Tan Chuan-Jin
Singapore
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation.”
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“MSF will continue to monitor developments in the labour market closely and work with Government agencies and community partners to provide support and assistance to individuals and families in need.”
“The number of applications for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance was 60,170 in 2015, and 57,694 in 2016. Over the four quarters in 2016, the number of applications has hovered around 14,000 to 15,000 per quarter, with no clear trend. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is closely monitoring the situation with regard to the number of households stepping forward for assistance and their profiles. MSF stands ready to provide additional support, just as we did during the 2009 global financial crisis. Let me share on some of these additional support measures First, we are prepared to exercise greater flexibility in providing ComCare assistance to support households. For example, our Social Service Office (SSO) officers can provide retrenched workers with a longer duration of assistance if they require more time to find a job. This could be a result of external factors beyond the individual’s control, such as limited availability of job openings that fit his or her skillset. Second, we are prepared to step up our manpower temporarily at our SSOs if there are significant increases in applications for ComCare assistance, so that households in need continue to receive assistance in a timely manner. Third, our SSOs will also work with the Family Service Centres to assist recently retrenched clients who may require counselling and support. In addition, through an initiative by the National Council of Social Service, companies can engage social service organisations to deploy social service professionals onsite during restructuring exercises to provide support to those affected and information on community resources available.”
“The number of destitute persons admitted into Welfare Homes under the custody of the Director of Social Welfare was 250, 251 and 207 for 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. The number of destitute persons discharged from Welfare Homes was 182 in 2014, 172 in 2015 and 163 in 2016. These include persons who went on to independent living and living with family or friends. These also include persons discharged to step-down residential care facilities and nursing homes. In 2014, 39 destitute persons were re-admitted into Welfare Homes. There were 42 re-admissions in 2015 and 27 re-admissions in 2016. Destitute persons who are admitted into Welfare Homes undergo rehabilitation programmes which impart social, work and life skills to prepare them for independent living in the community, whenever possible. Those who are assessed to have high potential for reintegration are placed on external employment, home leave and pre-discharge programmes to support their transition back to the community. They are also linked up with community resources where necessary to support their reintegration. In addition, Welfare Homes support family reconciliation to address underlying issues and strengthen family relationships. Volunteers and community agencies also work with Welfare Homes to complement their rehabilitative efforts.”
“Today, there are six ADHs providing 690 places for adults with intellectual disability and there are plans to increase the number of places to 870 by the end of this year.”
“Parents and caregivers of adults with disabilities are encouraged to plan ahead for the care needs of their loved ones. As a first line of support, parents and caregivers can seek the help of other family members who are willing to continue to provide care. Parents may want to explore with these family members on the possibility of them applying to the Courts to be appointed as a deputy who can make decisions for the adult with disability upon their mental incapacity or demise. This enables the person with disability to continue living in the community. Caregivers and parents can approach the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) whose case managers will work together with the family to develop a care plan that provides for the well-being of the person with disability in various aspects, such as accommodation, daily living and medical needs. One of the main concerns for parents and caregivers is providing sufficient financial support for their children with disabilities. SNTC assists parents to set up a Trust account to be managed and disbursed to meet the needs of their children with disability when required. SNTC also oversees the Special Needs Savings Scheme, which allows parents to set aside Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings for the long-term care of their children upon their demise. For parents and caregivers who require assistance in the care of their adult children with intellectual disabilities, there are community-based programmes, such as Day Activity Centres and home-based care services. The Adult Disability Home (ADH) is a last resort for parents if there is no other family support for their adult children with intellectual disabilities. ADHs provide care for adults with disabilities who require long-term residential care.”
“But in terms of taking a very specific step for ECDA to provide for such care services, I would suggest that the Member's question is with regard to students affected by HFMD, but there are also other illnesses that children contract from time to time, and parents do sometimes face inconvenience. I do not think it is possible for ECDA to provide that service. I guess if there is a very genuine demand, whether there will be companies or others or private sector sort of solutions that will emerge from that, then, that is something that might occur. As of now, as far as we can see, while there are inconveniences, parents try to manage within that range of possibilities that are available to them.”
“Mdm Speaker, generally, MOH's advice is for such children to remain at home during the time that the centre is closed and this is to ensure that they do not transmit HFMD to other children whom they come into contact with. Apart from taking leave and arranging for flexible work to care for the children, we do encourage parents to explore grandparents, relatives, friends, domestic helpers, fellow parents to pool together efforts to care for the children. We understand the inconvenience affected parents face should a centre close for 10 days, for example. However, we do seek their understanding that this is a necessary step to break the cycle of transmission of the disease to other children and other families. But more directly to the Member's question on whether we plan to provide such services, I think that is beyond the remit of ECDA to do so. Right now, as far as we can see, it is an inconvenience but I think parents, by and large, try to manage where they can. We do urge parents to explore the various possibilities. One of the key measures we mentioned is for companies to take a much more expansive approach in terms of their flexible work arrangements, and we are encouraged that that will continue to develop. We also encourage parents to look at informal arrangements amongst themselves because when a particular childcare centre has some of these closure requirements, the parents could pool efforts among themselves to try to share the responsibilities. So, there is a range of different possibilities available.”
