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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“NCSS also publishes the sector salary guidelines for the social service sector and SSAs are strongly encouraged to keep their salaries competitive. Since 2019, MSF and NCSS have been working with representatives from the sector, professional associations, and education institutions through the Social Service SkillsFuture Tripartite Taskforce (STT). The STT aims to drive collaborations to develop manpower in the sector, and provide expertise in curriculum, training pathways and professional practice. In particular, for disability care staff, the STT is developing a competency framework and training roadmap by March 2024 to better equip them with the skills required for their roles. Additionally, MSF and NCSS curate schemes and initiatives under the Community Capability Trust which SSAs can tap to strengthen their people practices and capabilities.”
“The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) works closely with Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to develop strategies and initiatives to attract manpower for the social service sector, which includes disability care. The Professional Capability Grant (PCG) provides funding to SSAs to attract, develop and retain professionals in the sector. Under the PCG, Scholarships and Awards support new entrants pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies. For mid-career professionals, Career Conversion Programmes enable individuals from other sectors to enter the social service sector as social workers and allied health professionals. Over the past five years, 349 individuals have been supported by these schemes under the PCG. NCSS is also promoting the branding and improving the visibility and value proposition of the social service sector. NCSS has rebranded careers in the social service sector. This has increased public awareness and interest in social service careers, communicated the purpose and values of careers in the sector, and shared career opportunities and pathways. In addition, NCSS has ongoing partnerships with Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to support job seekers through career advisory and job matching. To support the professional development and career progression of social service professionals, we work with WSG and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), industry associations, training providers and organisations, to jointly develop the Skills Framework for Social Service. This provides information on the social service sector, the career and progression pathways, the competencies required for different job roles, and training programmes to support skills upgrading and mastery.”
“Caregivers play a critical role in supporting persons with disabilities. We recognise that taking care of a loved one with disabilities, especially if the person also has psychotic and behavioural issues, is stressful, and caregivers regardless of age may need support or respite from time to time. Caregivers can contact SG Enable to be referred to the Home-Based Behavioural Intervention Services (HBIS). HBIS supports persons with disabilities who have behavioural needs by reinforcing positive, socially acceptable behaviour among clients at home. Caregivers can get some respite while their loved ones are receiving the service. Caregivers can also tap on community support networks such as CaringSG and a range of caregiver-led initiatives supported by SG Enable that support caregivers of persons with special needs. Relevant information such as respite options and contact details of support groups can be found in SG Enable's Enabling Guide, a first-stop resource portal for information on disability in Singapore. We will continue to review the range of services available and to build capabilities of our service providers to ensure that caregivers are supported. At the same time, the emotional support of family members, friends, and other caregivers who can understand what they are going through is also very helpful. Let us all play a part by extending a helping hand, or a listening ear, to support the caregivers we know.”
“The respite care options currently available for caregivers of persons with disabilities include Special Student Care Centres that provide before-and-after school care services for children in Special Education schools aged seven to 18 years, Day Activity Centre part-time and full-time programmes for adults with disabilities aged 18 years and above, and short-term residential respite care at Children Disability Homes and Adult Disability Homes. Caregivers of persons with disabilities may also be eligible for the Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) levy concession which reduces the levy for hiring an MDW from $300 per month to $60 per month. They may also benefit from the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG), to defray caregiving costs. The HCG quantum will be increased from the current $200 a month, to up to $400 a month in 2023. As mentioned in the recently launched Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030), we will be piloting Enabling Services Hubs, or "ESH" for short. The ESH pilot will offer a drop-in respite care option for caregivers, as well as social and learning activities for persons with disabilities. This will not only enable persons with disabilities to maintain their community living skills, but also free up their caregivers for a few hours during the day. We are working on setting up the first ESH and will share more details when ready. In line with the recommendations of the EMP2030, we will continue to work with social service agencies and other stakeholders to enhance respite options and support for caregivers of persons with disabilities. As we progress towards being an inclusive society, let us all look out for persons with disabilities and their families around us, and offer them our care and support as well.”
“ECDA also encourages preschool operators to adopt the recommendations from the Early Childhood Occupational Health and Safety Assessment (OHSA) study to improve working conditions within the infant care bays, such as providing ergonomic equipment to infant educators. ECDA will continue to monitor the manpower situation and trends and support the sector's manpower needs.”
“Childcare operators have been ramping up manpower over the years to support the expansion of preschool places, including infant care. As of end-2021, there are about 5,600 early childhood educators qualified in infant care in preschools. This is more than two times the corresponding number in 2017. More infant care staff will be needed to meet the rising demand for infant care places and support sector expansion in the coming years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been working with preschool operators and training providers to attract more locals, especially mid-careerists, to be trained as Infant Educators through career fairs and initiatives, such as the Career Conversion Programmes. Foreign manpower is already one source of infant care staff. Preschool operators can hire foreign manpower for infant care within their foreign worker quotas to address their manpower needs. Today, less than a quarter of our certified early childhood workforce are foreigners, of which a small proportion work in infant care. Besides tapping on foreign manpower, ECDA also allows up to 50% of the staff in infant care to be allied infant educators or programme helpers. This gives preschools the flexibility to tap on a wider pool of manpower to deliver infant care services. To help improve retention of the infant care workforce, ECDA is working with preschool operators to put in place enhanced career pathways and professional development opportunities for Infant Educators, as part of the Skills Framework for Early Childhood and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) roadmap. This will enable Infant Educators' salaries to grow in tandem with higher skills and job responsibilities over time.”
