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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“Chairman, clearly, the role of fathers is important, especially in divorce. Children growing up under those circumstances do face a lot of challenges. But I think the responsibilities of fathers do not change. That is where, in terms of the support programmes we have put in place, are to help the parents themselves. The relationship may have soured but we want them to understand the continued impact that they can have on their children. Hopefully, through these programmes, they begin to understand how they can continue to carve out roles for themselves – even though in a divorced state – that each of them can continue carrying out their responsibilities. Page: 120 Ultimately, it is very important for the individuals to want to put in that effort. We will do what we can to support it but, like many of our policies, the very last mile needs to be walked by the individuals. We will do our utmost best to support them. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank Mr Seah for the supplementary question. I am very happy that many organisations and individuals have played a part in increasing the awareness of this sector. For example, in 2015, NCSS carried out two public education efforts. One is about being gracious. Members may remember the parking lot. The other effort is being socially enabled, that relates closer to the ASEAN Para Games. The NCSS is working closely with people with disabilities, as well as the public, as to how we can do a baseline study and also have a multi-pronged effort in public education in the years to come. As I have said earlier, we are fortunate to have partners. One very clear example is the Purple Parade, and Ms Denise Phua is a very strong supporter.”
“The sum of our resources, time, skills and energy, that sum must count enough to make sure that vulnerable groups are taken care of, that no Singaporean is left behind. That is the measure of us all. This is the true Spirit of Partnership, the spirit that the Minister for Finance mentioned in his Budget speech. The spirit that will show us how we can, together, create the society that we wish to see 50 years from now, for SG100. [Applause.]”
“It is about how we, as a small country, can make us count for more as a nation than all of us as individuals.”
“We want to encourage more Singaporeans like Mr Tan, and more employers like those Mr Tan works for. So, the Government will match additional donations made through SHARE from 1 April 2016. Donations above levels in financial year 2015 will be matched dollar-for-dollar for the next three years, until end March 2019. We will allow half of the matching grant, up to a cap of $10,000 per year, to support SHARE participating companies with their CSR efforts. And the rest will be used to help VWOs improve their volunteer management. Chairman, I would like to end off by reiterating that MSF's efforts contribute towards our goal of building the society that we aspire to be – a land of opportunity where citizens can realise their dreams, with equal opportunities, strong families and a united country. Page: 119 Members of the House, what I have presented to you today started a decade ago to improve the way we provide help to the weaker among us, to provide this help with respect for the dignity of those who need it; not treat them with suspicion, that they may be free riding, not make it hard to get help with bureaucratic hoops and hurdles; and even as we promote a strong work ethic and social mobility, we have in this time recognised that all of us have the same place in society. Weak or strong, fast or slow, we are all sons and daughters of Singapore. And, together, we are only as strong as the values we hold dear. Our Government will continue to make help systems more comprehensive and effective, but it is not about the number of programmes we churn out, or the amount of money we spend, or even the number of people we help. It is not about what the Government can do, or what the community can get the Government to do.”
“To expand volunteering opportunities and experiences, NCSS will provide more support to VWOs in building up volunteer management capabilities. Recently, for example, NCSS started a pilot with Care Corner and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities to redesign jobs in a youth centre and a Senior Activity Centre respectively to better tap on volunteers to complement the centres' staff. I have asked NCSS to expand such efforts and make a stronger push in this important area. The Minister for Finance spoke about boosting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and making it easier for employees to contribute through their workplaces. Let me elaborate on the SHARE as One programme, which aims to increase regular giving through the ComChest SHARE programme. There are a few reasons why SHARE is so significant and impactful. Every Singaporean and every organisation can contribute regularly, even in modest amounts, through SHARE. The donations go to a pool that supports a big group of 80 VWOs, including smaller VWOs that lack the scale to fund-raise effectively. They also support lesser-known programmes that may not attract sizeable donations. 7.15 pm A large part of SHARE contributions come through payroll deductions at the workplace. One SHARE donor, Mr Abraham Tan, started donating $1 from his monthly pay 20 years ago when he was earning $500. As his pay increased, he raised his monthly contribution. Today, he donates $30. Mr Tan told us: "Everyone should play a part if we want to live in a caring society. The little that we contribute may help another to achieve their dream". Every additional dollar, if all of us participate, makes a tremendous amount of difference if it is regular. That is important.”
“But how well VWOs cope with tight manpower will also depend on how they strengthen their organisational capabilities, innovate and deploy resources. I hope VWOs will make full use of some of the schemes that I have just mentioned. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about how we are investing in and supporting the professionals in the social service and early childhood sectors. Assoc Prof Randolph Tan also asked about how we will help the sector cope with competition for manpower. We intend to make a strong push in tapping on SkillsFuture. The Social Service and the Early Childhood sectors will be priority sectors under SkillsFuture. We will be developing SkillsFuture Sectoral Manpower Plans for both sectors in the coming year. These plans will map out ways in which professionals and organisations can acquire skills and capabilities to meet evolving social challenges in a manpower-lean future. The plans will also look at how our sectors can close existing skills gaps and develop new skills that professionals will need in the future; how do we utilise manpower better and work in a manpower-efficient way, similar to Page: 118 what is needed in the private sector as well; and map out career progression and professional development opportunities for professionals. To spearhead this effort, we have set up two separate tripartite committees – one for the social service sector and another for the early childhood sector. Members will include professionals, VWOs and preschool operators and unions. They will be our key partners in bringing these plans to fruition. Mr Chairman, a strong social service sector needs the support of the wider community and the public. It needs organisations and individuals to volunteer and contribute their time, skills and resources.”
“For VWOs that can scale up services, the Government has also provided additional funding for them to hire senior corporate staff under the Corporate Development Funding Scheme. In addition, MSF has also secured the Tote Board's support for an injection of $350 million into the Tote Board Social Service Fund over the next three years. This funding will support more than 300 programmes, including essential flagship programmes that benefit families, children and persons with disabilities. So, funding is available through various sources and grant schemes. But I agree with Ms Chia Yong Yong that we should also regularly review scheme criteria and improve the grant application process. Later this year, NCSS will also centralise the information on grants and schemes for VWOs on their website. They will make it easier for VWOs to understand and navigate the range of grants available. In fact, it is a happy problem that we have so many grants that we cannot figure out which grants are applicable and relevant. But grant administrators will continue to advise and guide VWOs on their application and streamline the processes. Besides providing resources, we will also help VWOs tap on external experts and consultants. NCSS will soon launch a three-year HR consultancy programme that will support up to 100 VWOs. This will help the VWOs diagnose needs and improve their HR capabilities in recruitment, compensation and benefits, performance management and career planning. Assoc Prof Randolph Tan asked about the manpower supply outlook. The Government and NCSS will continue to plan the supply pipelines and training places and NCSS' career centre will continue to help VWOs source for suitable candidates.”
