Committee of Supply – Head I (Ministry of Social and Family Development)

Family Norms and Resiliency in Singapore

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

Chairman, I have for several years now supported the broad principle that the family unit is the foundation of Singapore society. At the same time, I made the call for a wider definition of what a family unit comprise. Such definitions are not mere semantics – they carry with them moral and policy weight – for the Government encourages strong families by way of subsidies, programmes and support.

In turn, such families are themselves sources of support for its individual members. Therefore, if I may make a pragmatic point, lightening the load on the state and the tax burden on society.

It is thus an important point to consider – what is "family" in Singapore today? Here, I would say, we can be even more inclusive. For many years, together with other Members of the House, we have argued for parity in treatment of single parents, especially single mothers, as a parent of equal standing.

What are the current norms on family? We are seeing some demographic trends including increasing singlehood, declining fertility rates and an ageing population. We need to consider more incentives, for example, for singles who have ageing parents, since caregiving duties fall most heavily on them.

All these trends have put stresses on the institution of family across different life stages. COVID-19 has made the situation worse.

Mental health, which we discussed just now during the COS on MOH, is such a big issue now. These stresses also add to the negative impact on Singaporeans' well-being and Singapore as a society. Can I ask the Ministry what it is doing to promote and to strengthen families so that we can be a more resilient society? Can the Minister also outline some changing trends and the implications for our various social and fiscal policies?

Question proposed.

Family as a Building Block of Our Nation

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, in 1993, this House adopted five shared values that were identified as what holds us together as Singaporeans. "Family as the basic unit of society" is one of them. The late Dr Ong Chit Chung, then Member of Parliament for Bukit Batok, argued in this House, that the family should be called the "pillar of society" instead. For "if the pillar is eroded or weakened, society will not stand". He was right. Our society's response to COVID-19 demonstrated it. As we pitched battle against COVID-19, the Singaporean family was a pillar of strength holding us together.

This was no easy task. To date, we have about 850,000 infections, more than 1,000 have died. Our families, as the first line of support, lovingly cared for the sick. When any succumbed, we cried as a family and rallied around each other. When our children were not able to attend school, our families encouraged them in their remote learning from home and took care of their mental health. When in doubt or fear, we found strength in talking to each other, to get vaccinated, boosted, wear masks and commiserate about the need for safe management measures. Families helped those who have lost jobs or suffered pay cuts.

The time-honoured qualities of our Singaporean families which includes resilience, self-reliance and filial piety must be preserved. I believe, ultimately, it is the strength of our families that will determine whether our nation will emerge from this pandemic stronger. A lot can be done at the community level to celebrate family milestones and share ideas as to how to keep families strong.

In Bukit Batok, we regularly hold birthday celebrations for our centenarians. There is no better celebration than to see up to five generations of family members coming together. One centenarian whom I met was Mdm Ng Ah Luah who lived until 105. I asked her for advice as to how to keep a family harmonious. She told me she would organise frequent family gatherings to bond over food. She also said, family members should not bicker over little things. Simple lessons but difficult to put in practice.

Families go through good times and bad. Different families have different challenges. We must provide more support for families that face challenges in keeping together. Again, easier said than done.

May I ask the hon Minister for his plans to strengthen our families? Today, more than ever, it is needed as a pillar for our society facing so many challenges, for if it is eroded or weakened, society will not stand.

Importance of the Extended Family

Dr Tan Yia Swam (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, the saying goes "it takes a village to raise a child". The importance of the extended family has shown itself more obviously in these past two years.

In general, many married couples live with their children and pay regular visits to both sets of grandparents. In the past two years, to prevent the virus from spreading, the Government has imposed various restrictions including the size of family gatherings. I believe the majority of families have been compliant.

Less family gatherings, less face-to-face contact; phone calls and video conferences have become the norm of communication. Most of the elderly I know are not comfortable with a video call. Uncles, aunts and cousins all form part of the extended family. With the current restrictions of groups of five, there is hardly any chance for two families to meet in public.

In my work as a doctor, I see the fallout from this loss of human connections. Many middle-aged people develop cognitive and physical dysfunction. Many reported being more forgetful, lonelier and sleeping poorly, and expressed they fear going out. They miss their children and grandchildren, but do not want to disturb their work. They lose muscle tone, get hunchbacked, unsteady on their feet and tire more easily.

Young working parents face the pressures of job, childcare and elderly care. Some have lost their jobs, some in healthcare have worked non-stop without a break for months; and every time there was a school closure, we have to figure out how to adapt. Now, so many school-going children have received the Health Risk Notice (HRN) and need to do daily ART swabs. Not every child can tolerate the procedure. If one has elderly parents who need medical attention, whether in clinic or admission, the barriers to visit are another source of distress.

Because of COVID-19, mask-wearing has become a daily necessity. The young are growing up amongst masked faces. There is some scientific evidence showing that this could lead to delayed social developments in young children. The adverse impact of COVID-19 on our nation’s mental health is well reported.

I ask for a simplistic solution: consider allowing familial gatherings. Just like how the COVID-19 protocols get streamlined into three, we can simplify rules for interactions and allow people to make their own risk assessments. Allow families to unite once the COVID-19 situation improves, please.

The Chairman: Ms Ng Ling Ling. Please take both your cuts.

Keeping Singapore Families Strong

Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, the Government has consistently upheld the philosophy of family as the first line of support as our social compact in Singapore. The World Values Survey conducted in 2020 has shown that family remains a key priority for most Singaporeans, forming the core of our social values today. Upholding the institution of family and keeping families strong will thus be a continuous endeavour that we must be committed to.

I am heartened to know that the number of marriages in 2021 has returned to pre-pandemic levels, despite a slight decline in our birth rate. However, there are still some risks that threaten our family institutions as a nation. Some of the emerging social trends warrant our attention to ensure that we continue to support our Singaporean families to stay strong. There are several observations that I noted from the Singapore’s Census 2020 that I would like to highlight.

