. It is a registered Charity and an Institution of a Public Character. SNTC plays an important role in supporting caregivers in planning for the long-term financial and care needs of their dependants with special needs. Through SNTC's trust and care planning services, caregivers can safeguard the monies they intend to leave behind for their special needs dependants. SNTC is backed by a team of Case Managers who work with the caregivers to develop a Care Plan for their special needs dependant. The Care Plan projects the amount to be set aside in the trust to provide for the dependant's long-term needs. During the caregiver’s lifetime, SNTC will review the Care Plan with the caregiver to ensure its relevance to the evolving needs of the dependant. Following the demise or incapacity of the caregiver, SNTC will make home visits to check on the well-being of the dependant, monitor the trust funds and continue to review the Care Plan with the appointed caregiver. SNTC works with community partners, including the Social Service Offices (SSOs), to reach out to caregivers of persons with disabilities. It plans to partner more stakeholders, such as the special education (SPED) schools, hospitals, family service centres, the Institute of Financial Literacy and lawyers to educate caregivers on the importance of planning ahead for their loved ones with special needs. In addition, SNTC will be building networks with professionals, such as financial advisors, so as to better advise clients who have dependants with disabilities. SG Enable aims to help persons with disabilities find employment.”
“As of 31 December 2017, there were about 700 children and youths residing in Homes licensed under the Children and Young Persons Act (CYP Homes). This number has decreased over the years, because we are transforming the out-of-home care sector so that more children are placed in foster care rather than homes and institutions. In contrast to the licensed CYP Homes, shelters and welfare homes serve different target groups. Shelters are intended for adults who have exhausted all other means of accommodation or those who face family violence, while welfare homes are intended for destitute persons who are unable to work, have no financial means and do not have accommodation and family support.”
“Indeed, the Member has articulated that kind of balance we have had to strike between on the one hand having clarity and giving assurance that these interventionist powers will be limited to a very clearly defined scope and, on the other hand, always fearing that if you scope things too definitively and do not have discretion, for example, if the definition does not say "it includes" but it is not definitive, it includes other things as well, that you might just miss that opportunity to act in that one right case as it is. We want the best of both worlds actually. But I think we have drafted the definitions with sufficient breadth and yet need to assure the community and members of the public that there will be some clear definition that we operate on. So, let us develop experience operationalising these powers and then we can continue to review whether there are gaps that need to be plugged in the future. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Desmond Lee.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“The Member had given some very useful ideas at the last Motion debate on seniors. If I recall, there were five ideas that the Member had raised. We are studying each and every one of them. Members, over the course of debates in the last few years, have also raised concerns about financial abuse of the elderly and abuse of parents financially. This is something that we continue to look at. There are existing frameworks, such as the Commissioner of Maintenance of Parents and the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents. We are looking at all possibilities. It is a complex matter. Members who come across cases where even though an elderly constituent comes to tell you that he has been financially abused, when you offer some suggestions, they would not want to act on them. They want your listening ear. They do not want services to come in, they do not want you to report to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents. They do not want the FSCs to get involved. It is a complex family and personal matter. But it is not a trivial matter, and I am sure Members will continue to look at possible solutions. As to the point about whether long-established principles we are prepared to overturn, we will look at what can work and what will be acceptable. The other question is about the scoping of definitions.”
“I thank the Member. Indeed, as I have said earlier, a mandatory scheme was, indeed, considered by MSF. We discussed this with our partners. There was considerable concern by professionals as to the efficacy and necessity of a mandatory reporting scheme. So, we adopted this where we strengthen and expand our network of care. Just like in child protection and adult protection, you also have to rely on a wide range of partners, both the community services, as well as professionals in healthcare and elsewhere that we share with them the importance of reporting suspected cases of abuse, that we guide them on what to look out for. As I have said earlier, there is a child abuse reporting guide. We will do the same for adult abuse, neglect and self-neglect so as to uplift the capabilities and awareness of all our frontline stakeholders who are nodal points in this important community-based network to look out for vulnerable adults and children. So, let us put this whistleblower framework in place. Let us continue to strengthen our partners' awareness and their understanding that this is actually a very important role that they have to play in addition to the primary function, whatever that may be, and let us see if we can identify more cases that might be previously invisible. But as I have said, for now, we are not going to implement a mandatory scheme. But let us look at it in the future.”
“I thank the Member for the question. We want to ensure that there is seamless protection for both children and vulnerable adults. The CYPA is being reviewed for a range of possible amendments, including this increment of the age to close that gap. And this is something that we will do.”
“And, of course, during all this time, it was not the case that vulnerable adults were not supported and abuse left unattended. Social work intervention by our FSCs, FVSCs, SSC Cluster support, our APS, RPG, Office of the Public Guardian, AIC and the Police continues, as they have always been doing. With this Bill, we hope to be able to add on to that framework with the suite of powers that we are seeking your support on. Mr Deputy Speaker, while the Government invests efforts to strengthen the adult protection framework, we will only succeed in protecting vulnerable members if we work with our stakeholder and the wider community. I thank Members and I seek your support for this piece of legislation.”
“Where eligible, a vulnerable adult could be supported under the Community Kin pilot, where VWOs can apply for a Court order to manage small and specific sums of an adult’s money for his day-to-day needs. This will enable the vulnerable adult to remain in the community with assistance from existing care networks, rather than have to be prematurely institutionalised. Assoc Prof Daniel Goh and Mr Louis Ng have asked why it took three years for the Bill to be introduced. This Bill involves intrusive statutory intervention in the realm of family and personal matters, so we did not want to rush this. Indeed, as a Member has pointed out – was it Assoc Prof Daniel Goh – this Bill heralds more conversations in the future about the extent to which external state power should be brought into the realm of the family to enable, intervene and support. So, this is not just a Bill that involves operational details. It does involve quite a lot of that. But also very fundamental questions that we have to debate both internally and with our stakeholders. We had to consult our stakeholders extensively and review how past cases were handled to see where the law needed to come in. We also studied overseas jurisdictions. In drawing up the Bill, we had detailed discussions with public agencies and community partners, such as our FVSCs, FSCs, SSOs, hospitals, the Police, the Courts and so on, on implementation, on SOPs – and work is still in progress on that front – capabilities, resourcing and training, not to mention the philosophical discussions that we have to have with various partners who are concerned about whether the Bill was sufficiently interventionist or whether it is overly intrusive.”