“So, I expect many and encourage volunteers to continue to come through the VWOs. But the reality is that each of us can also put these values into action in our own ways − as concerned neighbours or friends, as volunteers and participants in schools and informal groups, as socially responsible companies or inclusive employers, or simply as an individual. These are things we can do and we do not need legislation or policies to make it happen. In the coming year, MSF will have three priorities: firstly, support VWOs to raise their capability and provide better volunteering opportunities and experiences; secondly, help social service professionals develop themselves through SkillsFuture; and, thirdly, work with the wider community towards these ends. We will find more ways to encourage companies and other groups to form meaningful and complementary partnerships with VWOs. Page: 117 Mr Chairman, our VWOs need to be strong and they need to be healthy. Against the landscape of an ageing population and slowing labour growth, our VWOs need to be adept and nimble to be able to do more; to attract, develop and retain good people; and to marshal and mobilise resources well. Mr Seah Kian Peng and Ms Chia Yong Yong asked about support for VWOs as they build up their corporate functions and their operational capabilities. We are making significant investments in these areas. In addition to the VWO-Charities Capability Fund, the Government and Tote Board have set aside half a billion dollars in matching grants under the Care & Share movement. ComChest and VWOs can draw on this half a billion dollars to build better capabilities and better prepare themselves for the future.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to start, if I may, with a continuation of the earlier ideas about the Singaporean. In the first part of my speech, I spoke about Singaporeans, the strengths of our beliefs in key values of equal opportunities, strong families and a united country and how we design our policies around these key ideas. But of the last, we believe that unity exists when we have a people that care for one another. Caring communities are characterised by people with: firstly, awareness – which is the head − recognising that there are those among us who are disadvantaged, who are vulnerable; secondly, empathy − our heart − tying ourselves to our countrymen, recognising where they are in life and what they may need; and, lastly, action – our hands – contributing in practical ways to make lives better, to make things easier for them, lending them a helping hand to live their lives well and with dignity. Many Members in this debate have spoken on the need for the community to be involved. When a Singaporean in need receives help from a fellow citizen, he knows that someone else out there cares for him. In the process of helping others, those who lend a hand are themselves transformed. So, in the act of mutual help, we become more than ourselves and our immediate families. We become a better people, a closer community, we become a united country. VWOs and social service professionals are really at the forefront of this. And the social sector really is the vehicle for change. VWOs and social service professionals will continue to be key in helping people overcome their difficulties. They work with and complement the role of the Government. They are also indispensable in generating awareness, fostering empathy and channelling the contributions of our fellow Singaporeans.”
“Sir, the Enabling Masterplan is a five-year roadmap to support and empower persons with disabilities to realise their full potential and lead independent lives as contributing members of society. We are now in our final year of the second Enabling Masterplan. Mr Seah had asked for an update. MSF, together with various Ministries and VWOs, have brought about substantial progress under this second Masterplan. We have prepared a booklet that summarises how the support for persons with disabilities across their life stages and how their quality of life have improved. With your permission, Sir, may I ask the Clerks to distribute it to the Members of the House?”
“The Maintenance of Parents Act provides a legal recourse for these elderly to claim maintenance from their children. The Act was amended in 2011 to strengthen its conciliatory aspects. Since then, more than 80% of cases have been resolved through conciliation. Of the remainder, four in 10 were successfully settled out of court after further mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, the Tribunal may, as a last resort, make a maintenance order if it considers it just and equitable for the children to maintain their elderly parents. Where the children themselves may be struggling financially, the elderly parents are referred to the SSOs. The elderly can also turn to the SSOs on their own. Our officers will assess the case and work closely with partners, such as FSCs, to reconcile the family and provide assistance to the elderly. From the elderly, let me now turn to youth-at-risk. MSF already funds youth-at-risk programmes to ensure that youths have opportunities to be meaningfully engaged and not go off onto the wrong path. Later this year, MSF will work with two appointed social service agencies to pilot a suite of youth programmes. Through these, we aim to improve the quality and consistency of service delivery for our programmes. We plan to provide booster grants to help appointed agencies develop their organisational capability and train youth workers to become more competent in managing youths with varying levels of risk. These enhancements will support our programmes to deliver better outcomes for youths-at-risk. Let me now turn to persons with disabilities, who are among the most vulnerable in our society.”
“Ms Tin Pei Ling asked if agencies can adopt a consistent definition of "income" in the criteria for different schemes. The Government has been making efforts to streamline income criteria and simplify processes where appropriate and we will continue to do so across schemes that target similar groups. For example, MOH's subsidy schemes for outpatient and long-term care and MSF's residential subsidy schemes for adults with disabilities make use of a common set of income information. However, there are also schemes that focus on fairly unique beneficiary groups or needs. It is more appropriate for these to adopt different income bases. We will continue to partner other Government agencies to review this, so as to make our assistance schemes more citizen-centric. Some vulnerable adults may not be able to care for themselves and may lack family support. This could result in them having to fend for themselves or being abused by their caregivers. So, later this year, my Ministry will enact a new Vulnerable Adults Act. This will allow us to intervene earlier to protect them from harm. Our social workers, especially those from the family violence Page: 113 specialist centres, have given us useful feedback for the Bill. There are also caregivers who are themselves elderly and face the real concern of loss of mental capacity. We appreciate the public feedback and suggestions raised by Members, such as Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Seah Kian Peng, that have helped us streamline the application process for the Lasting Power of Attorney and the appointment of deputies. As Ms Rahayu Mahzam has pointed out, we have also come across some seniors who are unable to provide for themselves and are unable to receive financial support from their children.”
“Our approach is to provide appropriate assistance to meet each family's needs and work with them so that, where possible, they can improve their lives and regain self-reliance. To answer Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin's concerns, besides financial needs, we also look at their food, shelter, caregiving, employment, family support and healthcare needs. Our SSOs would typically work with them to formulate action plans to guide them towards improving their circumstances in the different areas. Such assistance is also available to foreign spouses in vulnerable transnational families, a point raised by Mr Ang Hin Kee. For example, SSOs work with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency to help train ComCare recipients and place them in employment. SSOs may also link them up with financial literacy classes for proper budgeting, or with other social services if they have family or socio-emotional issues. CPF and HDB do give advice when home owners buy or sell their flats. Mr Chen Show Mao and Assoc Prof Daniel Goh had asked about this. An example of a person or family who have graduated is the case of a male Singaporean aged 37 who approached the SSO in Chua Chu Kang in September 2014. He was also the sole breadwinner for the family and was not on full-time employment. He and his spouse have three young children, youngest being two years old. We provided the necessary assistance to the family. Together with our partners, we helped him secure a full-time job with a basic income of $1,800 a month in September 2015. Our assistance ended in September 2015 as the family was able to cope with their lives. However, given the complexity of cases and variety of needs, there is no single definition of graduation.”
“With this electronic backbone, we can share information and streamline work processes which will, in turn, reduce the administrative burden on both our beneficiaries and officers and improve the efficiency and quality of case management. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the progress of the implementation. Since we launched the system early this year, it has been rolled out at all 24 SSOs and 46 FSCs. We are now addressing the teething problems and making improvements. We have also started planning for the next phase, to extend the system to other social services. Sir, in the Budget speech, the Minister for Finance announced that MSF would be increasing the ComCare Long Term Assistance rates. The ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme, also commonly known as the Public Assistance (PA), provides a package of assistance to persons who are unable to work, with no means of income and limited or no family support. Most of our beneficiaries are elderly persons. Page: 112 The package of help includes, firstly, cash assistance to meet basic living expenses; second, additional assistance where necessary for other recurring expenses like medical consumables and one-off purchases, such as household appliances; third, free medical treatment at polyclinics and public hospitals; and, lastly, befriending and social services in the community. Many of the PA households are also allocated heavily subsidised HDB rental flats. Starting this July, we will increase the cash assistance rate for one-person households from $450 to $500. The rates will also increase for larger households. This is to keep pace with the cost of living. ComCare also provides short- and medium- term assistance to low-income families and children in need. Each household is different.”