“Each parent is also entitled to six days of unpaid infant care leave per year during the child's first two years. These childcare and infant care leave provisions are in addition to the parents' annual leave provisions. We also recognise that grandparents and relatives, too, can play an important role in supporting working parents by providing alternative care for their young children. Companies, too, have an important role to play in supporting their employees to manage their work and family responsibilities. The proportion of firms providing ad hoc flexible work arrangements rose from 70% in 2015 to over three-quarters at 77% in 2016. These firms employ 82% of all employees, and this is up from 76% in 2015. This is an encouraging development and we want to encourage employers to continue on that trend. Employers who wish to implement flexible work arrangements can tap on various resources, such as the WorkPro Work-Life Grant. The tripartite partners also published the Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements to help employers, supervisors and employees implement flexible work arrangements. We want to see this continue to grow. We urge parents to tap on these flexible work arrangements and enhanced leave provisions to better manage their work and parenthood responsibilities in caring for their children.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a generally mild disease which is endemic in Singapore. Preventive measures are in place to minimise the transmission of HFMD in preschools. It is a regulatory requirement for preschools to conform to the Ministry of Health's (MOH) guidelines for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. I would want to repeat that while it is endemic, it is generally a mild disease. Guidelines include conducting daily health and temperature checks upon arrival, ensuring appropriate hand-washing by staff and children, and having an unwell child rest at the designated sickbay while waiting for the parent or an authorised person to bring the child home. Centres with two or more suspected or confirmed HFMD cases are required to report the cases to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and to MOH. Centres are also required to implement enhanced measures to manage the outbreak of HFMD and are encouraged to conduct self-assessments on health and hygiene. Centres that experience a high number of sustained cases over a period of time may be required to close. We understand that this would cause inconvenience to parents. However, it is a useful step to break the cycle of transmission of the disease. Over the past three years, there have not been more than five centre closures every year. Additionally, there have not been local cases in preschools with severe complications due to HFMD. To support working parents in caring for their young children, the Government has enhanced child and infant care leave provisions over the years. Each working parent with children below the age of seven has six days of childcare leave per year, or a total of 12 days of childcare leave for every couple.”
“Mdm Speaker, as I mentioned, we are reviewing the various demand in the respective areas. Yishun will be one area that we are looking at. It is not just in terms of mega childcare centres but it is also in terms of the range of the other childcare centres that are part of the overall landscape. We do urge the advisors to also support us when we do put forward requirements for use of space for some of these childcare centres to be built. When we are ready, we will be more than happy to let Members know in advance of time.”
“Mdm Speaker, the manpower situation is something that we are monitoring closely. We do have very direct levers with our institutions of education. With regard to the polytechnics, we are increasing the capacity. With the private institutions, we are discussing with them on the various measures and we will continue to collaborate with them where possible. If we are able to increase the capacity, we will be more than happy to see that happen.”
“We are adding four more new large childcare centres announced last month as part of our overall efforts to meet the needs of young families. They will be in Punggol, Sengkang and Bukit Panjang, and they will add about 2,700 new places in these estates and are expected to open by the end of 2018. We continue to work very closely with stakeholders, as I mentioned earlier, to review the demand and provide the spaces where possible. Going forward, what we are doing is to work very closely with HDB. We will be revisiting the planning norms to make sure that HDB estates, as they emerge, especially with a younger profile, the demand for childcare places can be met by increasing the number of places. The other question, which is a pertinent one, because I experienced it myself as well, is that when the HDB flats are ready, can the childcare centres be ready at the same time? I recognise that point. That is a very fair consideration. That is also something that we are working closely with HDB on, to try to minimise that gap between when the flats and centres are ready. But as Members also realise, for flats, when they are ready, actually the people are streaming in over a fairly long period of time, perhaps up to six to nine months. We do recognise that we should try to get it ready as far as possible, so that when the families come in, the childcare centres or the kindergartens can be operational as soon as possible.”
“But it is uneven across the sector. Salaries for entry-level diploma trained teachers are also comparable to other sectors and competitive. We do recognise that salaries do play an important part and we should endeavour to see how best to raise that where possible. It is not just salaries alone. Beyond salaries, there are also a range of initiatives to recognise and develop the teachers. For example, the Skills Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education spells out the career pathways, specific skills and competencies required for various job roles and, therefore, encouraging competency-based career development for educators. Also, the Professional Development Programme and the ECDA Fellows Scheme select competent preschool teachers and exemplary leaders respectively to contribute to the centres or sector and recognise their work through awards and allowances. There are a range of measures that we are putting in place through the Manpower Plan to try to level up and make sure that the sector is attractive, so that we can draw more people into the sector. In terms of some of the other questions, whether there are more mega centres, we are building five large childcare centres in Jurong West, Punggol, Sengkang, Woodlands and Yishun. This was announced last year at the Committee of Supply 2015. This is to provide accessible, affordable and quality childcare services. They will add about 1,900 new places. Each centre can take 300 to 500 children. Four large childcare centres in Punggol, Yishun, Sengkang and Woodlands have started operations. The remaining centre in Jurong West will commence operations in the first quarter of 2017.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Perhaps, let me just give a perspective about waiting time for children to be enrolled in childcare centres. We do acknowledge that in certain estates, there is high demand and a bit of mismatch, but perhaps just let me give context as well. For example, in hotspot areas, such as Punggol and Sengkang, it ranges from a few weeks to a few months. There are a range of factors that affect waiting time. For example, centre vacancy, demand in estates and parents' preferences for particular centres also matter a great deal, or manpower requirements. We have about 13,800 children currently registered on the wait list, requesting for a childcare place by February 2017. About 40% of them are currently enrolled in a childcare centre but whose parents indicated preference for another centre. And then, the rest are first-timers. But for first-timers themselves as well, some may also be queuing ahead of time and not necessarily having an immediate childcare need. This is just to provide context. When we say that there is a waiting list, there are a range of reasons as well. But specifically, we do know that in high-demand areas, there are certain concerns. One of the areas that the Member had raised is with regard to salary. Salary is one factor in terms of attracting people into the sector. ECDA regularly undertakes manpower surveys to help operators better understand the wage levels and human resource practices across the sector. The findings are shared, so that we can encourage operators to keep up with human resource practices and to make sure that they remain competitive. We understand that salaries have shifted upwards, led by the Anchor Operators (AOPs). That is something that we are working on with the AOPs.”
“For example, the Early Childhood Manpower Plan was developed in consultation with key sector partners, such as unions, industry associations and operators. ECDA will continue to work closely and collaboratively with the sector.”