Firstly, more young adults are choosing to stay single longer, with the proportion of singles aged 25 to 29 rising from 74.6% to 81.6% for males, and from 54% to 69% for females between the years 2010 and 2020. Secondly, the average number of children born over the same period has decreased. Lastly, the old-age dependency ratio has drastically increased from 13.5 to 23.4 in the same 10-year period. These trends of increasing singlehood, declining fertility rates and a rapidly ageing population can place additional strains on our families across different life stages.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also taken its toll on some family relationships. Various studies across the world on the impact of COVID-19 on family resilience have shown that the pandemic has caused psychological distress for children and parents. In Singapore, our families are also not spared from these effects.

Sir, under the backdrop of these social trends, I would like to ask what more will MSF be doing to promote and strengthen families in Singapore so that we can continue to be resilient as we gradually recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upstream Support for Stressed Families

Mr Chairman, in my previous cut on Keeping Singapore Families Strong, I mentioned the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the resilience of family relationships. In times of strained relationships or when the families are under stress, it is challenging for the family to act as the first line of support.

During my Meet-the-People Sessions, I often encounter residents who would share with me their family problems. The lower-income group remains the most vulnerable to fallouts from strained family relationships because of the limited resources among family members to support one another.

A resident couple’s story left an impression on me as it presented the need for greater upstream support when families are faced with early signs of stress. The couple initially approached me when they were struggling with their finances after their employment was affected by the pandemic. They had pressing needs because they had just welcomed their newborn child, but their income dropped drastically at the same time.

In order to take care of the child, the wife decided not to look for employment and the husband became the sole breadwinner, continuing the financial strains of the family. The couple later developed relationship strains and the husband moved out and contemplated divorce. This further left the wife in limbo, as she had to fend for financial support and caregiving while going through a difficult time with her husband.

All this while, I appreciate the partnership and support rendered by the Social Service Office who worked with me and the family to stabilise their circumstances, to help the wife find suitable employment and caregiving arrangements and for the couple to work on their strained relationship.

As families face financial issues or other unexpected circumstances like health problems, family relationships are bound to be affected. They will present early signs of stress, which may lead to greater challenges down the road. I would like to ask MSF, what more can we do as a community to increase upstream efforts to help families from at-risk groups, such as those from low-income groups, or those who are suffering from illnesses.

Alliance for Action

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, the Ministry launched the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships in August last year. What has been the progress so far? What would be the new initiatives in the six areas of focus – newlywed couples, parents, single parents, families with early risks, marriages and families among different religious faiths, and families in general?

The Chairman: Mr Louis Ng. Please take both your cuts together.

Give Single Unweds Full Baby Bonus

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): At a recent dialogue session, single unwed parents spoke courageously about the stigma they faced. Many were in tears as they spoke. As Minister of State Sun Xueling shared after the dialogue: "They shared the pain and hurt felt when faced with the stigma that comes along with being a single unwed parent".

We should help end the discrimination and stigma they face. Our policies should reflect what we already say: “Single unwed parents are valued citizens and, like all parents, are respected for the love and care they provide for their children. They are no less a mother or a father, just because their child was born outside of marriage”.

They are no less a mother or father. Why then do we give them less? Why deny them the cash component of the Baby Bonus?

5.45 pm

It may be because the cash component is part of the marriage and parenthood package, the key word being "marriage". But single unwed parents already receive the CDA component of the marriage and parenthood package. Why give one and discriminate when it comes to the other?

With a median salary of only $600 a month, the cash component would really help single unwed parents under 35 years old. For many, it is not a luxury but a lifeline. Everyone will also face higher living costs, with core inflation projected to be 2% to 3% this year. Increased costs will hit single unweds even earning $600 a month even harder.

I have raised this many times in this House. I hope we can finally help end the stigma single unweds face and help provide them with this cash component of the Baby Bonus. They desperately need this.

Ad Hoc Nanny Services for Single Unweds

Being a single parent is twice the work, the stress and the tears, but also double the hugs, the love and the pride. It is twice the work as single parents have to juggle work while caring for their child. They do not have an additional pair of hands.

In my Adjournment Motion, I shared the story of Ema, a single unwed parent who raised her daughter in a shelter. Thanks to HDB and a change in our policies, Ema can now provide a stable living environment for her daughter in a rental flat. She now also has a good job but has difficulties keeping her job as she has to work at odd hours on short notice. She has difficulties finding help on such short notice on an ad hoc basis. She does not have family members she can count on.

Many single unwed parents face similar challenges. Can the Government provide this additional pair of helping hands so single unweds can remain in the workforce, contribute to Singapore and work towards becoming more independent? Will MSF establish a pilot programme of providing low-cost, ad hoc nanny services for our single unwed parents?

Exclusion Order for Problem Gambling

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, in replying to my Parliamentary Question on whether MSF could consider debarring individuals who are under both Self-Exclusion and Family Exclusion Orders under the Casino Control Act from placing bets at Singapore Pools outlets, the Minister had noted that there were several safeguards around betting with Singapore Pools and that such an exclusion may drive more gambling underground and cause more harm.

Sir, I raise this issue because I have a resident who has continuously lamented to me on his wife's problematic gambling habits. Although the lady is under both Self-Exclusion and Family Exclusion Orders, she has continued to spend thousands of dollars gambling at Singapore Pools using her salary and borrowing from licensed and unlicensed moneylenders.

Sir, no measures can stop problem gamblers from feeding their addictions. However, I believe that we need to consider how to disincentivise gambling and reduce opportunities for gamblers to indulge in their habit.

We can use technological solutions for this. I propose creating an additional requirement for Singapore Pools' counter staff to scan the identity card of individuals placing Toto and 4D bets above a certain threshold. The purpose of the scan would be to verify that the said individual is not, in fact, under an Exclusion Order and should thus be prohibited from placing bets with Singapore Pools. While this will create some delays in the process, I believe it is worthwhile if it deters those on Exclusion Orders from gambling excessively via legal platforms.

Supporting Families

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mr Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on the relationship of many families over the past two years.

Prolonged telecommuting work arrangements, home-based learning and, more recently, a spike in Omicron cases among young children are just some examples of how families can be stretched emotionally, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, this is felt most keenly by vulnerable and stressed families.