“They will take on a larger role in coordinating service delivery for families with more complex financial and social needs. At Taman Jurong and Kreta Ayer, we are experimenting with bringing together social assistance, family services and employment services under one roof at the SSOs. Elsewhere, SSOs will actively coordinate with Government and community partners to integrate help, particularly in the areas of employment, family services, housing and healthcare. Mr Amrin was concerned that the tight labour supply will affect our ability to deliver help services. This is a challenge faced by the social sector and, indeed, all other sectors in Singapore. We will do more with our partners to uplift image, professional development and career prospects in the sector. My Minister will share some examples later. Our officers also need support to do their job well. I, therefore, thank Mr Amrin for raising concerns about the abuse of frontline SSO officers. While they have a good working relationship with most of those who seek help, they do encounter a few who may be verbally or physically abusive. We have installed CCTV and duress alarms at all SSO interview rooms. We are training SSO and selected frontline officers in de-escalation and self-defence. Some of our SSOs have security officers deployed. We will continue to take steps to protect our officers. Let me emphasise here that MSF will not tolerate any form of abuse of our officers. We will not hesitate to bring the perpetrators to task under the law, as we have done on a few occasions. One strategy to tackle the manpower challenge is to be more productive and coordinated in how we deliver services. Here, one important enabler is technology. This was why we decided to develop SSNet.”
“We hope to work even more closely with the community. All of us can have a role to play, especially in reaching out to families and children who require support and assistance. We can connect them to the available schemes of assistance. We can also help them in our personal capacity. We can spend time as volunteers for the Voluntary Welfare Organisations, as well as self-help groups, to help these families. Together, we can make Singapore Our Home for Family, where every child will have a good start. (In English): Sir, over the past few years, MSF has strengthened social assistance policies and delivery to better serve those in need. This was not just about increasing the level and range of assistance available. It was also about how our touch-points and officers could deliver help more flexibly and effectively. We are also making greater efforts to link up different help services to better serve families with complex needs. 6.45 pm Page: 111 Mr Amrin Amin asked about the effectiveness of SSOs. Since we started developing the network three years ago, we have improved the accessibility and delivery of help. Today, some nine in 10 SSO beneficiaries living in HDB towns can access an SSO within two kilometres of where they live or work. With better accessibility, the SSOs have also helped more Singaporeans. The number of households who received ComCare short-to-medium term and long-term financial assistance increased from 24,000 in financial year 2012 to more than 31,000 in 2014. A recent 2015 MSF survey showed that nine in 10 SSO users were satisfied with the service, regardless of whether they eventually received financial assistance. We will continue to improve the effectiveness and impact of the SSOs.”
“We will enhance our support to them by piloting a new system of support called KidSTART. This new initiative will proactively identify low-income and vulnerable children aged six and below. It will provide them with access to health, learning and developmental support and monitor their progress during their early years. We will also provide parents with the knowledge and skills to care for and support their children's development. Several Members have voiced their concern about the support provided to unwed parents. At the moment, support for unwed parents is already available, especially for the low-income, for example, childcare subsidies and financial assistance. MSF has carefully reviewed what other types of support can be provided to children of unwed parents. We can do more to support their efforts to care for their children and reduce the disadvantages that their children may face at birth. Hence, we have decided to extend the benefits of the CDA, including the CDA First Step, to children of unwed parents. We will also allow unwed mothers to benefit from GPML. This will be implemented as soon as we amend the legislation and carry out system enhancements. These benefits are most useful in the child's developmental or caregiving needs. They will also support the unwed parents' efforts to provide for their children. At the same time, the extension of these benefits to unwed parents does not undermine parenthood within marriage, which is the prevalent social norm that has already been accepted and is highly valued by our society. These reasons are the basis for our decision. Sir, the Government will continue to implement policies, schemes and initiatives to build strong families and give every child a good start in life.”
“In MSF, we aspire to make Singapore Our Home for Family, where every child will have a good start in life. We prioritise the strengthening of marriages and families through various educational programmes and support for marriage and parenthood. This will help couples to make adjustments when they enter married life and parenthood. For couples who have divorced, we will help them to learn how to undertake co-parenting effectively. As for their children, we will help them cope with adversity and help to increase their resilience. We can now see positive outcomes. For example, divorce rates involving Muslim couples who have recently married have shown a downward trend. We have also received positive feedback about the changes and new programmes introduced for couples who are contemplating or undergoing divorce. We will continue to expand and improve our educational programmes and support for marriage and parenthood. One of our other main efforts is the support for young children and their parents. We will continue efforts to ensure that parents and children are able to access quality childcare and kindergartens. As announced by the Minister for Finance, MSF will administer the new CDA First Step, in which the Government will deposit a $3,000 grant to the CDAs for newly born Singaporean children. Senior Minister of State Mrs Josephine Teo will also announce several enhancements to the leave scheme for parents. I am sure that many couples who will be embarking on their parenthood journey will welcome these initiatives. Page: 110 We agree that children from vulnerable groups will require more help. There is a small group of parents who need more support in order to give their children a good start in life.”
“With shrinking family sizes, the role of the extended family becomes even more important. I hope those of us with single or childless uncles and aunts will begin to think about how we ought to also consider our Page: 109 responsibilities to them as they age. Today, various Government policies in housing, CPF, healthcare and the employment of foreign domestic workers already help immediate families care for their loved ones. While extended family ties still remain strong, one of my Ministry's long-term priorities will really be to look into how we can help make it even easier for extended families to support their loved ones. Mr Chairman, I have located our Ministry's spending within a larger idea of what Singapore is, and of what the Singaporean is. Even as we spend on our economy, defence, housing and healthcare, we know the key ingredient that makes our country special is our people. Our social spending contributes towards making Singapore our home. It helps us build strong families and give every child a good start in life. We will foster social mobility and we will give additional support to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Equal opportunities, strong families, a united country – these are our enduring Singaporean values that will guide us in all that we do. [Applause.] The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social and Family Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Sir, allow me to start my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Strong families are the basic building blocks of society and strong marriages form the foundation for strong families. Children are our future. With strong families and good support from society, our children can have a good start in life.”
