Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA. As part of the ongoing review of the student care sector announced at Budget 2026, the Government will study if further measures are needed to better meet the caregiving needs of families with primary school-aged children.”
“My response to this Parliamentary Question will cover related questions raised by Member Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan regarding Student Care Centres (SCCs), which are scheduled for today and subsequent Sittings. As of June 2026, there were 330 SCCs registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as administrators of the Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) scheme; 55% were school-based and the remaining 45% were community-based. All school-based SCCs are registered with MSF. Community-based centres are only required to register with MSF if they wish to administer SCFA. MSF does not track the total number of community-based SCCs that are not registered as SCFA administrators. In the past five years, the median monthly fee of SCCs that administer the SCFA remained stable at $290. The majority charged between $220 and $450. Around 15% of students enrolled in MSF-registered SCCs received SCFA. We will increase the monthly household income threshold for SCFA from $4,500 to $6,500 on 1 January 2027, which will benefit more students. MSF sets minimum requirements for SCFA administrators to ensure the safety and well-being of children. The audits for SCFA administrators ensure compliance with stipulated standards to ensure the safety and well-being of children as well as the proper administration of SCFA. It is not meant to be an accreditation of the SCC's service quality. The Ministry of Education regularly engages school-based SCCs on their programmes. School-based SCCs are required to provide weekly outdoor programmes and enrichment activities to develop values, social-emotional competencies and 21st century competencies in students.”
“The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social and Family Development will analyse the health outcomes of persons with disabilities (PwDs) to see if more targeted interventions are required. Thus far, we have not determined in our local data that PwDs have lower screening uptake or higher rates of preventable chronic conditions.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable. SG Enable decides on the SkillsFuture courses that are supportable, taking into consideration the relevance of the course to employability and whether the course is suitably designed and provides appropriate learning support for PwDs. The list of endorsed courses can be found on SG Enable's and SkillsFuture's websites. SG Enable will continually review its list of endorsed courses and remains open to expanding it where appropriate. PwDs or training providers who wish to have a course considered for endorsement can approach SG Enable.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports Singapore Citizen and Permanent Resident persons with disabilities who are medically certified as unable to take public transport and totally dependent on taxi. The scheme provides means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel for the purposes of school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable. The number of applications received and successful applications each year from 2022 to 2025 is in Table 1.”
“INTRACS+ looks at the longer-term effects of incarceration on children and found that children with parental criminal justice involvement were more likely to offend compared to those without such exposure. MSF will continue to work with agencies to monitor and assess the effectiveness of these programmes and measures, including strengthening coordination between SPS, SSOs and SSAs to support families impacted by incarceration.”
“International studies and research have shown that incarceration significantly destabilises the family in the immediate term, and that family support plays a key role in helping ex-offenders reintegrate back into society and remain offence-free. To support families impacted by incarceration, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) works closely with the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Social Service Agencies (SSAs). For instance, Social Service Office (SSO) Family Coaches of ComLink+ clients and Family Service Centre caseworkers will be notified when their clients or their clients' family members are incarcerated. This enables them to assess the family's needs and provide timely assistance to support the family. To help families to connect and support their loved ones in prison, SPS has put in place measures, such as facilitating pro-social contact between inmates and their families. In 2025, 68% of inmates received visits (either televisit or face-to-face) from their family members. In addition to visits, inmates may also connect with their families via e-letters, phone calls and family programmes. SPS also collaborates with MOE to connect incarcerated parents with their school-going children through quarterly video conferencing sessions. Mr Lye asked whether MSF would consider developing anonymised longitudinal tracking of children of incarcerated parents. MSF and the National Council of Social Service already did this and will continue to do so via the Intergenerational Transmission of Criminality and Social Disadvantages Plus (INTRACS+) study.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators. All staff, regardless of gender, must abide by ECDA's stipulated protocols to ensure appropriate child management practices when interacting with or caring for infants and children in a preschool.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one. The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service guides SSAs to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration, relative to wider market conditions, so as to maintain the sector's attractiveness. Regardless of the current state of turnover, it is a good practice for all SSAs to have proper transition processes in place to ensure service continuity for clients.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets. SSAs can tap on the Community Capability Trust (CCT) fund to build organisation capabilities that strengthen donation support to their organisation, including areas of financial sustainability strategy, communication and partnership planning, and their compensation and performance management practices. NCSS has also developed a playbook that provides a comprehensive guide on how SSAs can build fundraising capabilities.”