What is the Ministry doing to support families upstream to address stresses early? Can we do more to support couples from the point of marriage?

Has MSF seen an increase in the number of family violence cases received by the Family Violence Specialist Centres since the start of the pandemic? Can the Ministry provide an update on the progress in implementing the recommendations by the Taskforce on Family Violence, which were released just last year?

Sir, the pandemic has put a strain on the institution of marriage. We should do all we can to support families and strengthen family bonds.

The Chairman: Ms Carrie Tan. Not here. Mr Seah Kian Peng, please take both your cuts together.

Singapore Women's Development

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Yes, Chairman. Mr Chairman, the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development were concluded in September last year, with the Government promising concrete proposals in three areas.

First, more equal workplace opportunities; second, more caregiver support; and third, increased protection for women.

What stood out for me was the engagement of many Singaporeans through these conversations, all 160 of them, involving more than 5,700 participants. I know we are all now looking forward to the White Paper which I am sure will draw from these conversations.

Can Minister share about some of the initiatives which might be in the White Paper? Can the Minister also share some data and statistics on the size and the type of problems that Singapore women face?

Even as the Government puts in place new policies and laws, I would also like to ask if there are specific areas of improvement we must bear in mind relating to our mindsets and attitudes. For example, in the light of the recent attention on sexual misconduct towards women, I note that most Institutes of Higher Learning now have compulsory respect and consent courses. But shifting mindsets must not just be within a section of society but it must involve everyone.

Second, this bias is not just a matter of serious misconduct, but of everyday behaviour. Interruptions, patronising explanations and unwarranted assumptions of emotional fragility – I think all these are poor companions to our social life. But these are experienced by many women on a daily basis. What can we all do to promote this mindset shift?

Review of Adoption of Children Act

All children deserve to grow up in loving families. Last year, the Ministry announced that the Adoption of Children Act is being reviewed to better safeguard the welfare of adopted children and sought the public's feedback on the proposed amendments to the Act.

Adoption is certainly a complex process as, even with the best of intentions, there are many minefields to navigate. And the people who are affected, they include the children being adopted, the adoptive parents, adoption agencies, agencies supporting foster parents, the pregnant mother, lawyers and so on.

Some poor behaviour must clearly be constrained, for example, any suspicion of "marketing" children as if they are goods for sale, rather than human beings to be nurtured and loved. Some parents, for example, are tricked into giving up their flesh and blood to strangers.

On the other hand, there are those people who are unfit to be parents but, yet, refuse to give consent for their children to be adopted. Whether they have abandoned the child or cannot be found, or have neglected or ill-treated the child, one has to ask if the consent of these adults, who, in my view, are not fit to be parents, is required. There is a case to be made that such parents have no standing as parents.

In any case, can the Ministry provide updates on the progress of the review? Can the Minister also provide some background on the state of adoption in Singapore? How many children are waiting to be adopted, what is the profile of adoptive parents and the help rendered to these families by the Government?

Second, the review of the Act was motivated, in part, by the need for Singapore to keep pace with international practice. Can the Minister let us know where Singapore lags behind the rest of the world and what can be done in these aspects and how we can do better?

The Chairman: Ms Joan Pereira, please take both your cuts together.

Preschool Accessibility

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, to build a Singapore that is "made for families", we have to make it more conducive for our busy parents, many of whom are working full-time and long hours. Parents have shared with me that getting a place in a preschool within walking distance of their homes has been particularly challenging. How will the Ministry help such families?

Parents normally place their child's name or children's names on waiting lists and the wait can be several months or even longer, causing great anxiety for parents. Can the Ministry set a certain timeline where after a certain number of months of waiting and still no vacancy, ECDA should engage the parents, understand their needs and propose a few suitable nearby centres with vacancies for their selection and registration?

KidSTART

The early years are especially important for children's development. We must seize this golden window of opportunity to nurture and help them build a strong foundation for learning. However, some families from disadvantaged backgrounds face various challenges in sending their children to preschool.

KidSTART was launched in my division in 2016 and I saw first-hand the difference that it has made and is still making. Hence, I welcome Prime Minister's announcement last year that KidSTART will be expanded nationwide. In my division, KidSTART is effective because ECDA and community partners work very closely together to tackle issues in a more comprehensive manner to better support families in need. I speak to all the agencies and they concur.

However, I hope the Ministry can share with us regularly how our families are progressing with all these interventions in place. Are the families progressing well? Do they need more help or are there gaps that need to be plugged? Sometimes, such help can be more effectively and quickly provided by the community itself.

I also hope that there could be long-term studies to review and track the progress of our children and their families in KidSTART.

I would also like to ask MSF if it can share how families will benefit from the expansion of KidSTART and provide an update on the Growing Together with KidSTART initiative. How many more children are expected to be included? Will community partnerships be considered so as to widen the scope of programmes that can benefit the children and their families?

Early Intervention Programmes

Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, students from low-income families tend to be more vulnerable to long-term absenteeism in schools. For families where persistent absenteeism is an issue, I would like to propose a conditional cash transfer programme – not a transfer to the Child Development Account – for these students in Primary and Secondary schools conditional on their commitment to student early intervention programmes and regular school attendance. Such programmes, like the widely praised Bolsa Famílias, have have been found to improve school attendance and even cognitive development internationally.

This is not a novel concept in Singapore. Since 2001, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund has been providing a monthly allowance for students from low-income backgrounds conditional on school attendance. An independent study of its impact found positive feedback from parents and students. Its recipients maintain regular attendance, perform better in school, were more engaged and more confident in achieving educational goals.

Whilst specific aid programmes, such as the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), are useful in fulfilling specific educational needs, they typically have strict conditions on the usage of the aid. Conditional cash transfers are nudges that, nevertheless, enable families to retain the freedom to choose how best to fulfil their needs, be it for better nutrition or savings for University education.

The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund study found that some recipients were keen to save the money. I was most heartened to read that as it could help them build healthy financial habits to cope with future difficulties. Some may object that such a policy creates moral hazard and some families may get their children to be absent to get the grant. There are levers to guard against this by keeping the grant small and directing it only at lower-income or multi-problem families.