“We should also go upstream to strengthen the family and preserve the parent-child relationships, to prevent these children from being placed in alternative care in the first place. With this in mind, we will be introducing a pilot called Safe and Strong Families and the focus is on improving the families' overall parenting skills and family functioning, so that the children can remain safe in their families. This pilot will include two main services, namely, the Family Preservation Service and Family Reunification Service. Through this pilot, we hope to provide time-limited, intensive support, which is important to help parents overcome their challenges in providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children. This will include counselling, improving parenting capacity and family functioning. We will also connect them to the community resources if they need additional support. For a start, we hope to reach out to 400 families and their vulnerable children. Let me talk about caregiving. We all know that more and more Singaporeans have caregiving responsibilities, not just for young children, but also for the elderly, the ill and the disabled among us. Mr Chen Show Mao asked about what we can and ought to do to support such informal caregivers and enhance caregiving. We all acknowledge that the family must continue to be the first line of support in Singapore. The question is: how best to support them? It is heartening that in Singapore's case, we have a report on Ageing Families in Singapore that was released in November last year which showed that close to nine in 10 elderly residents expressed confidence that they were able to rely on their children for financial support in times of emergency. But what about those without children and those who are single?”
“Mr Seah Kian Peng highlighted the concerns about children who are maltreated by their families or caregivers, especially those with special needs. We have been working with the Page: 108 community to improve early detection and to better protect these children. Where needed, we provide a safe place and therapy to help them heal and recover. This includes foster care which provides these children with a caring and stable family environment. We are expanding our fostering capacity and have made encouraging progress. More than 100 families have joined the scheme in the past two years, bringing the total number to about 370 today. We aim to recruit another 130, especially for older children and those with special needs. Two fostering agencies were set up last year to support foster parents; providing parenting advice, counselling and connecting them to relevant community resources. I do ask for your support to encourage more families to step forward to consider fostering. Fostering is always a better option than institutional care for some of these children. Now, there are children with higher needs that will benefit from very intensive, very specialised care in smaller residential home settings. I visited one such home. The childhood trauma contributed to the challenging behaviours of these children. But I also saw how smaller care ratios, training and therapeutic skills allowed the staff to better address these behaviours and to begin to help the children to heal. We will set up more small-group homes and strengthen the intervention to help these children. As far as possible, such out-of-home care should be temporary arrangements. Where it is safe and possible, children should be reunited with their own families.”
“Some may have hoped to have a child within marriage but, due to circumstances, ended up as unwed parents. I feel that we can do more to support their efforts to care for their children and reduce the disadvantages that their children may face at birth. In fact, as in the earlier example when I talked about KidSTART, I think the children of unwed mothers, especially those in the more vulnerable situation, will be those that we are reaching out to help. Hence, this is what we will do. Unwed mothers will benefit from Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML). We will equalise it. We will need to amend the legislation to make this happen and this should be able to come into effect for children born from early next year. Children of unwed parents will qualify for the CDA, including the $3,000 CDA First Step. We are in the process of working on the legislation to get it in place, as well as the system enhancement; and this is likely to kick in for children born from the third quarter of this year. These benefits are useful in the child's developmental or caregiving needs. They also support the unwed parent's efforts to provide for the child. At the same time, the extension of these benefits to unwed parents does not undermine parenthood within marriage, which is something that we do encourage and it is still the prevalent social norm. These are the reasons behind this particular decision. On top of this, MSF and NCSS will also work with the relevant VWOs and agencies to strengthen support for families with vulnerable, low-income unwed mothers. This is to enable them to make better-informed decisions to improve their financial and family stability and, ultimately, to enhance their child's outcomes.”
“Many of you here have spoken up for unwed parents – Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, Mr Muhamad Faisal Manap, Ms K Thanaletchimi, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Louis Ng and Mr Desmond Choo all talked about extending benefits, such as maternity leave and the CDA First Step to unwed parents and parity for all Singaporean children regardless of their parents' marital status. I want to recognise Mr Seah Kian Peng, in particular, Page: 107 who has been urging the Ministry for a very long time to give more help to single parents, particularly, unwed parents and their children. 6.30 pm Before I address Members' concerns, I think it is important to say a few things. First, single parents are not, I repeat, are not, a uniform group. Divorced and widowed single parents who form the bulk of single parents are already eligible for the same parenthood benefits as married parents. Secondly, today, Government benefits that support the growth and development of children are given to all children, regardless of the marital status of their parents. Like all other children, children of unwed parents have access to social assistance, education and healthcare subsidies. They are also eligible for infant care and childcare subsidies, MediSave grant for newborns and the foreign domestic worker levy concession, to date. But I do understand where Members are coming from, which is why when I first joined MSF, I wanted to review this policy because I do meet unwed mothers, particularly when they come to see me at the Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). They are vulnerable usually, because they are younger and lower educated. Some may have been rejected by their own families. It is difficult enough to bring up children, but to do so single-handedly, without family support, is really tough.”
“Through KidSTART, this mother will be supported and, if possible, even as early as the antenatal stage. During my recent visit to KK Hospital, a doctor told me how early intervention even at this stage is important for the development of the child. It could help the child to be brought to term healthily, at a good birth weight. We will continue to support the parent beyond this stage, with home visits, parent education, family support programmes and, depending on their needs, she may be linked up to support groups and existing community resources. But she also has to play a part. This is where we endeavour to do as much as we can to reach out. Through these, we will work with the parent to create a supportive and nurturing environment for the child. The parent may also be assisted to place the child in an affordable and good quality preschool or childcare centre, with the appropriate development programmes to make sure that they are receiving the right kind of exposure. For a start, we will pilot KidSTART in Bukit Merah, Kreta Ayer, Boon Lay, Taman Jurong and Geylang Serai. We expect to reach out to about 1,000 children in the first three years. We will start small and focus so that it allows us to make sure that we are able to help effectively. The intent is there and we need to do this well. I want this model to work because I want to be able to ramp up and help more children. Let me talk about children of unwed parents.”
“They include immunisation, health checks, Development Support Programme and the Focused Language Assistance in Reading (FLAiR), which supports language and literacy development in preschools. We will build on these existing efforts and pilot a new system of support called KidSTART. This new initiative will proactively identify low-income and vulnerable children aged six and below, to provide them with early access to health, learning and developmental support and monitor their progress during their early years. This is not meant to be a discrete programme; it is meant to be a holistic approach to intervening in these earlier years. These children face multiple challenges. Their parents may be unable to provide a supportive environment for a host of reasons. For example, they could be young, unwed or incarcerated. There could be a combination of all these various factors, coupled with limited or no extended family support. These families would benefit and they do need additional help. I am heartened to hear that many Members are supportive of this initiative. To implement KidSTART, ECDA will set up a Programme Office and work with Government agencies and selected SSOs, hospitals and community partners to identify, reach out to and provide coordinated support to these children and their families. Let me elaborate on how this will work. Take, for example, a young, single, unwed, first-time mother with a three-month-old infant. She has gone to SSO for financial assistance as she is unemployed. She came forward to seek help. As a first-time mother, while she wants the best for her child, she has limited knowledge, resources and, perhaps, not having the extended family support to nurture the child.”