“Mdm Speaker, since 2012, the number of childcare places has increased significantly by over 40% across Singapore to over 130,000. Many childcare centres now have available vacancies to enrol children at short notice. However, for few housing estates with high childcare demand, parents may still experience waiting times that range from a few weeks to a few months. In particular, parents may have to wait longer if they prefer a specific centre due to its location, operator or other reasons. A fair proportion of the children in the queues for the more popular centres are already enrolled in some other centres. To further reduce waiting times, we will continue to inject more childcare capacity in housing estates with high demand. This includes the four recently announced large centres in Punggol, Sengkang and Bukit Panjang. Future HDB Build-To-Order (BTO) housing developments have also been planned with larger childcare centres to meet the needs of our young families. Over the past few years, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been working closely with operators and training agencies on various initiatives to attract, retain and also develop our educators. For example, the polytechnics have increased student intake for early childhood diploma courses by more than 70% last year, from 380 to 675 places. Last October, ECDA launched a comprehensive Early Childhood Manpower Plan to provide more professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, a more supportive working environment and greater respect and recognition for educators. To understand and address ground challenges, ECDA conducts very regular consultations with the sector, including townhall sessions, surveys and centre visits.”
“It really takes a collective effort. So, the Member is absolutely right. Language plays a very important role, particularly presently when a lot of the elderly, perhaps because of their education level where their language competencies are not quite the same. As we go forward in the next 10, 15 years, this issue should be less acute. A lot more people should be able to speak the main languages. But it is something that we still need to look out for.”
“I thank the Member for the insight. Indeed, the Member will notice we have a lot more dialect programmes and advertisements. We work closely with the getai community to get some of the messages out. Dialects become important, as well as Malay, Tamil and so on. In terms of the outreach for befriending, it is not just in English. We are looking out for volunteers from different backgrounds. I would urge the different communities to step forward to play a part because we do need to leverage on your language skills. We do have people who want to reach out. But sometimes there is an impediment because of language. When that happens and we find that some elderly person is not able to communicate beyond a particular language, we will then source for someone who is able to speak the language to come in. It definitely helps once again to call out for those who are from different backgrounds to play a part, because that is important. In terms of collaterals, such as videos, we are stepping up the effort, working with different producers, directors, to generate some of the materials. I am sure you have seen a lot of the Hokkien and various advertisements which have gone down very well with the elderly. I know some people are a bit ‒ for want of a better word ‒ kind of scornful about "Why do you have this kind of videos? It is a bit slapstick". But it is different strokes for different folks. We may not always relate to some of these types of programmes and collaterals, but it reaches out to different segments of our society. The key thing, as far as we are concerned, is that it does not matter what the platform is. Get the message out and then enable individuals to then look after themselves as well, and also to encourage those around them to do that.”
“Indeed, the partnership between MSF and MOH is critical. It is very hard to just draw a line that this is a social issue, this is a health issue. I would say the third factor is a community issue. So, the grassroots organisations and structure are a very valuable set-up. The PG office is particularly important because they are actively visiting the PG. We are also picking up information from them because they sometimes notice that elderly folks are just so happy to have someone to talk to. These are not the elderly folks living on their own. They are living with family members. This suggests to us that, sometimes, they may be living with their older parents but they are not being engaged or are being disregarded in some ways. What we are trying to do, now that the information is being picked up, whether at the PG Ambassador level or the grassroots level, is decide how we then pool the information together so that we can then direct efforts at befriending in a lot more targeted and effective manner. That is something we are focusing on to see how to operationalise this. Some of us are doing this on the ground as Members of Parliament. I have spoken to a number of you on some of the possible outreach efforts that can be done and I do sincerely believe that this is possible. It is really a question of us organising ourselves at the ground level to do this. No shortage of outreach efforts, but I think we need to work together to collaborate. But that effort is ongoing.”
“But, actually, low-key, simple, weekly, fortnightly befriending visitation goes a very long way and that becomes a bridge to the other activities that we have. So, indeed, the Member is right. It is something we need to pay attention to because we all know the ageing profile is changing, the numbers will expand, and it behooves us to put in the effort today, so that by the time we reach that stage in 10, 15 years' time when the numbers are quite phenomenal, we can have an environment where we may live long, but I think we can age well, both as individuals and as a community as well.”
“Relationships within a family do not just automatically happen. We also need to put in the effort to make sure that at least that part in terms of providing emotional support to their elderly and to family members remains. But the community becomes important. Indeed, the Member is right. As Members know, some of the activities that we have, we have the same old people taking part in the activities. We want new old people to take part. And the Member is right that some do not participate, for a range of reasons. Sometimes, they may have just moved in, there is no social connection with the local community as yet. The befriending effort is ongoing. That is a very important part of our programme in terms of outreach; slowly getting to know who are those people who are isolated, and then how do we begin to get to know them and slowly begin to connect them with the community at large and begin to get them out of their homes and to participate in activities. Once that ice is broken, we can begin to see some of them beginning to play an active role. There are some who do not want to come out, again, for a range of reasons. Sometimes, when you become older, you have physical infirmities and then you feel self-conscious and, sometimes, it is just a question of perhaps regular visitation and that is something that we are looking at through the Befrienders' Programme, which is why I would urge Members to grow these grassroots activities, whether from the neighbours, the grassroots organisations, volunteers and, in fact, working with corporates. That is something I am exploring as well, because companies are looking at corporate social responsibility efforts. Sometimes, we may be looking for some big-bang activities.”