“Social Service Offices (SSOs) use cash and supermarket vouchers in dispensing interim financial assistance today. We have announced plans to transit to digital disbursements and are exploring transfers to client's bank accounts. Today, banks already help SSO clients open accounts without a minimum deposit or fall-below fee1. We will continue to encourage clients to open accounts if they do not have one, as it is beneficial to them to not be excluded from access to financial services.”
“SG Enable and its partners work closely with employers and persons with disabilities to place each individual in a supportive work environment. SG Enable administers the Open Door Programme (ODP), which provides customised job placement and job support from trained job coaches. The job coaches advise employers on how they can create accessible work environments and make reasonable job accommodations to enable employees with disabilities to perform their roles effectively and work well with co-workers. Employers can also tap on the Job Redesign Grant under the ODP to modify workplaces, such as the inclusion of calm rooms. SG Enable also offers a range of courses under its High Impact Retention and Employment Workshop Series. These courses help employers learn how to create safe work environments and positive behavioural support strategies to manage challenging behaviours that their employees with disabilities may display. MSF and SG Enable are also working with businesses and disability social service agencies to develop Enabling Business Hubs (EBHs), to provide inclusive work environments for persons with disabilities who require customised support. The hubs will be equipped with shared facilities and services to assist persons with disabilities in their employment journey, including onsite job coach support, training rooms and calm rooms. The first EBH pilot is expected to start operations in 2023.”
“There are over 12,000 infant care places licensed for operation today. Of these, about 9,700, or about 80%, are currently taken up. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will continue to increase preschool capacity, where needed, to meet demand for early childhood services. Over the course of 2022, ECDA will develop 1,000 more infant care places in tandem with upcoming HDB developments to cater to the needs of young families. These 1,000 places will be provided mostly by Anchor Operators and exclude places which may be developed by commercial preschool operators. In addition, for high-demand areas like Punggol where many young families are concentrated, ECDA facilitates the development of larger preschools in community premises and vacant state land. These larger preschools serve a wider catchment of families in the entire town. While families may have to travel further to these centres, enrolled children will benefit from the amenities these larger preschools offer, such as outdoor learning spaces. Even as ECDA makes efforts to increase infant care places, we urge parents to broaden their choice of preschools where possible. For example, by considering preschools in adjacent neighbourhoods, near parents' workplaces or in the vicinity of grandparents' homes.”
“The powers of intervention for the Public Guardian is confined, and rightly so, only to those meeting the required threshold under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). It is not appropriate to vest excessive powers in the Public Guardian to override the ability of a person to make their own decisions. Persons with some special needs are not necessarily incapable of making decisions for themselves. For individuals with special needs, the same threshold under the MCA – that the person does not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions – must be met, before a deputy can be appointed.”
“The Social Service Offices (SSOs) decide on the duration of ComCare assistance based on assessment of how long the household requires support to stabilise their circumstances, and the likelihood of improvements in their circumstances, such as their prospects of finding employment, family support and future income streams. ComCare Long Term Assistance (LTA) is for persons permanently unable to work and have little or no financial means or family support. Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) is typically granted for three to six months in the first instance and renewed if the household continues to require support. If a person is temporarily unable to work for an even longer period due to illness, we will grant the support for the duration of their medical certificate. When ComCare clients apply to renew their SMTA, we are able to take stock of their most recent circumstances, such as sources of support and sources of income that were not present when the original application was made. This allows ComCare assistance to be adjusted upwards or downwards, as appropriate.”
“Under Special Approval, applicants who are not working due to extenuating circumstances (for example, illness, seeking employment, undergoing training/skills upgrading, and those who need to care for other dependants) receive subsidy support equivalent to what a working mother applicant will receive. Around 10,000 applications for Special Approval are made each year, with around 95% approved. Since August 2020, families under HDB’s Public Rental Scheme or MSF’s ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies until the next fixed point of assessment, regardless of the mother’s working status. There is no change to this provision.”
“There is a comprehensive range of counselling services available under the Community Mental Health Masterplan developed by the Ministry of Health. Apart from telephone hotlines and online counselling services, Social Service Agencies (SSAs) also provide in-person counselling services to those who require such support. The SSAs prioritise those in greater need of support in their appointments. For persons with severe emotional distress, they can seek urgent support from the Institute of Mental Health’s Emergency Service or Emergency Department of restructured hospitals.”