“By and large, while there are different definitions and ways of looking at it, we have done relatively well. The most recent publication by MOF in 2015 shows that mobility for Singapore's lower income children is higher than in Denmark and almost twice as high as in the United States. Among Singaporean children who start off with parents in the bottom 20th percentile, 14% of them end up in the top 20% of their peers. For the US, UK and Denmark, the shares are 8%, 9% and 12% respectively. The same study, which is an update of their study in 2012, also found that our mobility has remained fairly stable. While the findings are encouraging, what is more important is we need to understand what have we got right, what are the areas that we need to continue to improve and how do we sustain this. As I have mentioned, as we mature as an economy, as a society, it will become more difficult. Some children, possibly because of complex family circumstances, already lag behind developmentally even in their early years. Mr Leon Perera talks about stories which his friends shared. I can share with you more stories because we do see individuals, children, who have somehow not broken free from the cycle in which the parents find themselves in. We must break that cycle. In order to help these children, we must go upstream and provide additional support. Dr Lily Neo and Mr Ang Hin Kee have illustrated some of the circumstances that these families face. I think many of us in this House would have encountered individuals who face those difficulties. Page: 106 Today, we have a range of services to promote the health and learning needs of young children.”
“The parent-to-parent relationship has broken down. But we should not see the parent-child relationship break down. We all know that in acrimonious divorces, sometimes, the children get dragged into the battle. With the amendment of the Women's Charter in February this year, divorcing parents, with minor children, who are not able to agree on all matters of the divorce will have to attend a mandatory parenting programme before they can file for divorce. This will help them make an informed decision on divorce matters. Hopefully they may even reconsider divorce itself. But if they were to proceed, hopefully, they proceed in an informed fashion so that they can work on a sustainable co-parenting plan, post-separation. This programme is one of the many divorce support programmes offered by the four MSF-appointed Divorce Support Specialist Agencies. Let me talk about vulnerable children who grow up in weak family circumstances. Mr Leon Perera talks about social mobility and it is important to measure it and to spur policy innovation. We agree that it is important. Indeed, Singapore is a very good example of how social mobility has benefited many of us. I think for many of us in this House, our grandparents were not rich. Our parents had a difficult time. Yet, within a generation and a generation and a half, many of us in Singapore have been uplifted. It is not something that we ought to take for granted because, as society matures, as the economy matures, it does become more difficult and, in every society, Singapore included, there will be families and individuals who will find themselves in difficult circumstances. We have been monitoring our social mobility indicators. And there are many. We track housing, education and income.”
“Today, over 40% of Singaporean children are enrolled in childcare centres under these schemes. This is a significant increase from 20% in 2012. And in the next few years, we will reach 50%. The schemes have helped to moderate fee increases. Similarly, kindergartens run by MOE and Anchor Operators are also widely accessible, comprising about half of all kindergartens. Secondly, we have enhanced means-tested childcare and kindergarten subsidies in recent years, benefiting 44,000 children last year, which is more than the 17,000 in 2012. After subsidies, a median income family could pay about $350 per month for childcare, while lower-income families who attend centres run by Anchor Operators could pay as little as $3 per month. For kindergartens, our means-tested KiFAS subsidies are targeted at these operators to support lower- and middle-income parents with the cost. Beyond these broad-based measures, it is important to do more for vulnerable children. There is a small group of parents who do need support to give their children a good start. There are many reasons why families and parents may end up in those situations. Page: 105 We all know that a strong parent-child relationship is key in the development of the child. But when the relationship has broken down and the child has to be temporarily separated from the parent, we must do what we can to rebuild and to reunify the relationship. Let me talk about children affected by divorce. I will explain how we translate this principle into practice. When a marriage breaks down, children, more often than not, become the vulnerable party. It is especially important for parents to improve their parenting capacity and skills to prevent the parent-child relationship from breaking down and to take active steps to improve it.”
“We agree with Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Sun Xueling that we need sufficient manpower to support our ramp-up in childcare capacity. This remains one of our major priorities. To attract more educators, we have introduced training awards and scholarships for ITE and Polytechnic diploma students. We have also enhanced professional conversion programmes for mid-career entrants. A new Place-and-Train Programme for educarers was introduced last year. We have expanded continuing professional development opportunities to develop and retain educators in the sector and this is an important effort. Late last year, I launched the Professional Development Programme to help teachers deepen their competencies and to take on larger job roles. Over 100 teachers are in the first batch and I expect many more to benefit in future runs. We are also building a pipeline of preschool teachers to support children with mild development needs. Ngee Ann Polytechnic will offer a Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Learning Support from April this year. The manpower situation for this sector will remain tight. I would like to thank Members for their many suggestions. ECDA will continue to study how to make it easier for those with the passion to work with young children to join the sector, while continuing to assure parents that the safety and welfare of our children are looked after. Let me talk a bit about affordability, which is an important consideration for many parents. We do want to ensure preschool remains affordable to families, a point raised by Members Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Muhamad Faisal Manap. To achieve this, we have done two things. Firstly, we have implemented the Anchor Operator and the Partner Operator schemes.”
“I am very aware that demand remains high in certain estates with concentrations of parents with young children, a point which Ms Sun Xueling has raised. I would like to assure Members that meeting the needs of these parents is and will continue to be an important priority. Just to share, childcare places in Punggol and Sengkang have increased by more than 60% in just the last three years, to 13,000 places today. Five large childcare centres will be completed this year, adding another 2,000 places in high demand estates like Punggol, Sengkang, Jurong West, Woodlands and Yishun. Altogether, by 2017, about 10,000 more childcare places will be added in Singapore, of which about a third will be in Punggol and Sengkang. But as we expand capacity, it is important for us to assure parents that their children are well-looked after. First, there are now more centres certified by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) under the Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK). This helps parents choose a quality preschool for their child. One in four preschools are SPARK-qualified today. We expect more to come on board. Page: 104 Second, we will introduce a new Early Childhood Development Centres Act later this year. This Act will regulate kindergartens and childcare centres under the same framework to ensure higher and more consistent standards across the sector. ECDA has consulted parents and the sector extensively. Overall, there has been strong support to better safeguard our children's interests and to raise the quality of services rendered. ECDA has received many useful feedback and suggestions and we will take them into consideration. Committed and passionate educators, clearly, are the foundation of our early childhood sector.”
“While we are committed to working with the community and employers to support active fathering, the final step has to be taken by the fathers themselves. Many of you would agree with me that time is precious. As a father myself, I find that time is fleeting. It is not quite sufficient. Sometimes, I will pop into their rooms to chat with them before they sleep. Where we can, we play board games or, sometimes, sit in front of the computer to share our favourite Jimmy Fallon episodes or Saturday Night Live. This is not very strategic but I think we have a great time together just joking and laughing and I think whatever we can do, let us just take the effort to try to be there and to be present. For fathers, particularly, our presence is a lot more critical than we realise in terms of the long-term impact on our children. As we support active parenting, it is also important for us to help parents provide a good start for their children. The early years, we all know, are when our children develop language competencies, habits and socio-emotional skills that provide the foundation for their future. Let me talk a little about what we did in the whole early childhood sector. What we want is for parents to have access to affordable and good quality early childhood services. We have made significant investments to level up the early childhood sector. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about our progress and our next steps. In 2013, under our five-year Childcare Master Plan, we set a target to add 20,000 more childcare places, to have one place for every two children by 2017. We have already surpassed this target. Today, we have over 125,000 childcare places, an increase of over 30,000 places, compared to three years ago.”