“Through ongoing efforts to expand capacity of the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), the average wait time for enrolment into EIPIC has improved from 7.5 months in 2023 to 5.5 months in 2025. The number of EIPIC places has increased by around 25% over this period, from approximately 5,800 to 7,300 places. We will continue our efforts to reduce wait time. Caregivers are supported while they await EIPIC placement for their children. Under the EIPIC framework, operators support children with developmental needs and their families from the point of referral, not just upon enrolment. This includes providing caregivers with appropriate training so that they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support their children at home. Where the child is enrolled in a preschool, EIPIC operators also work closely with the child's educators and share appropriate strategies, subject to parental consent. SG Enable has also worked with CaringSG, a caregiver-led organisation, to launch the Step One programme, which equips caregivers of children with developmental needs with knowledge and skills to carry out their caregiving duties and connects them with support networks. Caregivers can find out more about these support options via the online Enabling Guide.”
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs. Under the existing Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) framework, when a child with developmental needs also attends a mainstream preschool, EIPIC operators work closely with preschools to ensure that support remains consistent across both settings. This includes conducting preschool visits to understand the child's adjustment and accommodation needs, as well as reviewing teaching strategies with the child's educators and caregivers. Thus far, the Ministry of Social and Family Development has not received any feedback from parents indicating gaps in communication between EI centres and preschools.”
“The Non-Traditional Source Occupation List (NTS-OL) allows businesses to hire higher-quality non-PMET workers from non-traditional source countries for specific roles with insufficient locals to augment the workforce. While the NTS-OL will be expanded from September 2026 to include Early Childhood (EC) roles, such as infant educators and early years educators, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been working with Government-supported preschools to grow their local workforce and retain talent in the sector. We regularly review the salaries of EC educators to ensure their salaries are market-competitive and commensurate with their contributions and professional skills. In addition, ECDA has introduced various initiatives to support the professional development and career progression of our EC educators, such as through the Professional Development Programmes and Continuing Professional Development courses. ECDA has also been working actively to enhance educator well-being. Some of our efforts include designating Teachers' Day and Children's Day as preschool holidays from 2024 and removing the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from 2025. The Ministry of Social and Family Development and ECDA will continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to attract and retain local EC educators in the sector.”
“The Child Development Account (CDA) can be used to cover field trips and excursion expenses offered by the preschools. As the CDA is intended to support children's direct educational and healthcare needs, it can only be used for the child or his/her siblings' expenses, but not for parents' expenses.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service helps Social Service Agencies (SSAs) attract and retain talent and maintain the sector's competitiveness. We expect SSAs to pay their employees according to the guidelines and ensure fairness in pay structures and salaries. We have found that SSAs generally apply the Guidelines across the job roles in their organisation, regardless of funding source.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency funds Anchor Operator (AOP) and Partner Operator (POP) preschools to improve affordability and quality. Funding is sized based on the number of children enrolled, adherence to fee caps, achievement of quality benchmarks and the provision of competitive salaries for preschool educators. While AOP and POP preschools welcome children of all nationalities, Government funding for these preschools is designed primarily to benefit Singaporean children and their families. Therefore, the citizenship of enrolled children is taken into consideration in the grant design and requirements. Non-resident children make up a very small proportion of less than 5% of total enrolment in these preschools.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track if ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) beneficiaries who have past medical conditions return to apply for assistance. In assessing ComCare applications, MSF will holistically assess the client's household situation, level of support available and may align SMTA to the period for which the client has been certified unfit to work. This is provided that the client does not have any outstanding action plan. For example, some clients will be asked to follow up on insurance claims which, if paid, could be a source of income for the applicant. If the client is assessed to be permanently unable to work and has no means of self-support, they may be placed on Long-Term Assistance.”
