Positive Environment at Children’s Homes, Shelters and Other Welfare Homes
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the Government's approach to fostering positive learning and personal development for children residing in various residential care and welfare homes. Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry inquired about these environments, prompting Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim to highlight policies aimed at minimizing educational disruption and providing trauma-informed social and emotional support. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary clarified that while children’s homes focus on community integration and character development, shelters provide temporary housing for families, and welfare homes serve destitute adults. Furthermore, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim noted that occupancy in children's homes decreased from 798 in 2015 to 701 in 2017. This shift reflects a strategic policy to transform the out-of-home care sector by prioritizing the placement of vulnerable children into foster families.
Transcript
3 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the Government's overall approach to create a positive learning and personal development environment for children staying at the various children's homes, shelters and other welfare homes.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social and Family Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Mr Speaker, education is a key pillar of social mobility in Singapore. Our schools provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of background, to access good quality education. This also applies to children who reside in Homes licensed under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development aims to minimise disruption to the educational needs of such children, even though circumstances had led them to be separated from their own families. For example, community case managers in the children’s homes work with the schools to ensure that the children continue to attend school. At the same time, the social and emotional needs of these vulnerable children are provided for, bearing in mind the difficult backgrounds they come from and the trauma that some of them may have experienced. Equally important is character development and the need for the children to be connected and integrated in the community.
In contrast to the children's homes, shelters and welfare homes serve different target groups. Shelters are intended for adults who have exhausted all other means of accommodation or those who face family violence. Children who reside temporarily in these shelters are accompanied by their family, and the shelters partner the family, schools and the community in providing for the children’s needs. Welfare homes do not admit children, and serve only adults who are destitute.
Mr Speaker: Mr Seah Kian Peng.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Can I just ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary what is the current capacity in all these homes and what is the occupancy at these homes?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: All I can say is that the numbers of children and youths in these homes have been going down. In fact, the capacity has been increasing. In 2015, we had about 798 children; in 2016, it went down to 734; in 2017, it was 701. This is because we are looking at transforming the out-of-home care sector. We are putting more kids into foster families. This is a good development. And I want to assure Members that we take care of these kids because they are our future generations.