Raising Quality of Preschools

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Mr Chairman, quality preschool education is vital in allowing our children to achieve their fullest potential in life.

How often does the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) review the pedagogies of our early childhood curriculum? What are the areas that ECDA will focus on in the coming years to further improve the quality of our early childhood education?

Beyond curriculum, can MSF share what are its efforts to build the key competencies of our preschool teachers? Has there been an increase in attrition among local preschool teachers?

Sir, the recent surge in Omicron infections has also left many preschools struggling to cope and our teachers grappling with an unprecedented workload. One teacher told me she is tired, but yet, she cannot afford to be sick because there would be no one left to help cover her class. Can ECDA ensure that there are sufficient teachers in our preschools to cope with the increased workload?

The quality of our preschools depends heavily on the quality and quantity of our childhood educators. For our future generations, we must do more to make early childhood education a choice profession.

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Review of ComCare and Public Assistance Schemes

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, given the marked rise in cost of living in recent times, is MSF bringing forward the review of the quantum to be given to eligible recipients of the ComCare and Public Assistance schemes?

Also – and perhaps this is a radical idea – does the Minister think that the current criteria are sufficient, or is there a case for us to explain the giving of public assistance to more people?

Public assistance is given to the poorest amongst us and it is a long-term assistance scheme, in contrast to short- and medium-term care. Public assistance is bare bones – it is for those who cannot work as a result of old age or illness and have little or no family support.

A single person, he or she, gets $600 a month and other help, such as free healthcare. Parents with children receive help in educational expenses. In 2020, there were 4,263 people on the scheme, 3% fewer than the year before. Many of these are elderly men who are not married.

Mr Chairman, I have two questions.

First, is the number of 4,000-plus on public assistance too few or too many? How do we decide on this? Is there a case, for example, to be made that our qualifying criteria are too stringent?

Second, is $600 too much or too little? Can the Minister give an idea of how this $600 was derived and whether it ought to be reviewed in light of recent inflationary pressures?

Finally, can I ask the Minister for a deeper review of the idea of “needs-based” funding of public assistance? I know our philosophy is to give adequate, but not generous, welfare. I agree with that. Certainly, for the most part, I agree with this because a bloated welfare state with a high tax burden is something that Singaporeans collectively do not want. Still, as a society and a government, let us think more deeply about what is required for this group in our midst – how they could live a dignified life and with peace of mind.

Of course, in addition to $600, there are many other forms of help and many other partners in the community who do give help. But $600 a month, I think in the present circumstances, is a precarious way of living. Can we do more to help this group of the poorest amongst us?

The Chairman: Ms He Ting Ru. Not here. Mr Leon Perera.

Reviewing Approaches to Tackle Poverty

Mr Leon Perera: Mr Chairman, Sir, in my Budget speech, I argued for a war on poverty and a different approach based on defining a poverty line, channelling all schemes through FSC social workers, reducing the stress involved in applying for financial assistance, providing longer lead times and larger amounts of financial assistance based on new research and with part of it tied to conditions. I also called for more aggressive early intervention for children born into poor families. The overarching goal should be to achieve a massive measurable dent in poverty and the poverty cycle.

Sir, ComLink, which is to be scaled up across Singapore, reflects some of these elements but not all. I am specifically calling for FSCs to be able to approve and administer all the various state financial assistance schemes directly for those defined as poor and at risk. I argue for FSCs to be like venture capitalists, making financial investments, coaching and hand-holding to get a return on that investment. Social workers today do not actually administer the aid in all cases. My arguments on the financial aid application process and amounts are also separate issues from what ComLink per se is focused on. To do all this, social workers need visibility on the holistic situation of the family. Vulnerable families often face complex issues, such as chronic illnesses, mental health issues, school absenteeism and other social issues. Hence, more needs to be done to ensure that social workers get that visibility via tools like One Client View and other forms of cross-agency data sharing, with permissions.

Sir, let me speak now on the social work profession. Social workers should see an increase in their remuneration, given the increased scope of work. In 2019, the overall annual resignation rate of social workers was 17%, which is double that of the estimated 8% attrition rate of healthcare workers in 2021. In a recent SUSS study, 57% of social workers were found to be suffering from anxiety during the pandemic in 2020. Social workers are professionals battling a national crisis on the frontlines and should be adequately compensated. A revolving door of social workers is detrimental to the support offered to vulnerable families.

I would like to ask the Government to review social workers' compensation and progression pathways in a very outcomes-oriented way, with a view to raise retention. Above all, efforts should be made to expand recruitment so as to lower caseloads, as I spoke about in my Budget speech.

And lastly, Sir, one possible objection to all I have thus far said is this: one could say that providing more welfare support to the poor more smoothly will breed welfare dependency. By doing this, we will trap the poor in a cycle of welfare dependency and will doom them and their children to poverty. We used to hear this argument a lot. We still do and it is heard around the world. Such arguments are not without a grain of truth. Hence, I want to be absolutely clear.

I am not calling for unlimited welfare aid that is so much that it discourages work. What I am calling for is enough aid for the basic dignity of the poor relative to minimum wage benchmarks and inflation and based on the latest research; enough aid to break the poverty cycle for the children; and with aid delivered in such a way that it drives better outcomes. Above all – I am just wrapping up – we must set ambitious goals to massively reduce poverty and the poverty cycle. A nation which does not set ambitious goals in any policy arena —

The Chairman: Mr Perera, I am afraid you have to end. You are almost a minute over your time.

Mr Leon Perera: Okay, I will end it there.

The Chairman: Ms Carrie Tan. Not here. Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap.

Community Link (ComLink)

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, MSF had launched the ComLink initiative in 2019, which aims to provide comprehensive, convenient and coordinated support to empower families with children living in rental housing through a proactive outreach and closer case support. I understand that under ComLink, the Social Service Office (SSO) for each town leads a team consisting of Government agencies, corporates and community partners.