“The Government recognises the challenges of caregiving, including balancing work responsibilities and caregiving for one's family members. There is no single solution for all caregivers. For working caregivers, the Government balances the effectiveness of measures to meet diverse caregiving needs sustainably against employers' operational needs and caregiver employability. Extending childcare leave to caregivers of persons with disabilities could help in situations, such as specific bouts of illness, but flexible work arrangements (FWA) offer more sustainable solutions for longer-term caregiving needs. Hence, we focus on encouraging the adoption of FWAs to help caregivers balance work and personal commitments. This is done through the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests, as well as FWA implementation resources and training by tripartite partners and the Institute of Human Resource Professionals. The Government remains committed to supporting the needs of working caregivers and will continue to work with tripartite partners to foster more family-friendly workplaces.”
“Currently, an application for deputyship under the simplified track costs around $540, comprising a $40 Court filing fee and around $500 for mental capacity assessment, depending on the fees charged by public hospitals. Lower-income families requiring financial assistance with the deputyship application may approach the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), a department in the Ministry of Law, or charitable organisations, such as Pro Bono SG. From 2023 to 2025, the LAB provided legal advice and aid to about 750 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for matters related to the Mental Capacity Act, including but not limited to deputyship applications. In 2025, the Ministry of Law also amended the Legal Aid and Advice Act to apply the legal aid means test on the mentally incapacitated person when an altruistic non-next-of-kin deputy applies for deputyship. This will allow more cases to qualify for assistance by LAB. The best way to avoid the hassle and cost of a deputyship application is to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). We recently made the LPA Form 1 application permanently free for Citizens and encourage everyone to make an LPA as soon as possible.”
“Cases of suspected child abuse occurring at home are not automatically classified as higher risk. Risk level is assessed based on the nature, severity, immediacy of harm, as well as factors, such as the child's vulnerability, caregiver's capacity and the presence of protective support. If the abuse was caused by a parent or caregiver, there may be heightened concern, as the source of harm is within the child's primary caregiving environment. Such cases may therefore require closer monitoring and more intensive intervention, depending on the assessed level of risk. Where serious safety concerns are identified, regardless of setting, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Police will take expedited action, including the removal of the child if necessary. It is not meaningful to look at the median timeframe for removal as each case is assessed individually based on urgency and risk. In other cases, MSF may first implement safety plans, monitor compliance and work with the family to improve parenting practices before exercising statutory powers to remove the child from the home.”
“Caregivers might need respite services due to multiple factors, such as caregiver illness, exhaustion or family emergencies. The Government does not track specific reasons for emergency placement or crisis placement, but rather, the focus is on ensuring that respite care is available and accessible to caregivers who need it. Caregivers who require support can tap on a range of subsidised respite options. For caregivers of seniors with care needs, this includes the enhanced Home Personal Care, which offers longer service hours and after-hours care. Caregivers of persons with disabilities may tap on the Take-a-Break home-based respite programme, or admission into disability homes for a period. The Agency for Integrated Care and SG Enable work with providers to prioritise clients with urgent care needs, including cases with caregivers seeking help to cope with burnout. In addition to ensuring respite service capacity, caregivers may tap on the Caregivers Training Grant to offset the costs of attending caregiver training. Community outreach teams also provide various support – including one-to-one befriending from peers with shared caregiving experiences – to reduce the isolation that often accompanies prolonged caregiving.”
“In making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), individuals are strongly encouraged to appoint a trusted family member or friend as their donee, as such persons are usually best placed to act in their interests and understand their personal wishes. For individuals who do not have such support, they may choose to appoint a professional donee, who is regulated under the Mental Capacity Act. When the professional deputy and donee (PDD) scheme was being conceptualised in 2016, the Government considered whether the Office of Public Guardian (OPG) could serve as a public institutional donee for individuals without suitable people to appoint. However, as the OPG's primary role is regulatory, to oversee and regulate PDD services whilst protecting vulnerable individuals, being a public institutional donee would conflict with its core regulatory function. The Government will continue to review the PDD scheme to improve the availability of donee options.”