“A 2016 MSF survey of mothers with infants found that close to three in four mothers agreed that fathers are as good as them in caring for children. So, fathers, do be encouraged! The children are quite safe with you, so do step forward. In 2009, my Ministry started the Dads for Life movement. The Centre for Fathering is now driving the effort, with our support, to expand outreach to the community, schools and workplaces. Dads for Life ambassadors are also reaching out to childcare centres and Primary schools to encourage fathers to be more active dads through a strong network of father support groups. The response has been very positive. A 2013 MSF survey showed that six in 10 men polled responded that their job kept them from spending more time with their families. In recent years, we have introduced paternity and shared parental leave to give fathers more time with their children right from birth. Fathers are also eligible for childcare leave which applies to older children, too. We encourage fathers to take this up. But we need supportive employers. We have talked about this in previous Committees of Supply. And with most of us being working parents, Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Page: 103 Thanaletchimi were right to point out that the workplace needs to be pro-family as well. Today, the Work-Life Grant co-funds lactation facilities in offices. It also incentivises employers to provide flexible work arrangements, which are sought after by men, too, as shown by a 2014 survey conducted by The Straits Times and the Employer Alliance. I call on employers to embrace these measures to support fathers and mothers as well. 6.15 pm Let me talk about personal commitment. We can pass all the policies, initiatives and incentives but, ultimately, we need to walk that last step.”
“You may already have heard about plans to enhance paternity leave. The Minister for Finance has also announced the new CDA First Step. These initiatives are part of our support for marriage and parenthood. And I will leave it to Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo to give you details of these and other initiatives during NPTD's Committee of Supply. As a parent myself, I know that parenting is more challenging today. In this age when social media and the Internet bring outside influences straight to our young children in a very unfiltered fashion, we need to be even more vigilant and play a more active role to ensure that our children are exposed to the right values. This is where we, as parents, must play our part. To help parents, we have implemented two parenting programmes in schools – the Positive Parenting Programme and the Signposts programme. They are meant to help parents become more competent in parenting, reduce parenting stress and to help them manage difficult behaviour in children. We have rolled out these programmes to 50 schools since 2014, benefiting 2,000 families. We will expand the outreach of these parenting programmes to 120 schools this year and up to 175 schools by 2018. A local study in 2010 found that first-time fathers who were more involved in caring for the young infants, adjusted better to fatherhood. Yet, in many families, as Mr Seah Kian Peng pointed out, mothers continue to carry the greater responsibility in child-raising. We need to encourage fathers to step forward, but I think times are also beginning to change and I see fathers getting more hands-on. Naturally, we see fathers carrying their babies, feeding them and, especially in the libraries, you see them reading to their children.”
“We also work with the Families for Life Council on bonding activities for families to promote family time among extended families and on the Marriage Convention which also provides useful tips for couples to enrich their marriage. For couples who may face more stresses in their marriage life, we have put in place many other targeted programmes, like those for couples who married young and those for marriages involving a foreign spouse. We do encourage Members in this House to encourage others to take on-board all this range of programmes. Let me talk about supporting new parents. We all know, as new parents, we will face anxiety and stress. Will we be able to handle the sleepless nights when baby comes? Will our home be ready? Who will take care of our little one when we are out at work? What are the major expenses involved in raising a child? These are very valid and practical questions that I think all of us have asked. I remember asking them myself when I first became a parent. Page: 102 Today, we have a suite of support measures covering various life stages – from getting married to having and raising children and providing support for working parents. I, for one, do not believe that couples have children just because of campaigns or to benefit from the grants and schemes. But I do believe that our policies, collectively, can help create a conducive environment and climate to support couples who do want to become parents, who do want to settle down and who do want to have more children. Going forward, we want to do more to facilitate early bonding between parents and newborns. We also want to give new parents greater support and encourage more to get into the habit of saving for their children's future.”
“They are our pillar of support in good and bad times. Strong family bonds need to be nurtured and forged through the quality and quantity of time spent together. We all know that when both parents are involved at home and with their children's lives, marital relationships are stronger. Children thrive when parental relationships are positive, when they are loved by their parents, grandparents and other family members. Ageing parents also thrive when their adult children, their siblings and other family members are supportive. In the coming years, my Ministry will continue to strengthen these fundamental family relationships. Where relationships are intact, we work towards reinforcing them further. Where relationships have problems, we try to help repair and preserve them. Where they have invariably broken down, as it tends to happen sometimes, we will try to minimise the negative impact. Central to our work here are the interest of the children and their development. Let me talk briefly about strengthening marriages. My Ministry supports and provides marriage preparation programmes and counselling through our network of partners. We equip couples with skills, such as communications and conflict management, to prepare them for the ups and downs of marriage life. Since December 2014, MSF has worked with community partners to offer the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Programme (PREP) at the Registry of Marriage and in the community. The response has been positive. Nine in 10 participants told us the programme has been helpful in enhancing their marriage.”
“We will work with different Ministries to deliver more coordinated help to those with varied needs. My Parliamentary Secretary will speak on how we will help the low-income, the vulnerable seniors and youths-at-risk. He will also outline how we will continue to support and empower persons with disabilities. Thirdly, it is also very much about enabling Caring Communities. Building an inclusive society with a strong sense of "we", as opposed to "me", is very much our collective aspirations. This came across strongly during Our Singapore Conversations and even in the present ongoing SGFuture series of dialogues. To be a truly inclusive society, we need more than strong Government safety nets. We need a wider community which has the heart and the will to play a part in improving the lives of those among us who are weaker, have less or have fallen on hard times. Page: 101 So, one of MSF's priorities is also to enable and empower caring communities where individuals, businesses and VWOs can come together, work together, to build a Singapore where everyone plays a role to make sure that no Singaporean is left behind. When we talk about an inclusive society, it is not just about including those who need help or who need the support. It is about all of us being included in that whole journey. The positive outcomes of such actions are not, and I repeat, are not limited to the beneficiaries. The change also occurs for those who give of their time, energy and resources. Helping others brings out our humanity as individuals and strengthens our common identity as Singaporeans. For this first speech, let me share some of our upcoming work in building our home for family and to provide a good start for our children. Our families are what make life meaningful for us.”
“These are enduring values which my Ministry will seek to uphold in our work for this term of Government. And in terms of how we intend to carry out our work, I hope to go upstream where we can. We want to proactively and positively shape the environment and to prevent problems from developing where possible. We conceive of our work in three ways − firstly, a strong start; secondly, a network for the vulnerable; and, lastly, a collective effort towards improving social welfare. Firstly, a strong start: building our home for family and a good start for our children. Clearly, Singapore is our home for family. Strong families are, and must remain, the basic building blocks of our society. Strong marriages form the foundation for strong families. We do want to create a pro-family environment, which supports couples' decision to settle down, have children and enjoy family life. We will strengthen marriages and families so that family members maintain strong ties with one another and with the community. For each of our families and our society, children are our future. With strong families and good support from society, our children can have a good start in life. For children who have less, we will give them an extra leg-up so that they, too, have the opportunity to live life to the fullest. Secondly, it is about caring for the vulnerable. We have increased support for vulnerable groups. We have helped persons with disabilities to lead more independent lives and realise their potential. But, clearly, the work is not done. We will build stronger safety nets to identify and support the more vulnerable in our society. We will improve our systems and measures. We will calibrate our assistance so that those in greater need receive more.”