I note, Sir, that a good interpersonal relationship between the beneficiary and the case worker is a pertinent factor behind the success of such programmes. In this regard, I would like to better understand ComLink and request that MSF provide details on how beneficiaries are engaged and managed. For example, is each family assigned with one case worker? Is there any minimum number of engagement session requirement for each family in a month? And can MSF also share the ratio of beneficiary to a case worker?

On a related note, Sir, I believe it is also important that the beneficiary is fully involved and committed. However, many low-income workers are engaged in jobs that involve irregular hours, such as daily- or hourly-rated work or food delivery. Also, time spent on programmes, interviews and counselling is time not spent working. This means lost income. I propose providing such individuals with a make-up allowance so as not to deter them from participating in such programmes towards their long-term benefit.

Finally, Sir, can I confirm that the ComLink for Bedok covers the rental blocks in the Kaki Bukit ward of Aljunied GRC?

Uplifting Youth in Rental Flats

Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): MSF has announced that, over the course of the next two years, ComLink will reach rental households with children and young people all across Singapore. With this programme, low-income families will be matched to dedicated befrienders and get customised help to address their problems as well as help families connect to community groups and Government agencies so they get more targeted help.

I am excited about these developments as I feel that it will help to render more timely and holistic care for the families with young children. It does, however, seem very resource-intensive and I have some queries regarding the execution of the programme.

How do we ensure the competencies of the befrienders? How do we match them to lower-income families? Do we have an ecosystem to support them as they approach the different Government agencies? What might be some indicators of success, both short and longer term, that MSF and ComLink partners are potentially looking at achieving? What might be some obstacles to achieving these goals? What is MSF’s strategy in attaining its objectives?

Progress of ComLink

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade): Chairman, last year, MSF announced that it would scale up the ComLink initiative nationwide to 21 towns over the next two years. Notably, the upscaling efforts are expected to benefit 14,000 families with children living in rental housing across Singapore. I applaud MSF for the efforts to upscale the ComLink initiative. Upscaling this initiative would make ComLink towns more accessible to lower-income families. Moreover, the expansion of ComLink will also go a long way in supporting low-income families adversely impacted by the pandemic. More families can take active steps towards stability, self-reliance and social mobility with adequate social support.

Having said that, could MSF provide an update on the progress of ComLink's expansion? Could MSF elaborate on the number of families it has assisted through ComLink so far and outline how frequently are check-ins conducted with the families?

ComLink – Choa Chu Kang

Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, MSF piloted ComLink three years ago in 2019 and I am very glad to hear that the Ministry will scale up the scheme over the next two years island-wide. I want to thank the Ministry for implementing ComLink in towns like Choa Chu Kang. This will really help the vulnerable families with young children staying in rental flats.

At the heart of ComLink are volunteer Befrienders, who play a critical role of befriending and suggesting plausible options for the families under ComLink and journey along with them. What is MSF doing to ensure that the volunteer Befrienders are adequately trained and of sound moral character, given he or she will be working closely with different members in the ComLink family?

As part of ComLink, would MSF consider implementing a seamless application process for these families? For example, for disadvantaged children who require financial assistance to attend schools, Social Service Offices’ records about their families can be shared with MOE and the schools, so that the children do not need to apply for the Financial Assistance Scheme, the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and other related help schemes separately.

Likewise, for other assistance that the families will need, I hope that MSF can tap upon information technology to make all the application processes easier. A seamless and integrated assistance application process will need more proactive and closer collaboration amongst all the involved Ministries, including MSF, MND, MOH and so on. Would the Ministry share an update on how the integration of assistance services for these families is progressing?

Food Insecurity and Unhealthy Eating

Mr Leon Perera: Mr Chairman, Sir, a recent study estimated that 10% of resident households were food insecure in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this, with many low-income families struggling from the financial fallout. Food distribution drives do important work but may be fragmented and lead to food wastage if rations are unsuitable due to health preference or dietary reasons.

I propose that the Government coordinate food aid by expanding the Community Shop concept of public rental flats and pockets of low-income family areas island-wide. The Community Shop was launched by Food from the Heart and lets beneficiaries choose some groceries every month for free from special minimarts in their area. This caters to different needs of beneficiary households, such as those who cook and do not cook, those with children or elderly who may require certain foods. Participants appreciate the flexibility and freedom of choice. Ninety-eight percent of respondents selected it as their preferred type of food programme after the first year.

I also propose an electronic point-of-sale system with digital currency loaded in a card. A large proportion of the credits could be earmarked for healthier food products to encourage healthy eating. The card could also be used at participating hawker stalls for those who do not cook. This repeats two calls in my recent Adjournment Motions on preventive health and hawkers. NGO Food Bank Singapore has piloted a similar Tap-A-Meal initiative, where beneficiaries are given cards loaded with credit to order what they wish from Encik Tan's menu.

Reach Out to Families in Need

Ms Joan Pereira: Chairman, families in need usually struggle with multi-faceted, interlocking problems. It takes the teamwork of different Ministries, agencies and volunteers to help them. I want to take this opportunity to recognise the efforts of my grassroots volunteers, community partners and Government agencies helping the vulnerable families in my division. A coordinator will keep track of the help rendered by the different agencies, share regularly how the family is doing after the various interventions and highlight areas where more or new help is required. Such regular sharing has been very effective in providing timely help to these families.

Therefore, I welcome the announcement by Minister Lawrence Wong to scale up Community Link or ComLink. I would like to ask the Ministry if all cases under ComLink will have dedicated case officers going forward as that would be extremely helpful. I would like to ask how many families and children have benefited from ComLink so far and if there are any important learning points that it can share.

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The families in need also spend a considerable amount of time filling up and submitting multiple forms to apply for assistance schemes under the different Government agencies. Will the Ministry consider streamlining all these processes so that they need not spend so much effort on administration matters and instead focus on improving their situation? Will the Ministry monitor these families in the longer term to ensure that they can continue to cope and do well?

The Chairman: Ms Denise Phua. Please take your three cuts together.

Giving and Volunteerism

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Sir, pandemic or not, many individuals and businesses in Singapore are passionate and concerned about issues such as inequality and caregiving support. Unfortunately, there are still many residents in need who are either over-served or completely missed out. And the impact of giving and volunteerism is not as strong as it should be.