“KidSTART has supported about 4,300 children across 13 Social Service Office (SSO) regions since it was piloted in 2016. Preliminary outcomes are encouraging. Generally, KidSTART children had better preschool attendance than their peers of similar socioeconomic backgrounds and they gained greater confidence in interacting and socialising with their peers. Their parents or caregivers also felt more competent and better supported along their parenting journeys. KidSTART will be progressively expanded from 2023 to benefit more families across all 24 SSO regions in Singapore. KidSTART reaches out to pregnant mothers and lower-income families with young children through the hospitals, community and preschools. KidSTART also receives referrals from social service agencies. Since 2016, KidSTART has reached out to about 7,000 eligible families and their children. On average, 60% of these families joined the KidSTART programme. Families who declined to join the programme either did not see the need for additional support or had difficulties committing to the programme. For these families, they would nonetheless be offered assistance with preschool enrolment for the children.”
“MUIS' recognition of Foreign Halal Certification Bodies (FHCB) is based on an assessment of their ability to adopt halal standards that are similar or comparable to the Singapore MUIS Halal Standards (SMHS). MUIS measures the credibility of FHCB through their standing with reputable regional/ international halal authorities and accreditation bodies, such as the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Gulf Cooperation Council Accreditation Center (GAC). Earlier this year, MUIS completed a comprehensive review to strengthen the FHCB recognition scheme through enhancements to its policies, processes and governance. MUIS is committed to maintaining the highest level of halal standards to meet the community's halal consumption needs. MUIS will continue to work closely with its local and international industry partners to develop and maintain a robust ecosystem for a sustainable halal food supply that complies with SMHS.”
“All families with Singaporean children enrolled in infant care and childcare programmes receive the Basic Subsidy, with a higher rate given to families with working mothers. The total number of infants and children receiving the Basic Subsidy has grown in tandem with rising enrolment, from around 107,000 in 2019 to around 126,000 in 2021. About 95% are for families with working mothers. Families with a monthly household income of $12,000 and below, and with a working mother, are also eligible for the means-tested Additional Subsidy. In 2019, around 35% of families with children enrolled in infant care and childcare programmes received the Additional Subsidy. In 2020 and 2021, due to revisions in the qualifying income ceiling from a monthly household income of $7,500 to $12,000, around 60% of such families received the Additional Subsidy. The Additional Subsidy for full-day infant care is up to $710 per month (median in 2021: $380). The Additional Subsidy for full-day childcare is up to $467per month (median in 2021: $260).”
“MSF will continue to work with other public agencies and our community partners to increase the accessibility of training and employment opportunities to persons with disabilities.”
“Between 2014 and 2021, SG Enable and its partners trained more than 2,800 persons with disabilities. To provide targeted employment support for persons with disabilities amid the pandemic, SG Enable introduced three new programmes under the National Jobs Council – Place-and-Train, Attach-and-Train and Skills Development Programme – to provide customised employment, traineeships and skills upgrading opportunities last year. Close to 300 job and training opportunities have been created for persons with disabilities under these programmes. SG Enable also launched the Enabling Mark in 2020, the first-of-its-kind national accreditation for disability-inclusive employers, to provide employers with a framework for continual improvement. As of 30 June 2022, 91 organisations have received the accreditation. Beyond recognition, the efforts that get employers accredited with the Enabling Mark lay the groundwork for greater workplace disability inclusion so that persons with disabilities are treated fairly and equitably with career growth opportunities in the future. The Government also supports employers of persons with disabilities with the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC), which provides them with wage offsets of up to 30% for each Singaporean employee with disabilities earning below $4,000 per month. In 2021, close to 6,400 employers hired more than 9,700 persons with disabilities with support from EEC. Employers who take in new hires with disabilities may also be eligible for the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI). Based on latest available data, JGI supported more than 3,400 persons with disabilities between September 2020 and November 2021. JGI has been extended to March 2023.”
“The annual Comprehensive Labour Force Survey started collecting data on the employment outcomes of persons with disabilities in 2018. The average resident employment rate for persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 rose from 28.2% for the period of 2018 to 2019, to 30.1% for 2020 to 20211. Between the two periods, the nominal median gross monthly income from work (including employer CPF) of full-time employed resident persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 rose by 4% from $2,630 to $2,735, or 2.7%, after adjusting for inflation. The Open Door Programme (ODP), administered by SG Enable, encourages employers to hire, train and integrate persons with disabilities into the workplace through grants and employment support services. Under ODP, persons with disabilities receive transitional support into open employment to help them gain independence in the workforce. ODP provides persons with disabilities with support in recruitment, matching to suitable jobs and customised post-placement support from trained job coaches for up to one year. Grants under ODP support the cost of job redesign and courses to prepare employers and their employees to interact, hire, integrate and retain employees with disabilities in their organisation. Between 2014 and 2021, SG Enable and its job placement partners helped to place over 3,500 clients in employment, or about 500 placements per year, on average. Over the same period, about 600 organisations participated in training to learn skills on how to recruit and integrate persons with disabilities at their workplace. Persons with disabilities can also tap on the ODP Training Grant, which provides training allowance and enhanced course fee subsidies, to attend training courses to develop new and existing skillsets and boost their employability.”