“Children from lower- and lower-middle income families can benefit from the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme (SCFA). After subsidies, families can pay as little as $5 per month for their child to attend student care. All school-based Student Care Centres (SCCs) are required to administer the SCFA. Centres which operate outside of schools, including commercially run centres, can choose to make the SCFA available to their students. Currently, there are over 330 SCFA administrators. As announced at Budget 2026, the Ministry of Social and Family Development will be raising the monthly household income threshold for the SCFA from $4,500 to $6,500 and updating the income tiers. As the Ministry of Education (MOE) shared with this House in March 2026, most schools have sufficient capacity to meet the demand for student care. There are a small number of children known to MOE to be on a waitlist of a school-based SCC, but they all have current alternative care arrangements. This is similarly observed for non-school based centres that administer the SCFA. As part of the ongoing review of the student care sector announced at Budget 2026, we will study if further affordability and accessibility measures are needed to better meet the caregiving needs of families with primary school-aged children.”
“When assessing households' eligibility for ComCare, social assistance officers already consider which household members living at the applicant's address should be included in the household income assessment and which should be omitted. If the Member is aware of any application where certain individuals should be omitted, we invite him to surface to the Social Service Office for review.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) adopts two key strategies to detect and prevent domestic violence. First, we focus on detecting and encouraging early reporting of domestic violence. As of March 2026, more than 12,500 people in various sectors have undergone the Domestic Violence Awareness Training to learn how to spot and report signs of domestic violence. The “Break the Silence” campaign raises public awareness of the different types of abuse, including non-physical abuse, and encourages victim-survivors and bystanders to seek help by calling the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline. Early detection helps to identify cases before they escalate into higher safety and risk concerns. Second, MSF provides early support and timely intervention to build family resilience to break cycles of abuse. For instance, Family Service Centres work with other professionals and agencies to support multi-stressed families. Social workers help families work through their challenges and develop safety plans to intervene quickly when early signs of abuse emerge. MSF will continually review and refine our preventive measures and is exploring possible new preventive measures.”
“The Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK) is a quality assurance framework that accredits preschools based on their administration, management and pedagogical processes. SPARK focuses on validating preschools' implementation of quality processes and practices rather than measuring child outcomes. The teaching and learning domains within SPARK are underpinned by the national learning and development frameworks which are evidence-based and grounded in child development theories. These frameworks guide preschools in designing appropriate learning environments and activities to support children's holistic development. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) validates preschools' processes and practices through documentation, interviews with preschool staff and observation of classroom practices during scheduled centre visits. ECDA regularly publishes the list of preschools that have attained SPARK accreditation. In addition, ECDA shares the validation findings highlighting key strengths and recommendations for growth directly with the relevant preschools and partners them in their quality improvement journeys.”
“ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) helps individuals and families who face temporary setbacks and need help with basic living expenses. ComLink+ families receiving ComCare SMTA have still not attained financial stability. Such families are, therefore, unlikely to be in a position to pay off their debts. To support these families, family coaches will work with them to secure employment or higher paying jobs first to ensure that they are financially stable and no longer require ComCare SMTA. These families then have the capacity to start saving part of their monthly income, after meeting their monthly expenses. For those with debts, the ComLink+ Progress Package for Debt Clearance can assist them to clear their debts faster.”
“When students with sensory and physical impairments join mainstream schools, the Ministry of Education partners agencies, such as AWWA and the Singapore Association for the Deaf, to provide roving school-based educational support services.”