Take food or grocery distribution for instance. Although MSF attempts to coordinate ground efforts, there is often repeat giving, wastage, food items that are not healthy or do not meet the needs of the beneficiaries. We usually have little choice.

In local caregiver support on the ground, there is either lack of a local network, a local plan or a one-stop hub where a caregiver can approach.

How can the Ministry play a more active role to involve the ground better and also direct help to where it is needed? I suggest the following.

Set up a Local Co-ordinator Network, much like the ComLink network, for young families in need. And like ComLink, this network can comprise the local Social Service Office, Family Service Centres, other social service agencies and even the CDCs. It can identify, curate, cluster and collate unmet needs; start with the rental estates.

Publish and publicise the needs in a user-friendly and accessible way. Set up a calendar of giving and volunteering in each neighbourhood. Educate potential donors on meaningful giving; focusing on needs, allow choice and not trying to create demands. And also equip recipient organisations with better volunteer management skills and tools, that are appropriate to their size and bandwidth.

On Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyships

As a Member of Parliament, it is not uncommon for me to see distraught residents whose loved ones have lost their mental capacity. These residents are legally unable to make decisions for the personal welfare or assets of their loved one because a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) had not been made before. Many of them are shocked that they have to apply to be legally appointed as deputies to then make decisions for loved ones who had lost capacity.

If LPAs are not as widespread as desired, deputyships are even lesser known.

Another group for whom deputyship is relevant are persons who are born disabled and do not have capacity to make decisions on their own. They require a deputy when their parents or guardians can no longer make decisions on their behalf, after the age of 21.

Based on data from the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), only 873 Court orders appointing deputies were received in 2021. The reasons for this low take-up rate are several: a genuine lack of awareness, difficulty with applications, costs and so forth.

There is also a need for knowledgeable medical practitioners who have the experience or ability to write a good enough medical report for deputyship applications.

Charities which try to help their clients with disabilities are also crying for help. They are not set up or resourced to facilitate deputyship applications for their clients. One charity head told me about the shortage of in-house psychologists and the challenges of coordinating with legal professionals.

Will MSF work with MinLaw to start a workgroup to seriously look into: (a) starting a mobile team which can focus on these services for residents and charities; (b) curating a list of experienced medical doctors and lawyers to help them; let fair fees be charged and subsidise applications for the lower-income; (c) developing an effective communication kit readily accessible to residents of different language abilities, education and backgrounds; and (d) training and sustaining a pool of volunteers able to share and guide the applicants.

Enabling Masterplan for the Disabled

Singapore’s next Enabling Masterplan for the Disabled (EMP4) is in the making. Unlike earlier plans which lasted for five years, this one will expire in 2030, eight years later. To ensure that this plan truly delivers better outcomes for persons with disabilities and the sector, we need to better organise, instil more rigour and constantly review for better results.

I suggest the following steps to be taken at the systemic level.

One, size the problem and do a better job at communicating all these main clusters of needs to all stakeholders.

Two, assess and cluster the needs according to importance, urgency, size of impact, or difficulty of implementation and pay special heed to areas which are highly important, highly urgent, with higher impact on the population; especially obvious pain points highlighted so many times over the years – the dearth of services for adults; the helplessness of caregivers who continue to fret about what happens to their children after they are gone. Some who cannot cope basically take their own lives or their children's lives or worry to their graves.

Three, strategically assign task forces to areas of priority. Not just any helping hands. Give the job to people and organisations with track records, who are not only commentators but willing and able to dirty their hands, tap on their networks and influence or empty their pockets to deliver the results expected of the tasks. This EMP4 is not a feel-good exercise to increase the number of volunteers, which is important, but is not first objective, which is to solve the root issues.

Four, resource appropriately this EMP4. At the national level, there must at least be a computation of what disability services would cost to meet basic and then aspirational goals. Leverage on mainstream facilities and programmes. MOH and MND have several that we can tap on. MSF ought to be better funded in the national budget for these critical essentials. Partners such as the Tote Board, Temasek and other foundations should be persuaded to address important pain points. Other stakeholders such as families, family caregivers and advocates can organise ourselves better to fundraise, to find regular income streams, to call upon our networks to resource the disability services better! Be part of the solution.

Five, set up a EMP4 Executive Council to report and review the EMP4 yearly after the Masterplan is published and to report and review at specific milestones or during major changes. It is naive to think that an eight-year Masterplan would still be relevant in 2030 if we start with just a plan now.

Sir, the state of the union in the disability sector is both encouraging and discouraging. A lot has been invested. Government has paid a lot of attention but needs are getting complex and multiplying. Expectations are rising. Demands keep surfacing. Tough as it may be though, we must never give up this space. Including the disabled is an important chapter of a Singapore Story that will make us truly human, caring and inclusive.

Sir, I urge Government to better organise, instil more rigour and constantly review for better results for the disabled.

Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): In January, the MSF announced an expansion of the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) as well as the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF). Amongst others, the existing schemes will be extended to support seniors and the disabled over a longer period of time and to cover a wider range of assistive devices. What new assistive devices has the Ministry noted a high demand for and that were not covered under the previous regime? Separately, which top five items does it project to have high subsidy utilisation up to 2030 under both SMF and ATF?

In 2019, the Minister for Social and Family Development shared that 2,037 persons with disabilities had benefited from ATF, a steady increase from 2016 and 2017. Since then, over the last three years, how many individuals have sought assistance at each subsidy tier?

The new items covered under the enhanced scheme have not been fully stated in the January announcement. There are common examples, but I ask that MSF consider the release of the full range of items that are eligible for subsidised purchase under the new scheme for better public utilisation of both funds.

Annex B of the MSF January press release contains a noteworthy footnote. It says that the enhancements to ATF will only apply the Singapore Citizens while there will be no changes to benefits for PRs. There does not seem to be any publicly available information on the dollar amount of subsidies provided to Singaporeans and PRs respectively under ATF before the latest update to the scheme. Would the Ministry be able to provide a breakdown between Singaporeans and PRs from SMF and ATF utilisation, in dollar terms, since each fund was launched?