“I would like to thank the Member for his question and follow-up comments. I think it is a very real concern for a number of reasons. One, the number of people who are ageing is increasing, so the volume itself is increasing. The other factor that we are all familiar with is that family structures are also changing. Families are smaller. So, sometimes, you may have children but they may be working abroad or, sometimes, in some cases, you do have strained relationships. So, you will gradually begin to see, of course, one, more elderly and, of course, there are the elderly who are living alone for a range of reasons and you will also correspondingly see some of these numbers increase. Does isolation in itself represent a problem? No, not necessarily. But certainly, isolation, I do not think it is necessarily a good thing either because people do need to be socially engaged. They may be living alone but it does not mean that they are necessarily socially engaged. They may be in contact with their family, their regular social activities. So, those are less of a concern. But they can become a concern at some point where they become less mobile, when they become less able to meet up with other people. Which is why it is very important for us to realise that the grassroots activities are very important. Ultimately, at some stage, your neighbours and the community in which you live in become very critical. Family members are there, and that is always the first line. That is critical and we hope that families continue to visit. Which is why we also want to redefine the sort of family structure and look beyond just the nuclear family; the extended family becomes important − cousins, nephews, uncles, aunts. We need to nurture that extended family relationship as well.”
“The Institute of Mental Health also operates a 24-hour Mental Health Helpline manned by counsellors who can assess and after that triage cases, and activate home visit teams if necessary. Lastly, while all these initiatives are important, the most critical role really is played by the individuals themselves. Families, let us not forget the role that families play; and, of course, the community, the people who live around us. At the individual level, individuals should take personal responsibility. They need to raise self-awareness, be self-aware and recognise tell-tale signs so that they can seek help early when feeling overwhelmed and emotionally distressed. Family members must help to pick up signs of distress and render emotional support, or help the troubled family member to seek professional assistance early. Co-workers, colleagues at work, friends and neighbours can also play a very important role in offering assistance and support to those facing life's challenges. Without these steps, even the best support programmes that we put in place will be rendered ineffective. So, we must all step forward and play an active part in looking out for our fellow Singaporeans, our loved ones and together with the rest of the other programmes we have put in place, I think we will have a good shot at reaching out to those who need help.”
“Under the Seniors Health Curriculum, which is rolled out by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), this is part of our National Seniors' Health Programme where seniors are taught socioemotional and self-care skills and how to seek help if necessary. HPB also conducts workshops in workplaces to educate Singaporeans, in particular mature workers, on mental resilience and well-being. Secondly, it is through proactive outreach and support. To prevent social isolation and to help us detect risks among seniors early, Senior Activity Centres (SACs) conduct social activities and carry out home visits to reach out to the elderly living in rental flats. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) also works with community-based organisations, including the SACs, to support seniors who may be at risk of depression and dementia via the Community Resource, Engagement and Support Teams (CREST) programme. It is part of the Community Befriending Programme that volunteer befrienders visit seniors regularly to prevent social isolation and support their needs. This is something that all of us as individuals can do. We really should think about mobilising our residents and volunteers to play a part in this effort because it is really about picking up information, picking tell-tale signs and providing social support where we can. Of course, Family Service Centres (FSCs) support families and individuals, including seniors, through casework and counselling to resolve their relationship, financial, emotional difficulties and so on. Thirdly, in the crisis response effort. Those in distress or who are facing crises do call the Samaritans of Singapore, which operates a 24-hour hotline.”
“Mdm Speaker, between 2011 and 2015, there was an average of about 415 deaths from suicides each year, of which an average of 116 involved persons aged 60 and above. In terms of trends, for the elderly specifically, there are no particular trends that we picked up. It varies from year to year but there is no particular spike in numbers. We do not also have the specific breakdown of the living arrangements of these persons who committed suicide. As the causes of suicides are complex and multi-faceted, we do need to take a holistic perspective when we examine and try to review each individual suicide and to see how we should approach it. Certainly, we take a whole-of-Government approach. Why it seems a lot more visible today, I guess a lot of it has got to do with media, especially social media. When news breaks, stories sometimes are shared in various forums. It is circulated and a lot more awareness is there. But when we look at the numbers themselves, the trends are not picking up in a big way. It does not mean that it is not important because every life lost via suicide is one death too many and we should endeavour to try to prevent it. It is also, perhaps, a bit simplistic to label the reasons as to why it happens because there are social issues, relationship issues, family issues, mental health issues and sometimes a combination of various factors that causes individuals to take their own lives. We want to work together with community partners, particularly to raise awareness on suicide prevention, encourage distressed persons to seek help, and provide professional support and crisis intervention to at-risk groups. Essentially, there are four ways in which we want to approach this. The first one is through public education.”
“You will realise that in many of these cases, family members were aware of some of these instances that were happening. In fact, in one very tragic case of a young boy, two years old, who died unfortunately, actually the grandmother was aware but we do not know why she did not raise it. These are all steps. What we want to do is to encourage people to do something. Let us know. At least let us intervene and at least something can be done. If it turns out to be a false alarm, so be it. There are safe ways to do it and I think the whole idea of some of these collaterals being produced is to help raise awareness that there are ways to do it without putting ourselves at risk.”
“I would like to thank the Member for his clarifications and these are very real concerns. In fact, that is the reason sometimes people are worried about stepping in: one, they are concerned about their own personal safety; another, of course, sometimes they feel that these are personal issues, family issues and really not for us to intervene. I am not sure whether the Member has watched the video that we have shared. There are many quite good videos. For example, just knock on the door and just say, "Hello, how are you? Is everything OK?" In the video that we just produced, this old auntie, you look at her and you can tell she is really fed up about the situation. She got up and we thought she was going to get into a ruckus with the neighbours. But she actually cooked the cake or she brought out something and gave it to them, just for them to realise that, as neighbours we heard something, we noticed. There are lots of ways where we can step in without necessarily making it confrontational. It allows a break in that event so that the individuals perpetrating violence would take a step back and realise that people are noticing it and that may start that whole process for them to self-reflect. If at all, perhaps, it is just to raise concerns, call the hotline or call the Police, if necessary, if you think it is excessively violent and you are concerned about the well-being of those who are affected. Or just call the hotline and we will then assess accordingly and see whether the grassroots could step in. These are ways where we want to encourage people to perhaps begin to see how we can play a part. The other roles that can be played are not just by strangers and neighbours. It is actually family members.”