“Before children with developmental needs can be referred to a Government-funded early intervention programme, like the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), or EIPIC-P, which is delivered by appointed private providers, they must first be formally assessed by a paediatrician to determine the level of early intervention support they need. This enables children to be referred to the most appropriate early intervention programme. Under these programmes, each child under six years old has an individualised education plan tailored to his developmental needs and goals. This plan is developed and regularly reviewed by early intervention professionals in consultation with Allied Health Professionals and families. Families seeking standalone therapies beyond Government-funded programmes can tap on the Child Development Account to pay for additional early intervention services registered with the Early Childhood Development Agency. Special education schools serving students with moderate-to-severe special educational needs are resourced with Allied Health Professionals, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech therapists, who provide students with in-school therapeutic support. These professionals work alongside teachers to integrate therapy into daily learning activities, constructing sessions based on students' needs and their individualised education plan. Beyond direct intervention, therapists guide staff on adaptive strategies and assistive technologies, so that therapy goals can align with educational objectives to work toward independence and enable overall development.”
“A parent may submit a request to relevant agencies to restrict the non-custodial parent from modifying their child's personal records, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis based on the documentation provided and agency's prevailing policy. Children benefit when parents can work together to co-parent and communicate effectively to resolve these matters. Should there remain a dispute on whether the parent holding sole custody and care and control may restrict the other parent from modifying the child's records, the parent may consider applying to the Court to resolve the dispute.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency does not have data on the average daily non-contact time for educators in preschools. When the Early Childhood Development Centres Act was enacted in 2017, minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratio for preschools were reviewed to ensure the safety and well-being of children. These ratios are calibrated based on the programme level of children, type of programme hours and the qualifications of staff. For example, one qualified early years educator is required for every eight children at the Playgroup level during programme hours. During non-programme hours, or if an additional assistant early years educator is deployed during programme hours, this can increase to 12 children. Preschools can and do operate with more than the minimum staff requirement to cater to their programming objectives and manpower deployment needs, such as staff leave and training. On top of staff-to-child ratios, preschools may also deploy additional non-certified staff to assist certified educators with setting classroom routines, and the daily care and supervision of children.”
“When the Early Childhood Development Centres Act was enacted in 2017, minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratio for preschools were reviewed to ensure the safety and well-being of children. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) took reference from international jurisdictions and engaged the sector to ensure that preschools' manpower and staffing considerations adequately catered for the developmental needs of children at different ages. While the legislated ratios ensure that minimum safety standards are upheld, preschools have the operational flexibility to respond to varied needs and demands. In practice, they can and do operate with more than the minimum staff requirement, in accordance with their programming objectives and manpower. In particular, to ensure that the ratios are adequate for supporting children with developmental needs in inclusive classroom settings, preschools must seek ECDA's approval if they wish to enrol children with developmental needs beyond 15% of the preschool's capacity for such children to ensure sufficient resources to support all children. Preschools can also deploy more staff to support classes with children with developmental needs or receive support from Early Intervention (EI) professionals.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) consulted key stakeholders extensively when it ceased the provision of Saturday childcare services from January 2025 onwards. ECDA surveyed over 8,000 parents and nearly 800 childcare centres across different operator types, and spoke to about 100 parents, educators and operators to gather different viewpoints. Stakeholders supported the removal of the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays as it would greatly improve educators' well-being, avail time for their own family needs and make a career in the early childhood (EC) sector more attractive and sustainable. EC educators' working hours are determined by their employment contracts. After the shift to a five-day work week, some preschool operators have increased daily working hours slightly in order for educators to perform activities like lesson preparation and classroom set-up, although some others have been able to complete the work within existing daily work hours. ECDA will continue to pay close attention to the well-being of our educators while striving to give our children a good start in life. As updated during the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Committee of Supply Debates, ECDA will convene a sector-wide review from the second quarter of 2026 to look at the operating processes and support structures in the sector to better support our educators. This review seeks to strengthen the sector's long-term manpower resilience by enhancing the overall value proposition of an EC career and improving EC educators' daily work experience.”