“The Charity Food Workgroup (CFWG) soft launched the FoodConnect Directory and Database in February 2022. The FoodConnect Directory is the first consolidated charity food directory in Singapore and enables social service agencies and families in need to search for food support organisations by location and dietary requirements. This way, families can be better matched to food support that best meets their needs. There are, currently, 25 organisations listed on the Directory, including seven new organisations which were onboarded after the soft launch. The FoodConnect Database is a system that enables participating food charities, local food coordinators and social service agencies to have a consolidated view of the food support received by households. This enables them to make informed decisions on coordinating or right-siting food support. The Database, currently, contains food support data for around 500 households served by four food support organisations. Another 14 organisations have expressed interest in onboarding the Database. The FoodConnect systems are the building blocks for a more data-driven and collaborative charity food sector, where beneficiaries can receive the right type and amount of food support, and food support organisations can optimise their resources. As FoodConnect has only been recently launched, we will, over time, track the number of organisations and groups that onboard and utilise these systems so that, on net, there is less duplicative support and food wastage.”
“Second, we have recently expanded the number of centres providing the PPIP programme from 10 to 16, increasing places by 40%. Third, we plan to open two new EI centres by mid-2023. ECDA will continue to grow the number of EIPIC and PPIP programme places to address the increased demand for subsidised EI services and reduce waiting times.”
“The Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) is a Government-funded service that supports children aged six and below who require medium to high levels of early intervention (EI) support. Enrolment in EIPIC depends on a paediatrician's assessment of the child’s needs and level of support required, rather than the child’s age. We have, however, seen more children assessed to require intervention under EIPIC from a younger age in recent years. As at end 2021, there were around 2,400 children on the waitlist to be enrolled in a Government-funded EI centre for EIPIC. Where possible, we will prioritise EIPIC placement for older children between five and six years old, who comprise about 10% of the waitlist. For children who were enrolled in 2021, their average waiting time from referral to enrolment is about seven months. Waiting times vary across EI centres and regions, depending on demand and parents’ preference for specific centres and timeslots. We understand from some EI centres that there are slots available in the early afternoon and we encourage parents with children on the EIPIC waitlist to enrol for timeslots with vacancies so that their children can receive the intervention as soon as possible. To alleviate the waiting time, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has also appointed private EI centres to run the Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers (PPIP) programme as a complement to EIPIC. Parents whose children are referred to EIPIC can also choose to enrol their child in a PPIP programme. ECDA has been ramping up the provision of Government-funded EI services for children with developmental needs. First, we are working with EIPIC providers to streamline processes to reduce the waiting time.”
“The means-tested Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) helps defray the cost of taxis and private hire vehicles for persons with disabilities who are unable to take public transport to go to school, work or employment-related training. From 2018 to 2021, SG Enable processed an average of 20 applications a year for the TSS. On average, more than 13 applications were successful and more than six applications were rejected a year. The reasons for rejection were because the applicants (i) were able to take public transport, (ii) wanted to use the subsidies for other purposes beyond what the scheme covers, (iii) did not meet the means-test, or (iv) were already receiving support for their transport. The Voluntary Welfare Organisation Transport Subsidy (VWOTS) subsidises persons with disabilities taking dedicated transport to Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children, Special Education Schools, Day Activity Centres, Sheltered Workshops and Special Student Care Centres. Persons with disabilities are offered the subsidies through the Social Service Agencies if they meet the means-test criteria. We do not track the number of VWOTS applications submitted to Social Service Agencies. On average, about 5,000 persons with disabilities per year benefitted from the scheme between 2018 and 2021. To better support persons with disabilities and their caregivers, subsidies under the VWOTS have been increased from 1 July 2022. This will help to reduce the transport cost for persons with disabilities who take dedicated transport to attend Special Education Schools and community-based programmes. These increases are expected to benefit more than 3,000 persons with disabilities. The scheme has also been renamed the Enabling Transport Subsidy.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) appoints the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (SWAAB) to uphold standards of professional conduct and code of ethics of the social work profession. A complaint lodged to SWAAB against an unaccredited social worker employed by a Government or Social Service Agency will be referred to the social worker's employer to investigate into the complaint and for appropriate action to be taken. In egregious cases, the social worker can be dismissed from service. The five complaints against unaccredited Social Workers received by SWAAB between 2017 and 2021 were not established to be egregious cases. They were in relation to social workers' management of confidentiality issues and service quality. These complaints were referred to the Social Workers' employers to be investigated and appropriate actions had been taken. MSF will continue to uphold standards of professional conduct and code of ethics of the social work profession in the sector through SWAAB.”
“In 2021, the preschool participation rate of Singaporean children aged three to four years residing in public rental flats was about 80%, slightly lower than the national average of about 88%. In comparison, the rate for children aged five to six years residing in public rental flats was comparable to the national average of 95%. Instead of setting specific targets for preschool participation at each level, our approach is to ensure every child has access to affordable and quality preschools. We recognise that the early years are important to a child's development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. For children from lower-income families, ECDA facilitates preschool enrolment from age three onwards through KidSTART and the Preschool Outreach programme. We also ensure families under HDB's Public Rental Scheme and MSF's ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies. MOE Kindergartens (MKs) are part of the Government's overall approach to catalyse improvements in kindergarten education. There are no plans to expand the provision of preschool education in MKs to four-year-olds. Instead, MOE has partnered with Anchor Operators to pilot the MK-Early Years Centre (EYC) model, which provides quality and affordable preschool education for children aged two months to six years.”
