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There are still families stuck in an intergenerational cycle of poverty and while the government can provide essential safety nets, real sustained change can only happen when society pitches in too, says Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.
Mr Masagos and senior social worker at Care Corner, Flora Tan, join Crispina Robert for a discussion on tackling poverty in Singapore.
(L-R) Host Crispina Robert with guests social worker Flora Tan and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli (Photo: CNA/Joanne Chan)
Here is an excerpt from the conversation:
Crispina Robert, host:
I want to get to this point about (poverty) being multifactorial and intergenerational. We used to tell students that whatever you do, just get through and graduate with a diploma. But sometimes, getting there is hard; a lot of (kids) fall through. It’s heart-wrenching and non-stop and there’s the issue of burnout (for those providing support). How do you deal with that?
Flora Tan, senior social worker:
It's not really just about my skills, my programme, my services and how effective they are, but rather, can I understand that these issues are nested within a broader system?
Crispina:
But how tough is that? How are you able to find all these different people in the (child’s) constellation?
Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development:
But that’s what governments do. We organise, especially the agencies, to make sure everyone is synchronised. We know, for example, being entrenched in a rental home is not good – anywhere in the world.
It is good as a temporary shelter but not a permanent home, especially for the young. So we have to work with the housing agency. Can we help them save up, what does the family need to do? And then we bring in the social worker, whether it is about their financial needs or motivational needs.
In the meantime, we have to look after the children. While adults have a complex problem, we don’t want the children to be neglected ... they can still benefit from the best education in the world that we have in Singapore.
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Source: CNA/jj
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FAST
There are still families stuck in an intergenerational cycle of poverty and while the government can provide essential safety nets, real sustained change can only happen when society pitches in too, says Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.
Mr Masagos and senior social worker at Care Corner, Flora Tan, join Crispina Robert for a discussion on tackling poverty in Singapore.
(L-R) Host Crispina Robert with guests social worker Flora Tan and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli (Photo: CNA/Joanne Chan)
Here is an excerpt from the conversation:
Crispina Robert, host:
I want to get to this point about (poverty) being multifactorial and intergenerational. We used to tell students that whatever you do, just get through and graduate with a diploma. But sometimes, getting there is hard; a lot of (kids) fall through. It’s heart-wrenching and non-stop and there’s the issue of burnout (for those providing support). How do you deal with that?
Flora Tan, senior social worker:
It's not really just about my skills, my programme, my services and how effective they are, but rather, can I understand that these issues are nested within a broader system?
Crispina:
But how tough is that? How are you able to find all these different people in the (child’s) constellation?
Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development:
But that’s what governments do. We organise, especially the agencies, to make sure everyone is synchronised. We know, for example, being entrenched in a rental home is not good – anywhere in the world.
It is good as a temporary shelter but not a permanent home, especially for the young. So we have to work with the housing agency. Can we help them save up, what does the family need to do? And then we bring in the social worker, whether it is about their financial needs or motivational needs.
In the meantime, we have to look after the children. While adults have a complex problem, we don’t want the children to be neglected ... they can still benefit from the best education in the world that we have in Singapore.
Find more episodes of Deep Dive here.
A new episode of Deep Dive drops every Friday. Follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify or meListen for the latest updates.
Have a great topic for us? Drop the team an email at cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg
Source: CNA/jj
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