Adult Disability Care

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Many residents with moderate to severe disabilities require care provided by adult disability care facilities, like day activity centres, adult disability homes, adult disability hostels and sheltered workshops.

May I ask the Minister what is the current utilisation rate among each of these facilities and what are their staff-client ratios? How many individuals are on the waiting list for these centres currently? Based on publicly available information, I understand the waiting times, depending on centres, can vary from three months to two years? If there is insufficient capacity and inadequate staffing at these facilities, this can create a cliff effect for those with special needs. They would have been receiving care from special education schools, but have difficulty finding the same level of support after leaving school. As a result, their ageing parents often have to bear the full weight of caregiving and many worry about how their children will be cared for after they pass on.

I would like to call for MSF to enhance its funding and support for the adult disability care facilities to be at least on par with what SPED schools receive. Such funding can help expand the capacity of care facilities and reduce their long waiting list. It can also go towards hiring and retaining more good staff, including Singaporeans with better pay and working conditions.

All this will help enable the centres to conduct more meaningful and effective engagement and training activities for their clients and lighten the worries of their caregivers. Besides improving the welfare of their clients, it will also give their caregivers much needed respite and allow them to be economically active if they choose to. This will produce both tangible and intangible benefits and returns for families, our society and our economy.

Caring for Persons with Disabilities

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Since 2007, MSF has charted three Enabling Masterplans. These Masterplans have not only achieved material changes in infrastructure, policies and support for persons with disabilities but have seeped these changes into the attitudes of fellow Singaporeans, including educators, employers and the public at large. Therefore, it is with great anticipation that we look forward to this new edition of the Enabling Masterplan which I understand takes a longer view than previous iterations charting a roadmap through 2030.

In particular, the topic of future care planning with caregivers weighs very heavily on my heart. I take particular note of households with special needs adults in my block and home visits with my residents and I am always left in admiration of our family caregivers' unwavering dedication to their charges. Some caregivers dedicate their entire lives, foregoing careers and other relationships in order to fulfil their caregiving responsibilities. And I think more needs to be done to support them.

I met Mdm Tan, not her real name, on a block and I immediately was taken by how well-designed her home was. Mdm Tan, who is in her late 50s, shared with me that she and her brother, who she suspects to be on the autism spectrum, live together and she is the sole caregiver for her brother. Her home was specifically designed to allow her brother to live comfortably and happily. She used to work in an office but as her brother started to age, she gave up her work and became a freelance interior designer so that she can work from home to care for her brother full-time. She is older than her brother by a few years and is worried about his well-being should she not be around to care for him any longer. To Mdm Tan, this fear of leaving behind her brother is very real and – given that she is in her late 50s – very near.

This visit left me with many questions as to how we as a nation and community can help and support the people in the same situation as Mdm Tan and her brother. Will Mdm Tan's brother be able to age-in-place in a home that he loves should she no longer be able to care for him? Is living in a purpose-built facility the only other alternative? What are the interventions out there available for undiagnosed adults with special needs?

Besides setting up trusts, what other supporting structures do we need to put in place as a nation to support our differently abled countrymen? While these remain as questions to many, to Mdm Tan and many caregivers in her shoes, these are very real, everyday realities with a looming timeline that is ticking away.

Although previous iterations on the Enabling Masterplans have indeed sought to alleviate the worries of caregivers in future care planning, I invite the MSF to consider how we can better reach out to caregivers like Mdm Tan with many going under the radar due to their charges undiagnosed or unreported disabilities.

Also, I invite the MSF to assess informational gaps faced by caregivers of adults with disabilities perhaps due to digital divide or language barriers so that we can better build bridges to alleviate the concerns of these caregivers.

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Employment Support for Persons with Disabilities

Mr Mark Chay (Nominated Member): Martina Navratilova once said disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you are needed by somebody.

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are part of our society and should be given a fair shot and employment without discrimination.

As Members of this House know, I am privileged to be coaching a champion paralympic swimmer Swimming and representing her country have been Pin Xiu's dream. However, not all persons with disabilities are as fortunate as Pin Xiu.

Through my journey in parasports, I have met many other differently abled individuals. Some are already in the workforce; some are in school. But what is most evident is their desire to be independent and productive members of society. This is why I will be speaking on stronger employment support for PWDs.

Sir, everyone needs to earn a living and support themselves and their dependents. This is especially so in Singapore, differently abled or not, but if opportunities are thwarted and with no support by society, there will be no means for survival.

PWDs can work and earn a decent living. Most PWDs are highly skilled and should be given a chance at employment and not be rejected.

I recognise that over the years, MSF has steadily increased employment support for PWDs. While PWDs who are able to work have access to job opportunities, there is still more that we can do on this front. There is also feedback that more services could be provided for PWDs above 18 years of age who are unable to work.

Chairman, I would like to ask if MSF has plans to support PWDs above the age of 18 with work opportunities and services so that they may stay meaningfully engaged.

Caregivers of Special Needs Individuals

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): "Walk with me for a while, my friend; you in my shoes, I in yours. And then, let us talk," Richelle Goodrich. I thought that is an apt quote to start with, to invite you to imagine walking in the shoes of caregivers of persons with special needs. I have shared my personal story in this House but it is the stories of others that inspire me to urge for more understanding and more support for these families.

Firstly, I would like to reiterate that there is a spectrum of disabilities and diverse needs. There are physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays and even within each category, there are different needs. Some may be high functioning; some require a lot more support. I would therefore caution against brushing "support" in this sector, with a broad stroke, lest we miss out specific needs and think that we have done enough.

I accept though that it would be unrealistic to expect the Government to provide solutions to all issues and address every problem. But there is a need for the Government to synchronise efforts especially on larger issues like early intervention, costs of medical care, infrastructure and also create platforms for people to come together to augment Government support.