“As we begin our journey over the next 50 years, it is important for us to take stock and remember what we aspire for Singapore – a land of opportunity where citizens can realise their dreams. Dreams take root and have meaning only within the precious network of meaningful relationships and bonds, of strong families and good friends, of an inclusive and caring society, across all races and all religions. Families come in all forms. For individuals, it can be by fiat of birth, by force of circumstance, by exercise of rational choice or by a chance chemistry of mutual attraction. On a larger scale, we all know our population is ageing. Our family structures are changing. Ours is an economic age of volatility and uncertainty, and social needs, therefore, are becoming more varied, complex and Page: 100 multi-faceted. Our family laws are changing to reflect these new realities. For example, alimonies for divorced men who become incapacitated during marriage and cannot support themselves, or maintenance and care for aged parents; laws which will have to continue to evolve. Unfortunately, today, we are more likely to divorce each other than before. We also have more working mothers. We have a more diverse architecture in life choices even as parenting becomes a constant battle of school stresses and social media temptations and distractions. Against these social facts, what cards do we have to play? We are only as strong as the values we hold dear. And they are: that everyone − rich or poor − should have the same shot at success. That we value individual effort and strong families. And last, that we are all in this together: Equal Opportunities. Strong Families. United Country.”
“However, I would like to stress that to be a truly inclusive society, relying on Government subsidies or policies alone is not enough. We would need the wider community to step forward and play a part in improving the lives of those among us who are weaker. This would be MSF's third priority − building a caring society. 6.00 pm We will continue to support VWOs to raise their capabilities and help social service professionals develop themselves. At the same time, NCSS will also work with our VWOs to expand volunteerism opportunities, so that Singaporeans and businesses who are keen to contribute to society can do so. Over the next three years, the Government will provide dollar-for-dollar matching for additional donations raised through ComChest's "Share as One" programme. This will encourage corporations and the communities to contribute to society. Singapore is our home. Only by caring and supporting one another can we march towards the next 50 years. I hope that in 50 years' time, Singapore will not be successful just economically, but equally outstanding in having a more cohesive and caring society. This is a vision worth striving for. It is a vision that needs each and every one of us to realise. (In English): Chairman, when we speak of people being Singapore's only resource, many think we are just referring to the Singaporean worker, how educated he is, how hard-working, how skilled. In short, how he can contribute to keeping Singapore going for the next bound. But in reality, the Singaporean is no less a father, husband, son, mother, daughter or wife. The Singaporean lives within a delicate web of human ties, a network which I know each of us in this House seeks to help make stronger and more meaningful.”
“This new initiative will proactively identify vulnerable families and children through various indicators, so as to provide them with early access to the necessary health, learning and developmental support. We will also provide parents with the knowledge and skills to care for and support their children's development. Our second priority is to continue to strengthen our social safety net and improve the lives of the low-income and more vulnerable amongst us. We are aware that the cost of living is high in Singapore and that our low-income households have to grapple with it every day. As the Minister for Finance has mentioned in his Budget speech, we are increasing the cash assistance for those on ComCare long-term assistance. Page: 99 The ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme is a package of assistance for those who are permanently unable to work due to reasons, such as old-age or disability, and have little savings and family support. Most of the beneficiaries are elderly. From July this year, a one-person household will receive $500 per month, up from the current $450. The assistance will also be increased for larger households. Besides cash assistance, they will also continue to receive free medical care and additional assistance. Many of them are also allocated heavily subsidised HDB rental flats. At the same time, we will also do more for Persons with Disabilities. Much progress has been made under the current Enabling Masterplan. We will build on these efforts and have started work on the Enabling Masterplan for the next five years to explore how we can better assist Persons with Disabilities to integrate into mainstream society and live a meaningful life.”
“Chairman, I would like to start off my speech by providing an overview of my Ministry's focus in Mandarin before resuming in English. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The continual progress and prosperity of a country depend not just on a strong economy; it is equally important that we build an inclusive society and help Singaporeans build a caring home. MSF will be working on three priorities moving forward. Our first priority is to make Singapore a good home for the family and for every child to have a good start in life, regardless of family background. Strong and happy families are the basic building blocks of our society. Our families are what make life meaningful for us. This will not be just an MSF effort, but a whole-of-Government priority. For each of our families and for Singapore as a whole, our children are our future. We want them to grow up in strong families and a safe and nurturing environment. For children who have less, we will give them an extra leg up, so that they, too, will have the opportunity to live to their potential and to chase rainbows. Hence, we are providing greater support to families with young children. MSF will continue to expand accessible, affordable and quality early childhood education. MSF will also provide greater financial support to young children through the new CDA First Step scheme. The children's early years are essential to their physical and mental development and will have a long-term impact on their future. There is a small group of parents who, for various reasons, are unable to provide the best support to their children during this crucial stage. Hence, we will be piloting a new scheme targeted at vulnerable children aged six and below, called KidSTART.”
“Currently, single unwed mothers are eligible for eight and four weeks of paid and unpaid maternity leave, respectively. We are in the midst of reviewing the support provided to single unwed parents, as part of the Ministry's efforts to better support children from vulnerable families. We will announce the outcome of our review soon.”
“Under section 160 of the Women’s Charter, the Director of Social Welfare can admit a woman or girl below the age of 21 into a place of safety for reasons, such as ill-treatment or moral danger. The Director of Social Welfare must be satisfied that doing so is in their best interest. Each of such cases will be thoroughly investigated by the Ministry of Social and Family Development within a month of placement. To ensure that the women and girls do not remain in the place of safety unnecessarily, an independent Discharge Committee reviews such cases every six months. Over the last five years, a total of 10 women and girls were admitted. Three of them were discharged within a month after the investigations. Seven continued their stay at the places of safety mainly because of continued protection concerns and lack of suitable caregivers. The mean duration of stay was two years, while the longest was four years.”
“Victims affected by family violence may seek assistance and support at various touch points, including MSF-funded Family Service Centres (FSCs) and Family Violence Specialist Centres (FVSCs). Family violence may co-exist with other issues, such as family and marital disputes. Over the last five years, FSCs reported an average of 1,400 cases annually where family violence was one of the presenting problems. FSCs may refer cases to the three FVSCs for more specialised intervention. Victims can also approach the FVSCs directly. In recent years, FVSCs have worked on an average of 900 family violence cases annually. Persons who require legal protection in addition to community support can apply for a Personal Protection Order (PPO) at the Family Justice Courts. Over the last five years, the Family Justice Courts received an average of about 3,000 PPO applications annually. An average of 1,200 applications (or about 40% of applications) were issued with an order each year. The remaining applications were withdrawn, struck out or dismissed. The details are provided in Table 1. On average, 72% of the PPOs issued were made against the applicant’s spouse or former spouse (mainly husband or ex-husband). About 11% of orders were made against children/children-in-law. Orders made against siblings, parents and other relatives made up the rest. While detailed breakdowns are not available for the FSC and FVSC cases, the profiles are broadly similar.”