“Anyone who encounters family violence can call or approach the nearest Family Service Centre, Family Violence Specialist Centre or community-based Child Protection Specialist Centre. Alternatively, they can call the ComCare Hotline at 1800-222-0000, a number which many of us are familiar with and, from there, they can redirect the individuals to the specialist centres concerned. These agencies will assess each case and render the appropriate assistance required. When emergencies occur, call the Police. Agencies are connected through the National Family Violence Networking System and will respond to cases regardless of where the first incident report is made. Where there are serious concerns, my Ministry will work closely with the Family Violence Specialist Centres and the Police to address the safety of the victim and any other vulnerable members in the family.”
“Mdm Speaker, my Ministry launched the three-year "Break the Silence | Against Family Violence" campaign last November, essentially to renew and continue to raise awareness of family violence, with a focus on the role of bystanders. The key message is that family violence is not a private matter. Victims need help. They need to receive help early. The community, including neighbours, family members, friends and even strangers, can play a very important part to tackle family violence. As part of the campaign, a "First Steps" video, depicting how a neighbour intervenes when violence occurs nearby, is available online. I do encourage each of us in the House to share the video and other collaterals on social media to start conversations around family violence and how we, as bystanders, can step in to help victims. The #breakthesilenceSG effort was started to also gather stories on social media of how everyday Singaporeans stepped in to prevent, interrupt and report suspected family violence. It can be done. There are people who have done so and who have made a difference and it is really to encourage all of us to realise that that is something that all of us can and should do. Over the next three years, my Ministry will work with our community and corporate partners, including through ground-up efforts relating to music, through the sports community and the arts community, to further raise awareness of family violence. We also have roving community roadshows, training sessions and collaterals being produced to help raise awareness and to equip bystanders with resources and also to update them on skills that are required to safely step in to help victims.”
“SACs and SCCs complement each other to meet the social and healthcare needs of our seniors in the community. MSF and MOH will continue to work together to ensure that seniors are able to access the support and care services they require.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have been working closely together to meet the full spectrum of social and healthcare needs of our seniors so that they can age gracefully within the community. MSF sets up Senior Activity Centres (SACs) to reach out to low-income and vulnerable seniors staying in Housing and Development Board (HDB) rental flats. SACs conduct activities, such as outreach, home visits and centre-based activities, to encourage seniors to form social support networks and help detect risks early. An SAC is usually established when there is a reasonable number of seniors in the rental blocks. Larger centres are built in locations with more seniors within a cluster of rental blocks. MSF regularly reviews the planning and development of SACs, taking into account factors, such as the projected elderly population in upcoming rental blocks, the SAC utilisation patterns and users' feedback. There is currently a total of five SACs in Bedok planning area, including one in Bedok South subzone. MOH develops Senior Care Centres (SCCs) to provide day care and rehabilitation services to seniors with care needs. MOH plans for these centres, taking into account projected demand based on a combination of factors, such as demographics and incidence of disability. MOH conducts regular reviews of projections and adjusts development plans, based on updated information, to ensure that our seniors’ care needs are adequately met. Within Bedok planning area, there are five centres that can serve about 300 seniors every day. In 2017, the new Chai Chee nursing home will also have a new day centre that can serve an additional 100 seniors.”
“Employers are obliged to pay maternity benefits to employees retrenched while on maternity leave, even if they close down. This is provided for under the Employment Act and the Child Development Co-savings Act. Employees who are not paid accordingly may approach the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or the Ministry of Social and Family Development for advice and assistance. MOM will investigate accordingly and take appropriate action, including through the Labour Court.”
“I fully agree with the point. We do want them to consume it. I think we would conduct further studies and review what exactly are the impediments and what we could do to help make sure that these schemes that we are putting in place actually get used and achieve the desired outcomes that we want. [(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 Tan Chuan-Jin]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)] Page: 73”
“It could be through simple everyday activities like reading a bedtime story, kicking a soccer ball around, going out to cycle or just going out for a meal. It may surprise some of us but, to our children, it is not what we do, but that we are doing it together with them. Active fatherhood also strengthens marriages. Fathers show that they care and are committed to their wives and their families when they share the parenthood journey. The journey may be a bumpy ride with ups and downs, but we learn along the way to be better parents ‒ together with our spouses. It is also these ups and downs that result in the creation of special moments and memories, memories unique to our families, memories which we will always hold dear to ourselves and memories which will last us a lifetime. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. 4.01 pm”
“Parents sometimes do not know what impact their comparisons have on their children. In some situations, the child loses confidence in his ability and he starts to wonder if he will be unloved by his parents the moment he fails to meet their expectations. Fathers have the means to demonstrate unconditional love and support to the children. I urge all of us to do so. I also agree with Mr Alex Yam on the importance of recreating a pro-family and pro-children environment. The physical environment is important. There are 35 Ministries and Government agencies with childcare facilities within their buildings. While this will certainly help working parents, more and more young fathers are willing to make use of these facilities and not just expect the mothers to do so. That is encouraging. Families for Life as well as Government agencies provide parenting and family events and workshops at the workplaces. I encourage more fathers to avail themselves of these and to be more engaged in pro-family workplace programmes. When the two weeks of mandatory paternity leave kick in next year, we hope that more fathers will take the opportunity to actively bond with their children from the time they are born. Like Mr Patrick Tay, I also hope more fathers will use the shared parental leave so that they can further bond with their children. These leave enhancements are focused on the critical infant period. But fatherhood continues beyond infancy. One important tagline says, we are "Dads for Life". I hope that we, as fathers, will continue to be involved and always present in our children's lives. It may be different for everyone, and we all need to find our own way to connect and bond with our children. It need not be something elaborate.”