“Adult Disability Homes (ADHs) provide residential care for adults with disabilities who have no alternative accommodation. As of December 2025, there are 11 Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)-funded ADHs with a total capacity of about 1,500 places, most of which operate at utilisation rates of over 80%, and 100 individuals on the waitlist. ADH capacity increased by about 300 places in 2022, and MSF will be adding a new facility by 2030. Adult Disability Hostels (ADHLs) provide accommodation and residential-based training for adults with disabilities who do not require institutional care but are unable to live with their families. As of December 2025, there are three MSF-funded ADHLs with a total capacity of about 130 places, with utilisation rates of 80% to 90%, and 75 individuals on the waitlist. We are piloting community-based support services to provide alternatives to residential care, such as the Enabled Living Programme, which commenced in December 2025, and the Home Support Programme pilot, which will commence in the second half of 2026. Together, these pilots are expected to support up to 250 persons with disabilities.”
“To determine the appropriate enforcement action to take when a breach has occurred, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) comprehensively reviews all relevant factors, including the severity of the breach, whether the breaches were systemic in nature, and whether there were any aggravating or mitigating factors. ECDA will then determine the penalties to be meted out, which can range from financial penalties, shortening or revocation of the preschool's license. Depending on the complexity and nature of the case in the question, the time taken for ECDA to investigate and impose any enforcement action also tends to vary.”
“The Government provides a range of support for caregivers, such as: (a) respite services across home, community and institutional settings; (b) the Caregivers Training Grant which provides a grant of up to $400 per year to new qualifying care recipients, for caregivers to attend approved caregiving training courses; and (c) the Home Caregiving Grant, which provides cash payouts of up to $600 per month to individuals with permanent moderate disability living in the community, to defray costs of caregiving. From 2023 to 2025, on average, every year: (a) about 17,700 caregivers utilised respite services; (b) about 3,200 caregivers utilised the Caregivers Training Grant and (c) about 72,300 caregivers who care for their loved ones with permanent moderate disability in the community received the Home Caregiving Grant. Upcoming subsidy enhancements for long-term care services will also help to offset caregiving costs. We do not track caregivers' household income or age group as the schemes are tagged to their care recipients.”
“Future care planning support is available to families caring for persons with disabilities through SG Enable or social service agencies providing disability services. Between 2021 and 2025, 1,975 care plans have been developed for families caring for persons with disabilities. SG Enable launched the Future Care Planning Resource Centre in December 2025. The Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable are working on strengthening sector capabilities in future care planning to enable more caregivers of persons with disabilities to access future care planning support.”
“Under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act, Regulations and Code of Practice, preschools are required to display their licence at a prominent location that is accessible to parents. Parents may also find the licence tenure of all preschools on LifeSG platforms. Preschools have been generally compliant and there has been no need for the Early Childhood Development Agency to take enforcement action. Preschools that did not display their licence or displayed an outdated one had complied once the issue was brought to their attention.”
“Under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act, Regulations and Code of Practice, licensees are required to provide at least six months' notice prior to cessation to parents and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). There has been an increase in the number of preschools that have failed to give at least six months' notice before cessation, from 26 preschools in 2023 to 44 preschools in 2025. ECDA takes such regulatory breaches seriously and errant operators may face regulatory actions. ECDA will consider various factors, including the specific facts of each case and principles of proportionality and deterrence, before meting out the necessary regulatory action or combination of actions.”
“In the event of a cessation, preschools are required to assist parents in securing alternative care arrangements. The Early Childhood Development Agency may also assist affected parents who require help with alternative preschool placement, such as in cases where the preschool had ceased operations at short notice. The vast majority of parents of affected children, including those affected by cessations at short notice, were able to find alternative arrangements before the last day of operations of their existing preschool. Some parents may prefer not to enrol their children in a new preschool immediately due to personal reasons, such as a preference to wait for vacancies at a specific preschool of choice.”
