“On top of academics, it is the social aspect, the regulation of moods, and using up their energy so they are not as restless when they get home because they are meaningfully engaged throughout the day.”
CNA also spoke to families under ComLink+ who do not face major barriers with attendance, to understand what helps.
For one rental flat resident who wanted to be known only as Raudhah, a structured routine and setting clear roles with her husband, such as who does the dropping-off and the picking-up of the kids, made all the difference.
“Having the school close by really helps because we can quickly drop them off before heading to work. It also puts our minds at ease knowing they are being engaged in school,” she said.
“If they miss school, I will have to take childcare leave to look after them. That is also not always easy.”
Over the years, social service agencies have developed a range of support programmes to help families navigate such challenges on the ground that cannot be resolved by financial incentives.
MSF has been hiring family coaches and progressively extending ComLink+ support to eligible families too.
“Over the next few years, MSF aims to support around 10,000 families living in public rental housing that have agreed to work with us, and another 3,000 families eligible for KidSTART or with children at risk of long-term absenteeism, but not living in public rental housing,” the ministry said in a report from 2024.
At Touch Integrated Family Group, social workers have found that the “most effective” approach for improving preschool access is through targeted and personalised support rather than mass programmes.
“This requires understanding each family's unique situation and addressing the active barriers that keep them from accessing preschools. These obstacles often vary from one family to another,” said Ms Ang.
“Ultimately, support must be extended to improve a family's overall circumstances, such as employment, finances, savings, and health, to ensure families have the necessary resources and cognitive bandwidth to focus and prioritise their children's longer-term needs.”
Another pilot programme, Project Care by Beyond Social Services, aims to strengthen the capacity of low-income parents through community-based support.
It helps families tap into community resources and encourages meaningful engagement with their children’s development both in school and at home.
The project also supports early learning habits among toddlers and young children aged 18 months to six years.
“While these children continue to attend mainstream childcare, the initiative helps them build regular attendance habits and develop key competencies to better prepare for primary school,” said Ms Raju.
Still, parents and social workers said more could be done, especially to ease the logistical and emotional load.
For one, financial assistance for transportation would make a significant difference to help parents send children to preschools that are further away. Others proposed peer support networks that allow parents from the same block to bring their children to school together.
Fei Yue’s Ms Lim also highlighted that it is important for all parties involved to be more understanding and flexible in how the needs are met.
“If there could be more collaboration and more understanding in the processes, we can make it easier and smoother for the parents to access support.”
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CNA also spoke to families under ComLink+ who do not face major barriers with attendance, to understand what helps.
For one rental flat resident who wanted to be known only as Raudhah, a structured routine and setting clear roles with her husband, such as who does the dropping-off and the picking-up of the kids, made all the difference.
“Having the school close by really helps because we can quickly drop them off before heading to work. It also puts our minds at ease knowing they are being engaged in school,” she said.
“If they miss school, I will have to take childcare leave to look after them. That is also not always easy.”
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Over the years, social service agencies have developed a range of support programmes to help families navigate such challenges on the ground that cannot be resolved by financial incentives.
MSF has been hiring family coaches and progressively extending ComLink+ support to eligible families too.
“Over the next few years, MSF aims to support around 10,000 families living in public rental housing that have agreed to work with us, and another 3,000 families eligible for KidSTART or with children at risk of long-term absenteeism, but not living in public rental housing,” the ministry said in a report from 2024.
At Touch Integrated Family Group, social workers have found that the “most effective” approach for improving preschool access is through targeted and personalised support rather than mass programmes.
“This requires understanding each family's unique situation and addressing the active barriers that keep them from accessing preschools. These obstacles often vary from one family to another,” said Ms Ang.
“Ultimately, support must be extended to improve a family's overall circumstances, such as employment, finances, savings, and health, to ensure families have the necessary resources and cognitive bandwidth to focus and prioritise their children's longer-term needs.”
Another pilot programme, Project Care by Beyond Social Services, aims to strengthen the capacity of low-income parents through community-based support.
It helps families tap into community resources and encourages meaningful engagement with their children’s development both in school and at home.
The project also supports early learning habits among toddlers and young children aged 18 months to six years.
“While these children continue to attend mainstream childcare, the initiative helps them build regular attendance habits and develop key competencies to better prepare for primary school,” said Ms Raju.
Still, parents and social workers said more could be done, especially to ease the logistical and emotional load.
For one, financial assistance for transportation would make a significant difference to help parents send children to preschools that are further away. Others proposed peer support networks that allow parents from the same block to bring their children to school together.
Fei Yue’s Ms Lim also highlighted that it is important for all parties involved to be more understanding and flexible in how the needs are met.
“If there could be more collaboration and more understanding in the processes, we can make it easier and smoother for the parents to access support.”
Continue reading...