“We really hope that more fathers will make use of the enhanced leave to be involved in child-raising. That being said, ultimately, it is for the father to decide whether to take the leave or not. Maybe we should persuade mothers to convince fathers to take the leave. I thank Mr Louis Ng for sharing his good news. Congratulations! And I encourage Mr Desmond Choo to work harder. I also thank Mr Louis Ng for his interesting parenting experiences. I am sure many of us who are parents here will have our respective interesting stories as well. Indeed, those of us who can look back and honestly say, "I am glad I did", remember the lessons we learnt as parents. Children enrich our lives in the most unexpected ways, just as we fathers play an important role in the family. We are not just breadwinners, but we are role models for our children. We really need to be active and present in our children's lives, especially during our child's formative years. In MSF, when we look at the various social issues, there are two common denominators that we pick up, as we connect the dots and trace it back. A lot has got to do with a stable family Page: 71 environment and, especially, the presence of the father. The other point is about making an impact in the formative years, where the greatest development is experienced by our child. Are we there shaping those formative years? Mothers are usually there, but fathers need to be there as well. This is something that we can encourage and support but, ultimately, the individual parents must make those choices. Fathers can shape a child's confidence immensely in their development. I fully agree with Mr Seah Kian Peng's point that, as parents, we should be focusing on the child's health, growth and well-being.”
“Under this scheme, if lower income parents saved $50 in CDA, OCBC would contribute $100 into the account. As the Government provides matching contribution of $150, the children will effectively receive co-savings of $250 in return for the $50 saved. Let me now move on to leave for fathers. The Government is mandating the second week of Paternity Leave from 1 January 2017 and extending Shared Parental Leave from one week to four weeks from 1 July 2017. On Mr Louis Ng's request for the updated take-up rates for Paternity Leave, this was 38% in 2014 and 42% in 2015; an improvement of 4%. It is not bad, but we hope this will increase further. Really, fathers should just take it up. The 2015 figure is still increasing and will only be finalised at the end of March 2017, when the deadline for the submission of claims is over. On Ms Thanaletchimi's request for statistics, about 4,000 fathers have taken shared parental leave as at the end of August 2016. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked if independent leave can be considered. We are now increasing paternity leave and shared parental leave. For any further leave enhancements, we need to balance the needs and concerns of both employees and employers. We will also look into Mr Desmond Choo's suggestion for an in-depth study of constraints faced by companies and fathers in consuming these two leave schemes. The enhancements to paternity leave and shared parental leave signal the Government's strong support to encourage fathers to spend more time caring for their children. Shared parental leave also provides parents the flexibility to decide and to choose their leave arrangements to care for their newborns, based on their respective family's circumstances.”
“Ms Thanaletchimi said that employees whose services are terminated with just cause cease to be entitled to Adoptive Leave, Government-Paid Maternity Leave and Government-Paid Paternity Leave. I would like to clarify that a woman only forfeits Government-Paid Maternity Benefit, and, even then, only for the relevant employment period where she is dismissed with sufficient cause. If she had worked satisfactorily in other jobs in the 12 months preceding delivery, she can still receive a Government-Paid Maternity Benefit amount based on income earned from those jobs. Miss Cheryl Chan suggested some enhancements relating to CDAs. Miss Chan would be pleased to hear CDA monies can be used to purchase the child's premiums for MediShield Life or MediSave-approved plans. At the end of 12 years, unused CDA monies are also automatically transferred to the child's Post-Secondary Education Account which can be used for post-Secondary Page: 70 education fees. She also suggested that the Government facilitate donors or payments of cash assistance into the CDAs of children from low-income families, so that they can benefit more from the CDA scheme. We are mindful that low-income families face more challenges in saving into the CDA. This is why we have introduced the CDA First Step of $3,000 earlier this year. This is directly provided into newly opened CDAs, without parents having to save first. We also reach out to lower income families through touchpoints, such as the Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres, to increase awareness about the CDA. We also welcome initiatives by society to help families defray the cost of child-raising. One such example is the OCBC Starter Scheme, which was introduced in 2012 and will end in December 2016.”
“The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) takes an active role in looking into complaints of unfair employment practices and will refer cases to MOM for enforcement if found to be true. Any employee who feels discriminated against can approach TAFEP for assistance. Secondly, Ms Thanaletchimi asked about the process of calculating benefits for a woman returning from overseas to deliver her child, especially if it seems to be an "inflated claim". We will determine the amount of Government-Paid Maternity Benefit for such a woman based on documents, such as her payslip. Where there is reason to doubt the documents or the claims, we will ask further questions and may not always approve the claim. Thirdly, she asked how the weekly index works for a person who works seven days a week. The weekly index simplifies the provisions of the Act and does not change entitlement. A self-employed person who works seven days a week and takes the full maternity leave continuously will be paid based on seven days a week. Where maternity leave is taken flexibly, it will be based on the number of days she works in a week, or 48 days, whichever is lower. This mirrors the computation of entitlement for employees on continuous and non-continuous leave. Fourthly, she asked about the circumstances and mechanism under which the Government will recover over-payment of Government-Paid Maternity Leave and Government-Paid Maternity Benefit. As with other civil debts, the Government has the option to commence legal proceedings to recover over-payment of Government-Paid Maternity Leave and Government-Paid Maternity Benefit. In practice, we will seek to recover through calls, letters or physical visits if necessary. Finally, let me make a technical clarification.”
“While we want to support such caregivers, we also need to consider the impact on businesses and the overall leave support already in place for employees. Let me touch on protection for workers and employment-related concerns raised by Mr Patrick Tay. Mr Tay asked to extend protection beyond pregnancy and maternity leave for female employees. We will work with tripartite partners in the next round of review to study this, while being mindful not to change the laws so drastically that it results in unintended consequences, Page: 69 such as resentment against mothers and impact on gender bias because this could impact on their employability. This is something that we have to be careful about. Nonetheless, it is an important area to look at. In the meantime, we will continue to encourage employers to adopt flexible work arrangements to support families. Assoc Prof Daniel Goh highlighted the need to protect contract workers as this group is fast becoming a substantial group in the gig economy. I agree. In fact, when I was in MOM, this was an area that we flagged out for close attention. But we also realised that this whole space is quite complex because there are many, many different types of contract work. MOM will work with our tripartite partners to study this suggestion further, taking into consideration the overall leave provisions already in place by employers and the care-giving needs of workers. Ms Thanaletchimi raised four technical areas for clarification under this amendment Bill. Firstly, she asked what measures will be taken to ensure that workers who are terminated without just cause know their leave entitlements upon termination of employment. MOM encourages employers to implement fair and non-discriminatory employment practices.”