“Infant care requires higher staff-to-child ratios and more specialised facilities. This results in higher operation costs and therefore higher infant care fees than childcare. In 2025, the median infant care fee was $1,235, around double that of childcare at $680. Hence, the Government provides higher subsidies to infant care to keep it affordable for families. With these subsidies, a median-income working family with a child enrolled in an anchor operator preschool in 2025 would spend around 3.1% of their income on full-day childcare compared to 5.8% of their income on full-day infant care. Since the start of 2026, full-day childcare fees have been further reduced by $30 to a maximum of $610 at anchor operator preschools and $650 at partner operator preschools. The affordability of both childcare and infant care will also be further enhanced from 1 January 2027, when the income ceiling for preschool subsidies will increase from $12,000 to $15,000 and income thresholds for all subsidy tiers will be increased.”
“At the national level, based on data collected from the Ministry of Manpower's Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, the median gross monthly income among employed residents with disabilities aged 15 to 64 has continued to grow over the years, rising from over $2,500 in 2019 to more than $4,000 in 2025. This is partly due to the increase in the proportion of employed residents with disabilities taking on professionals, managers, executives and technicians' jobs from 34% to 54% in the same period. Based on the National Council of Social Service's Disability Inclusion Panel Study in 2023, 21.6% of persons with disabilities, aged 18 and above, participated in training programmes in the past year.”
“Only Student Care Centres that administer the Student Care Fee Assistance are audited at least once every two years. The audit covers areas, such as the physical environment, operating hours, supervision, safety, health and hygiene, meals, emergency preparedness and records-keeping. The audit grades are available on the Ministry of Social and Family Development website.”
“There are existing safeguards under the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) to protect the identities of children involved in child protection cases. Under Section 111(1), any person, including parents, is prohibited from publishing or broadcasting any information or picture that identifies, or is likely to lead to the identification of, a child who is or had been the subject of a CYPA investigation. In practice, where such content is posted, the Ministry of Social and Family Development will first advise parents and seek their cooperation to remove it. Most comply. Where they do not, we may notify the relevant platforms, apply to the Court under Section 111(2) for removal and, as a last resort, refer the matter to the Police. Parents involved in CYPA investigations often have to deal with many issues happening in their family and may not be in the best emotional state. They may not fully appreciate the risks of online disclosure. This can compromise the child's privacy, safety and emotional well-being. It can also undermine the work of professionals and affect ongoing interventions for the family. Parents should raise feedback or concerns through appropriate and confidential channels, where they can be addressed with the child's interest as a priority. We will continue to strengthen public education and work with parents to better safeguard the identities of children.”
“KidSTART was only rolled out nationwide in 2025, and more time is needed to observe its impact. Previously, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) had partnered the Centre for Evidence and Implementation to conduct an evaluation study of KidSTART from 2017 to 2022. The study found that KidSTART children showed improved child development outcomes and more pro-social behaviours by three years old. These findings were presented at the 2024 Asian Family Conference organised by MSF. The promising findings contributed to the decision to scale the revised KidSTART service model nationwide. We will continue to monitor outcomes and assess KidSTART's effectiveness following the nationwide rollout.”
“We work with the industry practitioners, including the training providers, education institutions, the professionals themselves and their associations, to put up what we call the skills framework for social service. Within this framework, we lay out the competencies needed for the families of social sector jobs so that professionals know clearly what they need to have in order to articulate and for their career planning. This is very useful for both the trainers, training institutions as well as for the individuals and the associations. For the individuals themselves, for example, they would know there are scholarships available under the professional development sponsorship, where it covers full tuition fees. They can study, even if they have a degree, of which they have to have one to practise as full professionals in this field – in alternate or related fields, for example, in psychology. But we want to also look at how we can expand these fields of studies that may not look as related as they were, maybe 10 years ago, but may be relevant today. For example, AI, for example, how they can be related to their work in social service. There are also of course, short-term grants for individuals to look at, to take up the courses and then to uplift their ability and their skills. Not necessarily to enhance their career possibilities, but also to support their clients better. In the meantime, SSAs, too, should use this framework, because they may want to attract talents from outside who may not have the requisite professional degrees or qualifications to practise in this sector. MSF also will provide grants for such people and at the same time for our SSAs to plan the career path and articulation for their own staff, those who are within the SSAs themselves.”