Secondly, I would like to highlight that caregivers of persons with special needs face significant challenges on a day-to-day basis, including financial, physical and emotional challenges. Parents among us would understand that raising children can be an adventure. We love our children very much but there are days which test our resilience. Imagine a day in a life of a parent of a child with physical disabilities. Just washing up your child is a whole logistical affair. Sometimes, your child runs around in a public place and you need to discipline her. Imagine a parent of a child with autism, having a meltdown in the MRT. Calming the child down takes skill and a thick skin, as others watch you, sometimes with judgement or pity.

Thirdly, for these caregivers, the intense anxiety never ends as various challenges emerge and evolve at different milestones of the lives of the persons they care for. When they are young, caregivers worry about early intervention, finding the right school, how waiting times to enrol will impact their child and cost of therapies which they hope can help the child's development. When the child transits to a different education level, caregivers worry about how he or she would adjust. When they grow older and sometimes even stronger than the caregivers, parents worry about their waning strength in handling the child or how anyone else would do it. They worry about employment or how their children would survive when they pass on.

It is against this backdrop that I am asking for some attention to be given to the plans in supporting the caregivers. I am grateful for the Government's various efforts including engaging different stakeholders through focus group discussions and working with partners and charities to enhance services and funding. I am appreciative of the ongoing efforts and I am heartened to hear that we will be launching the Enabling Masterplan 2030 to further strengthen support in areas like employment, lifelong learning and respite care.

This is, indeed, a meaningful platform focusing on key concerns of the special needs community. Could I get further details on the Enabling Masterplan and the strategic effort to bring in different stakeholders and the community to provide different dimensions of support to the caregivers?

I hope we remain cognisant of the varying needs and deepen our understanding of effective support that can be provided. This is work-in-progress and I trust the Government will remain committed to develop the support structures. I hope the larger community too, will continue to deepen their understanding about different abilities and do their part to embrace and support the caregivers.

Mentoring for ITE Students

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Youths today face a multitude of challenges; in particular, youths who leave school prematurely, after which, it leaves them in a vulnerable state, where they no longer have access to guidance and an environment that can provide them with the right conditions to realise their fullest potential.

I believe that every youth should be given more opportunities throughout life. Many are incredibly successful after several attempts. Many success stories would have credited their success to a teacher, a mentor, someone who along their journey was able to guide them to better understand themselves and amplify their strengths. We want all to have such opportunities in life.

Can MSF provide a progress update on the mentoring programme? How many mentors and mentees have been recruited thus far and what might success look like, at the end of the programme?

Mentoring Programme

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, we know that our adolescent years are a big influence in our lives. They certainly shape who we are and can have a profound impact on our outlook in life and our life trajectory.

Those young people who do go into further education after they turn 18 will find many mentors within their education journey. Those who enter into the workforce, however, may find it harder to do so. Still, others may not realise the powerful role that mentors play in living a successful life.

Mentors help us develop in ways that go beyond the obvious, beyond grades and promotions, beyond financial and social success. Mentors are guides in the journey of life and they are especially useful to young people. Having been a mentor myself, I know that I may not be able to help people avoid mistakes in life and, in fact, some lessons cannot be learnt except through paying for "tuition" in mistakes. But I can help them. I can forewarn them, I can forearm them and I can also help in the recovery.

At last year's COS, the Ministry announced the mentoring programme pilot for youths. Can the Minister provide an update of the progress of this pilot and how it will benefit the youths who have participated?

Can the Minister also provide some numbers as to the size and impact of the programme? How many young people have benefited from it and what are some of the variables being measured?

How do the mentors get into the programme and are there any sorting mechanisms for such mentors who, after all, may be paired with young people who themselves are vulnerable?

Are there any lessons or concerns from such programmes? Do we have plans to expand the programme, especially to those young people who have not had access to formal mentors in school? Can I ask that the Minister update especially on the opportunity for lower-income youths or youths at risks, to acquire mentors and the impact that these have on them?

The Chairman: Mr Xie Yao Quan. Not here. Mr Louis Ng.

Provide More Help for Social Workers

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: I shared in my Budget speech that Family Service Centres (FSCs) social workers are asking for a cap on the number of active cases they handle, funding for headcounts and resources for research work, more funding for headcounts and resources for community work.

I met many passionate social workers, but they struggle with heavy caseloads and were burnt out. One social worker told me to tell everyone here, "just tell everyone we are just very tired and frustrated".

MSF has programmes for FSCs and monitors and helps them when needed. These are good but not enough.

Despite all these programmes, nearly 60% of frontline social workers were affected by anxiety at the height of the pandemic, with 45% facing depression.

FSCs are also handling more cases which are getting more complex.

Let us focus on what more we can do for social workers, by improving our existing programmes and launching new initiatives like the Community Capacity Trust, by moving beyond guidelines and helping FSCs implement these programmes and use the grants provided. Let us help social workers help the most vulnerable in our society.

Social Service Sector – Status Update

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, the community, including social service agencies (SSAs), community groups and corporates, all play a critical role alongside the Government in supporting the social needs of Singaporeans.

Indeed, it is the community that has allowed Singapore to pursue a unique welfare model where the state is small, but the work it does is amplified through the effort of community partners.

During this COVID-19 period, many SSAs, they had pivoted to digital modes and transformed their service delivery.

For many, this has been an opportunity to reap efficiency gains and to magnify their impact. Technology has enabled us to do more than we have done before, to reach more people in the comfort of their own homes and at times, most convenient to them. It has allowed more frequent check-ins and more innovative use of scarce manpower in the social service industry.

And yet, SSAs are one of the most high-touch sectors. That is to say, the human connection must be established through real meetings, where we can see and we can hear, not just what is conveyed through the camera and microphone, but in a million ways through body language, the blink of an eye, the crossing of a defensive knee, the discomfort unspoken but to an experienced social worker, as clear as a shout.

In short, with digital modes, the gains are clear, but what we lose are less. How will the Ministry help SSAs to be prepared for the future? Can the Minister let us know how SSAs have harnessed technology and how it measures service delivery? Have there been any adjustments that social service professionals have had to make and what has been the feedback from clients?

And finally, have we seen an increase in participation and support of corporates in this space? Is there more that the Government can do to encourage community partners to step up?

The Chairman: Minister Masagos Zulkifli, would you like to report progress?