“We will keep the suggestions in mind as we continue to develop foster care. I will now move on to the topic of stay-at-home mothers. Mr Patrick Tay asked if the Government would consider putting in place Returnship Programmes to help match women jobseekers and employers. He also suggested providing an Income Supplement to stay-at-home mothers and for Workfare Scheme benefits to be extended to a select group of such young mothers. I think this is an idea that we can consider, though we should take a hard look at all the current job-matching services and to minimise duplication of efforts. But I think this is something that we should work at. I want to assure Members that we recognise and value the contributions of stay-at-home mothers in caring for their children. Today, eligible stay-at-home mothers already enjoy all the measures under the Marriage and Parenthood package except, understandably, those related to employment, such as leave benefits. They will get the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, the Child Development Account (CDA) benefits, MediSave Grant for newborns, Foreign Domestic Worker levy concession, and basic child and infant care subsidies. We appreciate the suggestions from Members and will take them into consideration as we continue to study ways to enhance the family-friendly environment in Singapore, to support both working and non-working parents. Mr Patrick Tay is right that there are other caregivers, such as those of the elderly and other dependants. He suggested allowing flexing of medical leave under the Employment Act with them, as they may not qualify for the current leave benefits. We will study these suggestions as well.”
“Mr Henry Kwek touched on the need for our society to support adoption. He suggested a grant to offset foreign adoption costs for couples who have failed repeatedly to conceive. As the focus of adoption is to find a suitable family for a child, subsidising the fees charged by commercial adoption agencies is not the right solution in terms of protecting the best interests of the child. Mr Kwek also suggested allowing single parents who were previously married and have adopted a related child to benefit from the Parenthood Tax Rebate. We thank him for the suggestion, which we will study further. That said, all things being equal and in the child's best interest, we encourage parenthood within marriage. That is still something that we would like to see and encourage. Members, including Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Kwek, also raised suggestions to support foster parents, through various measures, such as leave benefits. I agree with Mr Kwek that we should make it easier for foster parents to discharge their parenting responsibilities. We have about 400 foster parents caring for over 400 children today. Mr Kwek mentioned about the Bao Lady. In fact, I visited her and spoke to her and her family. They are really quite amazing. I visited various foster families as well. It is quite encouraging to see families with such capacity to love, not just for their children but for many children over many years. It really makes a difference to these children whose families may not be ready to take them in and look after them for a period. Foster parents play a very significant role. We are heartened to see that Singaporeans are willing to go that extra mile to care for vulnerable children. We certainly want to encourage more Singaporeans to come on board to be foster parents.”
“Financial and social support is also available at Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres. I urge Members to take note that, even for unwed mothers, there is a range of support available. With the recent changes and the changes we are putting in place, it extends it further. However, it is also important to understand that we continue to believe in the importance of the family institution. We encourage married couples to have children. Hence, specific measures, for example, the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, tax benefits and Government co-funding for Assisted Reproduction Technology treatment and priority for housing, are targeted at married families. However, as mentioned earlier, for unwed parents, there are also ways in which we can support them through various schemes. Let me now turn to the topic of adoption leave. Mr Louis Ng asked why the length of maternity leave and adoption leave differs. We are increasing adoption leave from four weeks to 12 weeks from July 2017. This is to strengthen the support to adoptive parents. Natural mothers currently have 16 weeks of leave. Maternity leave is longer by a month, largely because natural mothers need time to recover from childbirth. Mr Ng also asked whether adoption leave could be extended to adoptive mothers of children older than 12 months. Similar to maternity and paternity leave, adoption leave is intended to support parents of infants in the first year of delivery. Beyond the child's infancy, all working parents – including adoptive parents – can take six days each of paid childcare leave when the child Page: 68 is below age seven, and six more days of unpaid infant care leave when the child is below age two, to spend more time to bond with their children.”
“It is generally the case that unwed mothers would be the main care-givers of their children. However, we will consider appeals by unwed fathers on a case-by-case basis. All working parents, regardless of marital status, can avail themselves to infant care and childcare leave to meet their care-giving needs. Mr Louis Ng, Mr Alex Yam, Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mr Desmond Choo asked if more could be done for unwed parents. Some suggestions include the extension of Baby Bonus Cash Gift and tax benefits. It is good to take stock of the support we have given to all Singapore children to enhance child outcomes, regardless of whether their parents are married. I have said this a couple of times in this House and I think it is important for me to repeat it here again. These are education and healthcare benefits and they include the MediSave grant for newborns, and infant and childcare subsidies. All working parents, regardless of marital status, also get infant care leave, childcare leave and extended childcare leave and the Foreign Domestic Worker levy concession to support caregiving to enhance child outcomes. I think many Members' concerns centre around children who come from more vulnerable backgrounds. If you compound that with unwed parents, it makes it even more difficult for them. We know that children of unwed parents from low-income and vulnerable families need even more support, which is why we are introducing KidSTART. It is a very important programme. It may be in its pilot stage but we hope and want this to work, so that we can extend this much more extensively amongst the vulnerable families, even starting from Year Zero when women can be identified at the pregnancy stage.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank all Members for supporting the Bill. To recap, the key amendments are based on enhancements which were announced earlier at my Ministry's and NPTD's Committee of Supply debates in April this year. I am glad that Members, such as Mr Alex Yam, Mr Louis Ng, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Desmond Choo, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh and Ms Thanaletchimi, support the extension of maternity leave benefits to unwed mothers. These will improve the outcomes of their children. Assoc Prof Goh shared his concern about housing security for children of unwed parents and divorcees. I share that concern. He asked if the Government could include unwed parents in its definition of family nucleus in assessing applications for HDB flats. Mr Seah, Mr Alex Yam and Mr Choo asked if housing options can be improved for this group, such as allowing unwed mothers to purchase an HDB flat before turning 35. Our public housing policy recognises the traditional family unit. That said, single unwed parents are not without housing options. Those aged 35 and above may apply for a new 2-room flexi flat in a non-mature estate or a resale flat and also enjoy housing grants. Those below 35 Page: 67 years old may apply for new HDB flats or resale flats jointly with their parents. As for divorced parents with young children, they are given priority under HDB's assistance scheme for second-timers when they apply for a new 2- or 3-room BTO flat in non-mature estates. Additionally, on a case-by-case basis, HDB also exercises flexibility to help divorced parents and single unwed parents buy a flat within their means, or to provide rental housing to those with no other housing options or family support. Mr Patrick Tay asked whether unwed fathers could be granted paternity leave.”