“The social service sector is on track to meet our projected manpower needs. This has been supported by several key initiatives, including new scholarships and training sponsorships to attract new talent and upskill in-service staff, regular reviews of the skills and salary guidelines to ensure that sector salaries remain competitive and campaigns, such as the Year of Celebrating Social Service Professionals, to raise awareness of social service careers and enhance recognition of our professionals. We do not expect the increase in the qualifying salary for S Pass and Employment Pass holders to have significant impact on manpower growth in the social service sector.”
“At MSF, we are making progress with our partners across the social service sector, with corporates, with IHLs, with volunteers and with the community. Together, we have been able to make strides in nurturing resilient individuals, strong families and a caring society. I am heartened that since the launch of SG Gives last year, we have seen over $100 million in donations made to the Community Chest, President's Challenge and the Collective for a Stronger Society. The Government will match these donations to amplify our collective impact and support communities in need. But there is more we can do. I call on all Singaporeans to join us in this endeavour. When we work together, we unlock new possibilities and achieve far better outcomes than what we can accomplish alone. It is this collective spirit and the willingness of Singaporeans to support and empower one another that drives real and lasting change. Which is why MSF will soon launch a campaign "Better Starts with Us", because at MSF, we believe it is through this shared commitment that each of us, we are not just building a strong and united society, but a Singapore that is a great place for all families to achieve their goals and aspirations. [Applause.] 7.43 pm”
“These technologies may only impact a small proportion of each society, but the impact is profound on the beneficiaries and their families. And when we collaborate and cooperate with regional partners, it allows us to have greater scale to support the development and adoption of such technology. For persons with disabilities, SG Enable will continue to champion the responsible use of AI and technology solutions – a topic that is close to Miss Rachel Ong's heart. Subsidies are provided to persons with disabilities under the Assistive Technology Fund to purchase assistive technology devices to enable independent living. SG Enable will curate more devices to and continue to create more devices for persons with disabilities, including those enhanced by AI capabilities. Under the Enabling Lives Initiative Grant, funding is also provided to support AI solutions that improve independence and expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. One example would be AiSee, an AI-powered wearable device that enables persons with visual impairment to better understand their surroundings through voice prompts. Beyond the belief that AI and technology takes away jobs, they can in fact be a force for good; enablers that allow us to break new ground both in how we support our professionals and clients. I am excited by its potential and opportunities. Chairman, I will now conclude. Our goal is clear. We want better for the clients and families we support: better outcomes, better opportunities, better lives. This is what drives our work at MSF. The way to achieve this is through all of us working together and staying united, especially amidst global uncertainties.”
“In the past few years, MSF has worked closely with the sector to co-create innovative solutions to make our services more client-centric. One example would be the Family Services Landscape Review, which we announced in 2024. We have been engaging SSAs, practitioners and other stakeholders to reimagine how we can better support our clients where they are – one-stop shop, something that Ms Mariam Jaafar advocated for. Another example would be the Enabled Living Programme, where we work with our partners to pilot innovative approaches to empower persons with disabilities to live independently, build meaningful connections and enhance their overall well-being. In addition, we want to push the envelope and co-create AI and technology solutions that directly enhance the quality of life of our clients. In my work trips to China and Qatar last year, I was deeply impressed by the adoption of innovative AI solutions and the possibilities they presented to enable persons with disabilities to work, live and play. For hearing-impaired individuals like Mr Raiyme, who is a desktop engineer at NCS, new technologies coming onstream can be very empowering socially. For instance, with the real-time transcription and translation capabilities of the LLVision's AI-powered glasses, Raiyme is able to converse better at home with his mom, whom he lipreads in Malay. And of course, the AI machine needs to learn Malay better. And also, with his daughter's Mandarin teacher. He does not need translation because AI will do it for him. In Qatar, hologram assistants that can respond to hearing-impaired persons via sign language are installed in public spaces, including public transportation sites.”