The PAP Government continues to build a society where all Singaporeans have opportunities to flourish. This is part of our renewed social compact.
During the final day of the COS debate (10 Mar), the government outlined new measures to empower vulnerable groups and provide every child with the best start in life.
Uplifting lower-income families
Lower-income families face a myriad of challenges, not all of which are financial. That is where ComLink+ comes in, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.
Since 2023, the ComLink+ initiative has been providing comprehensive support in areas such as early childhood education, employment and debt clearance to disadvantaged families.
These families will now get further support in health and housing matters.
“We are trialling a new model of support to address the health needs of ComLink+ families,” announced Mr Chua.
With this additional support, families will be guided to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Healthcare staff will help implement health action plans for families with complex health needs.
“Being healthy enables us to live, work, and pursue our aspirations. We hope to improve families’ overall health, so they can better pursue their other life goals,” added Mr Chua.
Empowering PWDs to achieve their aspirations
The transition to adulthood is hard enough for many young people. It can be more difficult for people with disabilities (PWDs), who often lose the support they receive in school once they graduate.
To blunt the post-18 cliff effect that PWDs face, the government will strengthen students’ work readiness when transitioning from school to work.
Firstly, ITE students with disabilities will be provided with more internship and employment support, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua. This can include pre-employment training and job placement with up to a year of on-site support.
Next, the School-to-Work (S2W) Programme, which offers SPED students worksite-based job training, will expand its intake.
Employment is a source of social connection and dignity. We want to support PWDs in finding meaningful employment, said Mr Chua.
Besides employment, the government is piloting new measures enabling PWDs to live independently in the community.
One of them is the Enabled Living Programme (ELP). Under the ELP, PWDs without family support will live in designated public rental flats. They will receive support such as referrals to financial assistance and coaching on living and social skills, said Mr Chua.
Access to affordable and quality preschools
The first five years are some of the most important periods of a child’s life. Learning that takes place during these critical years will lay the foundation for future educational success.
That is why the PAP is taking early years education seriously. “We have enhanced access to affordable and quality preschools,” said Minister of State Sun Xueling.
Over the last decade, the government has increased full-day preschool places from 120,000 to 220,000. This number is enough to accommodate every resident child aged three and above, said Ms Sun.
By 2029, the government will add another 40,000 full-day preschool places, of which about 6,000 will cater to infants.
More importantly, quality childcare in Singapore does not come with an exorbitant price.
Since 2023, fees at eligible preschools have been subjected to a reduction to their monthly fee cap to keep preschool education affordable.
In 2026, the fee cap will be reduced by another $30. As a result, full-day childcare fees at Anchor Operators will be cheaper (capped at $610) compared to 2021, where fees are capped at $720.
Together, we can create a Singapore where every child has a good start in life, said Ms Sun.