“ComCare provides assistance to low-income households for their basic living expenses. Households that need help to tide over temporary financial difficulty are provided with ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA). The rejection rate for SMTA applications made in the most recent three months was about 35%, based on latest available figures. This is similar to the rejection rate of 34% for SMTA applications made in 2021. ComCare’s eligibility criteria is based on income, not on expenditure. The income eligibility criterion for ComCare SMTA is not a hard threshold to qualify for assistance. Rather, our Social Service Offices assess the ComCare applicants’ needs holistically, and exercise flexibility where needed, to provide the necessary assistance. Furthermore, MSF reviews the ComCare income criteria regularly, and will be reviewing it again later this year. The Government has been rolling out the Household Support Package announced at Budget 2022. These include the $100 Community Development Council Vouchers and the additional GST Voucher - U-Save rebates, which will help all households manage cost of living pressures.”
“There has been an average of about 65 Police reports on family violence (from 2020 to 2021) and 15 Police reports on sexual violence (from 2017 to 2021) per year involving a male victim between 18 and 20 years old. The annual breakdown is in Table 1. MSF funds some shelters to provide alternative accommodation to such victim-survivors. They may also be eligible for financial assistance through the Social Service Office. They may also approach a Family Service Centre or Family Violence Specialist Centre if they require further support such as counselling.”
“Over the past five years, male applicants made up about one in four fresh Personal Protection Order (PPO) applications under the Women’s Charter (see annual breakdown in Table 1). Of these, 11% of male applicants were aged between 18 and 30 years, 52% between 31 and 50, and 37% were 51 and above. When applying for a PPO, an applicant may request for a Domestic Exclusion Order (DEO). The annual breakdown of applicants who apply for a DEO by gender is in Table 1. There is no application process for an Expedited Order (EO), which is issued by the Court if it is satisfied that there is imminent danger of family violence being committed against the applicant. The annual breakdown of criminal breaches of a PPO, EO or DEO is in Table 2. Slightly more than 10% of the offenders were convicted of criminal breaches of a PPO, EO or DEO more than once between 2017 and 2021. Over the last five years, in about 80% of the criminal convictions under the Women’s Charter for the breach of a PPO, EO or DEO, the offenders were sentenced to an average of two months' imprisonment.”
“MSF-funded disability programmes, including Day Activity Centres (DACs), are resourced according to client profile and the required manpower to serve each profile. DACs support persons with disabilities who have care needs, and engage them through social, recreational and community-based activities. DAC staff thus fall under the category of "social service assistant and care staff" under the salary guidelines for the social service sector published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The category of "workshop instructors" refers to staff in MSF-funded Sheltered Workshops, who provide work skills training for persons with disabilities who are not yet ready for or are unable to take up open employment. The salary norms provided in the social service sector salary guidelines are derived from wages of comparable jobs in the labour market. MSF and NCSS regularly review the guidelines, to enable the sector to keep pace with salary growth in the broader labour market.”
“In April 2021, MUIS initiated an audit on Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah to examine the financial transactions and relationship between the Madrasah and Irsyad Trust Limited (ITL) from 2013, to determine if there were any fraudulent or illegal transactions or activities. In July 2021, MUIS lodged a Police report based on its preliminary findings from the audit. The MUIS audit is still ongoing. As Police investigations are underway, I am unable to disclose further details at this juncture.”
“MUIS ensures that imported halal certified products used by its halal certificate holders adopt halal standards that are similar or comparable to the Singapore MUIS Halal Standards (SMHS) through the Foreign Halal Certification Bodies (FHCB) recognition scheme. MUIS has been working closely with local and foreign authorities on the import of meat products from Thomas Foods International Lobethal (TFIL). On 16 May 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment of Australia (DAWE) replied to Singapore Food Agency (SFA) that TFIL’s operations are in compliance with Australia’s food safety regulations and standards. This is aligned with Singapore’s food safety requirements. SFA shared this information with MUIS. In parallel, MUIS sought inputs from the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM) which had convened its own investigations into TFIL through its appointed representative based in Canberra. MUIS also sought verification from the halal certifier of TFIL, Supreme Islamic Council of Halal Meat in Australia (SICHMA), which acknowledged lapses of halal slaughtering protocols by TFIL as reported in the media on 28 May 2022. When it became clear that halal integrity at TFIL was compromised, MUIS instructed its halal-certified establishments to cease the use of meat products from TFIL with immediate effect on 30 May 2022. MUIS continues to closely monitor the import of halal meat products into Singapore.”