“In these cases, a report from a medical practitioner would be needed. I would like to assure Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef that the MCA does not affect any Advance Medical Directive made. Donees and deputies are not permitted to make or revoke an AMD on behalf of persons without mental capacity. In conclusion, I mentioned earlier that the MCA reflects how we desire to live a dignified life, regardless of whether we have mental capacity or not. As individuals, we really ought to plan ahead, for our own sake, but I think also for our families' sake, to make clear our wishes should we lose our capacity. And as a country, we need to come together, as a society, to protect those who are incapacitated and to ensure that they live in dignity. The amendments to the MCA are a step in that direction and we call on everyone to play a part. Once again, thank you very much for all your valuable inputs. Inputs will continue to be sought, especially in terms of coming up with the regulatory framework. We do encourage Members to continue to provide us with suggestions, ideas and feedback from the public. With that, thank you very much. [(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)]”
“In response to Mr Dennis Tan and also Ms Sylvia Lim, we have completed work with the Family Justice Courts. We continue to work very closely with them in fact, it has been a very constructive relationship between both parties, because of a lot of inputs that we have been able to gather from both sides. We are in the process of further simplification of forms and some processes, and this has been implemented in the MINDS pilot. However, do continue to give us your suggestions. What Members have highlighted has been most useful. We will certainly make sure that the points have been registered. We hope to also achieve further cost savings and a more user-friendly process for other families who need deputyship, once the IT system which the Family Justice Courts is developing is up and running in a couple of years. Finally, let me address Members' questions on how the MCA relates to other legislation. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked whether a person with severe mental health disorder can be covered under the MCA. Ms Denise Phua also highlighted that there are others with other conditions that may impair their ability to make decisions for themselves. The answer is yes, if the severe mental disorder results in mental incapacity. Someone is considered to lack mental capacity to make a decision if he or she is unable to (a) understand the relevant information; (b) retain the information; (c) weigh the information as part of the decision-making process; or (d) communicate his or her decision. If a severe mental disorder or any other condition results in the inability to do one or more of these things, the person would be covered by the MCA. There may be cases of fluctuating capacity among those with severe mental health disorders.”
“The Court needs to evaluate the specific matters in which the individual with intellectual disability lacks capability and whether the proposed deputy is suitable to act, even if it is the parent. There are also instances where parents may be unsuitable – for instance, parents who are abusive or who have serious illnesses that may impair their own mental capacity. Ms Denise Phua asked if the deputyship process can be made easier and more accessible, especially for individuals with special needs. We are certainly making progress in the pilot project with MINDS, which has been completed. With the help of the NUS Law Faculty, volunteers and MINDS itself, the average cost that each of the three families incurred was around $300, comprising mainly Court fees. This is compared to the average of $5,000 if lawyers and other professional services are involved. As for the next steps, which Ms Denise Phua, Ms Sylvia Lim and Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about, we have, as I have mentioned, completed a project and are now working with MINDS to scale up and cover the graduating cohort of MINDS students. We will also be covering those who have already left school and also those with other forms of intellectual disabilities and autism. Basically, we are confident and have found it useful and successful and do intend to scale up. It will take some time, but we intend to expand it. We will look into Ms Denise Phua's suggestions to encourage healthcare professionals to act under section 7 of the MCA in the best interest of their patients, without the need for formally-appointed deputies. At the same time, we will also look into familiarising healthcare professionals with the medical report required for deputyship and encourage them to set reasonable fees.”
“We have also waived the LPA application fee for Form 1 for Singaporeans in September 2014 for a two-year period. Applications to register an LPA can now be made by post. We have also waived the postage charge for a similar two-year period. We are working closely with the Family Courts to keep the process simple. That is something many Members have raised and we fully agree with that. We welcome suggestions and specific ideas about how we can make it simple because that is really where we should go. But, again, I just want to flag out that we do need to find a balance. Because on the one hand – and I think Ms Rahayu Mahzam raised the point – we want ease and accessibility and, of course, with that, lower cost. But at the same time, we do need rigour, because this is an important process and we need to get it right. So, these two considerations remain important and we need to find that balance, and Members' inputs would be tremendously helpful on that front. Regarding the fees that certificate issuers charge, such fees, I believe, are warranted, because of the important role in the LPA-making process and they carry serious, significant legal implications. Having said that, we will continue to see how best to reduce the cost of making the LPA. On the matter of deputyship applications, we agree with Ms Rahayu Mahzam that deputyship is a serious matter and we need to bear this in mind, even as we work with various groups to make the process easier for them to apply for deputyship. This is also why, for Mr Louis Ng's question on whether parents with children with intellectual disability can be made "natural deputies", we think that a judicial process is needed.”
“OPG has to play its part. We are producing more collaterals and guide books in the four official languages. OPG conducts monthly LPA talks at Raffles Place, for example, and will hold talks in mother tongues later this year. The talks cover the technical aspects of how to make an LPA, the types of powers donees may be given and also the importance of choosing trusted persons to act as donees. These talks are open to the public. OPG has also recently produced two videos; one, on the need for an LPA, specifically targeting the elderly; and, the other, on how exactly to apply for the LPA itself. These videos have been subtitled in the four languages and would soon be posted on OPG's website and further disseminated. The OPG's helpline can also handle calls and enquiries in the four official languages. Basically, the idea is that we will do whatever we can to raise awareness as much as possible, and we do ask Members of this House to support us and assist us in that process. On Ms Joan Pereira's and Mr Louis Ng's point that PGAs can play a role – that is something we can definitely consider. Feedback from the public and the Pioneer Generation Office has been positive. They are, indeed, a good resource base that we can draw on, especially to encourage those without family members, to make an LPA. While they may appoint close and trusted friends to be their donees, some may also consider appointing a professional donee when the regulatory framework is up. As for getting registered medical practitioners to put up signs indicating that they can certify LPAs, we can explore if that is feasible as well. To increase accessibility, OPG has simplified the LPA Form 1 which meets the needs of most Singaporeans.”
“That remains important. Individuals who suspect that the PG had not discharged his functions in good faith and with reasonable care can make this known to the Minister. The annual report was submitted by the PG Board to the Minister. It accounted primarily for the initiatives and the review of the OPG's activities in the year concerned. With this amendment, the PG is directly accountable through the Minister and will continue to make available relevant information, such as key initiatives and statistics, on its website. Appeals against certain administrative decisions made by the PG can also be made to the Minister. Lastly, the judicial review and appeal through the Courts remain an option. Some may feel that it is better to retain the PG Board so that it can provide constructive feedback. However, the idea is that the Advisory Panel, which we are forming, will continue to comprise various respected professionals in the medical, legal, finance and social work sectors. I am very sure that they will provide independent and constructive feedback, as they have done so previously when they were a Board. Members asked how to increase public awareness and accessibility of the LPA and how to reduce the cost in making an LPA or a deputyship order. Ms Rahayu Mahzam, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Ms Jessica Tan believe that more need to be educated about the LPA and the implications of the appointment and choice of donees. Ms Joan Pereira, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Mr Louis Ng and Mr Dennis Tan have suggested various ways to raise the awareness and accessibility of the LPA and, especially, in keeping the process simple, which we agree. And I fully agree with these areas of concerns that Members have raised and their suggestions. We need more to spread the word.”