“This is three times more than the current four weeks. Similar to what is provided for maternity leave, the Government will fund the last eight weeks of leave if the adopted child is the first or second child, and the full period of 12 weeks, if the adopted child is the third and subsequent child. The amendment is intended to apply to adoptive mothers whose formal intent to adopt is on or after 1 July 2017. We will also extend maternity leave to unwed mothers, to better support the child's developmental and care needs. An unwed person adopting a child would also be eligible for leave. An unwed adoptive mother would be eligible for adoption leave. An unwed man adopting a child would be eligible for paternity leave. The amendments are intended to take effect from 1 January 2017 to benefit children born on or after that date or, in the case of adopted children, the formal intent to adopt is on or after that date. Mdm Speaker, we choose to have children and naturally want to invest our time, energy and love on them to ensure that they grow up to become contributing members of society. While families raise children, instil values in them and nurture them, the Government will continue to complement these efforts by supporting families in their care-giving responsibilities. I encourage all parents to make good use of the leave schemes, to be there for our children and inspire them to do the same for generations to come. And my heartfelt thanks, especially, go to the employers who play an important role in supporting families' aspirations. With that, Madam, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 2.42 pm”
“We need to make the effort to spend both quantity and quality time with our families when we can. It should also not be leftover time. We need to actively weave in time with family into our schedule. We want to better support fathers to achieve this through the proposed amendments. Hence, we are making the second week of paternity leave mandatory. This was announced by the National Population and Talent Division in April, eight months ahead of time, to give employers sufficient time to prepare. Both weeks of paternity leave are fully funded by the Government. The amendment is intended to take effect from 1 January 2017 to benefit children born on or after that date. We are also increasing Shared Parental Leave from one week to four weeks. Couples will now have more flexibility in caring for their newborn and can work out an arrangement that best suits them. As with the current one week of Shared Parental Leave, the four weeks will be shared from the mother's maternity leave. Shared Parental Leave is also fully funded by the Government. The amendment is intended to take effect from 1 July 2017 to benefit children born on or after that Page: 51 date. The combined enhancements to paternity leave and shared parental leave means that a father can take a maximum of eight weeks leave in his baby's first year – comprising two weeks of paid paternity leave, four weeks of paid shared parental leave if his wife so elects to share, six days of paid childcare leave and one week of unpaid infant care leave. These leave enhancements support fathers in experiencing the joys and challenges of parenthood with their wives. We will also be enhancing Adoption Leave, to better support adoptive mothers in caring for their adopted infants. Adoption leave will be increased to 12 weeks.”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". The Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA) covers a range of benefits in our Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package. Members may recall that we amended the CDCA earlier this year. We provided for reimbursement to employers who gave the voluntary week of paternity leave, as well as payment to self-employed men for lost income for the second week of paternity leave. We also extended the Child Development Account (CDA) benefits to all eligible children, regardless of their parents' marital status. We are now amending the Act to introduce further support for parents in caring for and bonding with their children. The key amendments arise from the enhancements to paternity leave, shared parental leave and adoption leave. These enhancements had been announced at the National Population and Talent Division's Committee of Supply in April this year. Amendments covered in the Bill include amendments to better support mothers on different working arrangements, as well as various amendments to align legislation with policy intent. This Bill will also amend the CDCA to extend certain leave benefits to unwed parents, a move I announced earlier this year. I have often said that a father's role in the family is not just to put food on the table, but also to be a good role model to guide his children and mould their values and character in a positive way. We need to make the conscious choice to be active fathers and we have to cultivate this mindset from the start. We know that it can be challenging to ensure we have work-life balance, but it is important for us to adopt an active parenting lifestyle. Our children grow up faster than we realise and they should be our priority now, not later.”
“Under the Child Care Centres Act and Education Act, new childcare, kindergarten and school staff members are required to obtain medical clearances before they commence work. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) requires childcare centres and kindergartens to register their staff members and declare online that this requirement has been adhered to. ECDA also conducts random checks to verify the declarations. Over the past three years, one childcare centre was found to have allowed its teacher to work before obtaining the pre-employment medical certification. ECDA issued a warning letter to the centre and put it on a short probationary licence. ECDA also stepped up supervision of the centre to ensure that it had put in place measures to avoid future lapses.”
“After two years, if their income increase is still low relative to the rent increase, HDB will continue to waive the rent increase for another two years. With these waivers, tenants effectively have up to four years to improve their incomes to be better off than before, even after taking into account any rental increases. We thus encourage tenants to focus on improving their incomes. This is a surer and better way to increase disposable incomes and to eventually go beyond public rental to homeownership. Families who face difficulties can continue to approach their nearest Social Service Office or Family Service Centre for assistance.”