“The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that Haj 2022 will be opened to one million pilgrims, comprising 850,000 international pilgrims. Singapore has been granted a Haj quota of 900 places, after being allocated with additional places in June 2022. Singapore was initially granted a Haj quota of 407 places, but with the additional quota, Singapore’s quota this year is similar to the official quota of 900 in previous years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia also announced that this year’s haj pilgrims must be below 65 years old. In compliance with this age limit, there will be no concessions for those who are turning 65 years old this year. Pilgrims must be COVID-19 vaccinated with a Saudi-approved vaccine, and must submit a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours from the time of departure to Saudi Arabia. Given the deferment of Haj for Singaporean pilgrims in 2020 and 2021, MUIS will allocate the limited Haj quota to pilgrims who were supposed to perform their haj in 2020 and meet the conditions and requirements for Haj 2022. MUIS has allocated pilgrims on a first-come-first-serve basis, based on their Haj registration dates. Given the short timeframe and the need to ensure timely allocation of the limited Haj places, MUIS could not accept any appeals for Haj this year. All other pilgrims who are in the Advance Haj Registration System will be automatically moved up in the queue to perform Haj in subsequent years. Pilgrims’ eligibility to perform the Haj will continue to be subject to conditions and requirements mandated by the relevant Saudi authorities.”
“Other than helping on their own, members of the community can also refer someone in need of assistance to call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000, or approach their nearest SSO or Family Service Centre for assistance.”
“ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) provides temporary assistance to lower-income households that need financial support to meet basic needs. The assistance for about 1,800 households, or 12% of all households currently on SMTA, will end after September 2022. Some of these households will return to renew their assistance. Others will not, if their circumstances have improved and do not need more support. Reassessing the household’s circumstances when SMTA has ended ensures that ComCare resources are directed to where current needs are. In April this year, to tackle the rising cost of living, MSF introduced temporary measures to provide existing ComCare clients with a longer period of assistance at a higher quantum. These levels of assistance are similar to the revised rates. On a related note, SMTA clients whose circumstances changed and need more support than what they are receiving can approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO). The SSO will reassess their financial situation, and adjust the quantum and duration of SMTA, if needed. MSF recognises the importance of making ComCare applications simpler and more convenient. Starting May 2022, applications for SMTA can be made more conveniently via the SupportGoWhere portal. Applicants can tap on “MyInfo” to fill in their personal information automatically and submit their documents and keep track of their application status online. Applicants who are unable to make online applications can continue to make their applications in person at the SSOs. The community plays an important role in partnering the Government to help those in need.”
“In preschools, educators may refer children with suspected developmental needs for screening by a Learning Support Educator (LSEd). A LSEd is an Early Intervention (EI) professional with Early Childhood (EC) experience, who has been trained to deliver the Development Support – Learning Support (DS-LS) programme by working closely with the EC educators and parents/ caregivers. The screening is conducted by the LSEd in the child’s preschool. The LSEd will assess the child’s needs and suitability for the DS-LS programme, which serves children requiring low levels of EI support. At present, children are generally screened within four weeks from the point of referral by the educator. Following the screening by LSEd, children assessed to require intervention by an Allied Health Professional (e.g. therapists, psychologists) will be referred to the Child Development Programme (CDP) at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH) for medical evaluation. The average waiting time for the first medical consultation at KKH or NUH is between three to four weeks from the point of referral.”
“We recognise that marriages between Singaporeans and foreigners may face unique circumstances, such as cultural differences and the need to obtain their partners’ long-term immigration facilities. Therefore, MSF introduced the Marriage Preparation Programme (MPP) and Marriage Support Programme (MSP) in 2014. The MPP, which takes place prior to marriage, focuses on building a strong marriage foundation within a cross-cultural context and provides practical information on immigration issues and processes. The MSP supports couples post marriage and provides information on living in Singapore to help foreign spouses adapt to life in Singapore. Singaporean-foreigner couples whose Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) application are approved may be required to attend the MPP and MSP before they are issued the LTVP. To provide greater clarity on whether the foreign spouse can qualify for long-term stay in Singapore, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) implemented the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA) in 2015. Prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples are strongly encouraged to undergo the PMLA before marriage to help them better understand each other and plan for their future. The Registry of Marriages (ROM) has also set up specific onsite kiosks to provide Singaporean-foreigner couples with greater clarity on the PMLA and its benefits, and to highly encourage couples to complete the PMLA. We will continue to explore ways to better equip Singaporean-foreigner couples with sufficient knowledge on the process of applying for long-term immigration facilities for their foreign partners, before registering their marriage in Singapore.”
“To assist families facing financial hardship that we come across and are waiting for their rental flat allocation, Social Service Offices (SSOs) work with Family Service Centres to identify suitable options for their shelter. These include temporary accommodation with other family members or relatives, rental units from the open market, or shelters. If the only feasible option for the family is rental from the open market, SSOs will exercise flexibility to assist them with the rental expenses or refer them to community assistance. If the family is in urgent need of a rental flat due to exceptional circumstances, such as medical conditions, the Housing Development Board will assess and expedite their rental flat allocation.”
“We will continue to require more educators to support sector expansion in the coming years. To attract more to join the growing early childhood sector and better retain our educators, ECDA will continue to enhance initiatives to improve the professional development and career progression of early childhood educators.”
“Through various efforts to step up hiring and improve the career proposition of the early childhood sector, the number of early childhood educators nationally has grown by more than 30% in the past five years. This has helped to support expansion of overall preschool capacity, which has grown about 17% in the same time period, in line with the increasing demand for preschools. To ensure that preschool demand can be met, ECDA monitors the licensed preschool capacity, enrolments, and waitlists in each Planning Area. In some Planning Areas, there are mismatches between demand and supply for preschool. This could be due to various reasons, depending on the context of each preschool. Manpower is one reason, especially for new preschools that have to ramp up their operations and manpower over a period of time before they can operate at full capacity. Some preschools may also set aside places for children who will be progressing from the younger classes within the centres and incoming children who have registered to be enrolled in the next few months. Finally, preschools could choose to pace new enrolments to help children settle into a new environment, cater time for their staff to be trained, or establish the necessary processes and learning environment in accordance with licensing requirements. To address localised mismatches, ECDA works closely with the Anchor Operators (or AOPs) to meet preschool needs in areas with high preschool demand, including the hiring of early childhood educators. Over the years, ECDA has actively worked with the AOPs and other preschool operators to step up recruitment through local as well as online job fairs. The AOPs are also looking into diverting manpower internally so that their preschools can be more responsive to local demand.”
“The preschool participation rate of Singapore Citizen children aged five to six years residing in public rental flats is comparable to the national average of 95%. The preschool participation rate of children aged three to four years residing in public rental flats is slightly lower than the national average, with about 80% enrolled in preschools, compared to about 88% nationally. The early years are important to a child's development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. ECDA works closely with the community to help lower-income families enrol their children through KidSTART and the Preschool Outreach programme. We have also enhanced our preschool subsidies, such that families under HDB's Public Rental Scheme and MSF's ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies, regardless of the mother's working status. Lower-income families pay $3 per month for full-day childcare and $1 per month for half-day kindergarten at Anchor Operator preschools. Rather than a broad policy of compulsory education at the preschool years, our approach is to ensure the provision of accessible, affordable and good quality preschool services across the board. Together with proactive outreach and targeted assistance for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we address the practical barriers to preschool education that lower-income families face. ECDA will do more in the coming years to raise preschool participation among lower-income families, such as via the nationwide rollout of KidSTART.”
“Family Service Centres (FSCs) provide publicly-funded services and rely substantially on public funds to be financially viable. Hence, the creation of new main or branch FSCs are based on whether existing centres can meet the projected demand and are accessible to clients. Should a new FSC be required, MSF will approach social service agencies (SSAs) with relevant experience and track record to operate the service. There is, therefore, no process where an SSA applies for a new FSC.”
“In the event parents have consumed all their leave provisions, the tripartite partners encourage employers to provide flexible work arrangements (FWAs), so that working parents can better balance their work alongside their family responsibilities. The Government will continue to work with the tripartite partners to encourage and support employers to implement FWAs and other family-friendly measures.”
“The health and well-being of children and staff in preschools are of utmost importance to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). To minimise the spread of infectious diseases, all preschools must adhere to the infection control guidelines issued by MOH. These include ensuring high levels of personal and environmental hygiene, and monitoring children and staff closely for symptoms, such as fever, cough or runny nose. These protocols pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic as they are also effective in minimising the spread of other infectious diseases, such as influenza and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD). This is why our preschools require parents to keep their unwell child at home to rest and only return to the preschool when fully recovered. Preschools do make reasonable exceptions in certain cases. For example, a child may suffer from runny nose due to allergies. If the child is assessed by a doctor to be non-infectious and certified fit to return to school, the preschool should allow the child to return. In other instances where it is difficult for the preschool to ascertain if a child who has symptoms is contagious or otherwise, we seek parents' understanding if the centre takes the necessary precautions by asking the child to stay at home, to protect the majority of children. We recognise the challenges working parents face when their child falls sick. Each working parent of a Singaporean child below seven years old is eligible for six days of paid childcare leave per year, in addition to parents' annual leave provisions.”
“In addition, the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships (AFAM) will be developing materials to promote respectful relationships to strengthen the bond among couples and to prevent and guard against family violence. Countering child abuse is everyone's responsibility. With greater awareness and easier ways of reporting violence, we urge anyone who suspects or witnesses child abuse to call NAVH at 1800-777-0000.”
“The Child Protective Service (CPS) investigated around 400 to 650 cases each quarter in 2021. For the first quarter of 2022, the number of cases was in the lower end of the range, at 420 cases. MSF adopts two key strategies to detect child abuse and intervene upstream. First, it is strengthening efforts to detect and encourage early reporting of suspected child abuse. Frontline professionals in preschools, schools, healthcare institutions and social service agencies (SSAs) are trained to identify signs of child abuse and take immediate action to ensure their safety and well-being. It also educates the public, through the Break the Silence campaign that aims to increase awareness of and encourage members of the public to report suspected violence or neglect. As part of the campaign, we encourage the use of the hand "Signal for Help", so that survivors can discreetly indicate that they need help. MSF also set up the 24-hour National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH). By end 2022, we will launch a web reporting channel and mobile application for NAVH to further enhance ease of reporting. Second, MSF prevents and mitigates child abuse in at-risk families through early intervention. The Family Service Centres (FSCs) work with families on their social and emotional needs and coordinate support from other agencies, such as childcare services or financial assistance. Through counselling, parents learn child-management strategies and skills to manage their stressors. Parenting Support Providers (PSPs) also deliver evidence-based parenting programmes and individual consultation sessions to parents of children with behavioural difficulties to better support them.”
“Children, typically, receive five to 12 hours of intervention conducted over two to three sessions every week. Under these EI programmes, each child receives customised intervention guided by an Individualised Education Plan developed by EI and allied health professionals. These professionals also work closely with parents to support their child, which includes preparing them for transition beyond preschool, to Primary and Special Education (SPED) schools.”
“Over the last two years, about 2% of preschool-aged children were assessed by early intervention (EI) professionals and paediatricians at the Child Development Programme (CDP) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH) each year. This does not include children who were assessed at private healthcare institutions. Those who require EI are provided interim therapy by the child development departments in KKH and NUH, before being referred to an appropriate EI programme, if necessary. Children who require low levels of EI support are referred to the Development Support – Learning Support (DS-LS) and Development Support Plus (DS-Plus) programmes offered in preschools. Under these programmes, professionals, such as Learning Support Educators, EI educators, therapists and psychologists, provide intervention for the children once or twice a week. This includes language and literacy support for children with learning needs and psychological support for children with behavioural needs. These professionals also guide preschool educators to adapt their teaching methods and activities to better engage and integrate these children in the classroom setting. Children requiring medium levels of EI support may be supported under the Inclusive Support Programme (InSP) pilot, which integrates early childhood education and EI in preschools. Children who require medium-to-high levels of EI support are supported by the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) or the Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers (PPIP) programme. These programmes are delivered by a team of professionals, including EI educators, therapists, psychologists and social workers in EI or PPIP centres.”
“They are our foundation that nurtures and builds resilient individuals, providing the best source of safety, love and care for our children, so that they can learn, grow and lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. I would like to take the opportunity to thank MSF's stakeholders and the public for their contribution to this Bill. Their valuable comments and suggestions have helped to shape and refine the proposals. I would also like to thank prospective adopters and adoptive parents for opening your hearts and homes to the children who need them, so that they can have a good start in life and fulfil their potential. Finally, I thank Members for your support for this Bill. [Applause.] [(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 Masagos Zulkifli B M M]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mr Dennis Tan suggested that the requirement for adopted children to take mandatory oaths of renunciation, allegiance and loyalty be dispensed with. We thank the Members for raising these issues. We will look into the suggestions. Mr Speaker, having addressed the comments and suggestions raised by Members, I will now conclude. This Bill seeks to achieve three main outcomes. First, to find a good home for every child identified for adoption. An adoption order terminates the legal ties between a child and his or her birth parents and creates new ties between the child and his or her adoptive parents. This is no simple matter. Given the gravity of an adoption order, it is crucial that the child is placed with adoptive parents who can provide a safe, stable and loving home for him or her. Second, the Bill balances the interests of birth parents and the child. This is done by clarifying the grounds under which the Court can dispense with birth parents' consent. It is not in a child's welfare for him or her to linger in the state care system. Adoption will give such children an opportunity to have a fresh start, experience stability and achieve better outcomes in life. Lastly, the Bill seeks to deter undesirable practices in the adoption sector by putting in place a strong regulatory system. The life of each child is precious. We must guard against any attempts to commoditise or exploit our children for financial or other gains. Ultimately, this Bill will contribute to building strong families in Singapore. Like I said in my opening speech, families form the bedrock of our society.”
“However, we have heard of such practices and the Bill seeks to introduce measures to deter children from being commodified. Mr Louis Ng also asked about the mechanism to ensure adoption-related payments are published and declared. When applying to Court, all applicants must list every payment they have made or received for adoption-related matters. GIA will cross-reference these payments against the figures published by adoption agencies. Where they do not tally, GIA and authorised officers will investigate further to determine if an offence has been committed. Ms Denise Phua asked about guidelines for adoption fees. This depends on the services that the agency provides to prospective adopters and could vary, depending on factors, such as whether the child identified to be adopted is local or foreign. In this Bill, we have focused on regulating payment categories rather than payment quanta directly. Payments for adoption-related matters outside the permitted payment categories would be an offence. Last, but not least, some Members raised queries on adoption-related issues not directly covered in the Bill. Mr Yip Hon Weng and Miss Rachel Ong asked if MSF will actively raise awareness and encourage adoption of children in state care. Mr Yip Hon Weng further asked if we would encourage respite fostering as an option for prospective adopters to determine their readiness for adoption. Mr Don Wee and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim asked about adoption leave. Mr Don Wee also asked about school fees for foreign stepchildren seeking to be adopted by their Singaporean parents. Mr Melvin Yong also requested for more information on MSF's efforts to encourage more to step forward to become foster parents and to provide them with additional childcare leave.”