Yellow Ribbon volunteers to get more training

This post came out from The Straits Times (13 May 2016)

Grassroots volunteers with the Yellow Ribbon Community Project will receive further training, an add-on to the one-day programme they now undergo to learn the skills required for the job. This will help them to identify vulnerable children of inmates and provide deeper community support for families. The training will start this year, and more details will be released later.

Highlighting the need to deepen community involvement, Mr Amrin, Parliamentary Secretary (Home Affairs) said: "Without proper family support and a conducive growing up environment, the children will be at higher risk of developing anti-social behaviours, or may face difficulty coping in school.

Under the new training programme, volunteers will learn to identify the needs of the children of inmates, and connect them to Care Network agencies. Mr Amrin said volunteers will be encouraged to introduce the families of inmates to grassrots community programmes to widen their social support network, rather than just link them up with resources. Volunteers can also encourage inmates to keep in touch with their family members. Currently, with inmates' consent, volunteers approach their families, encouraging them to visit their loved ones in prison.

On average, 70 per cent of newly admitted offenders agree to take part in the programme. Since its inception in 2010, the Yellow Ribbon Community Project has helped more than 4,000 families. It as more than 800 grassroots volunteers, up from about 60 in 2010.

Ms Edlyn Tan, 28, a volunteer of three years, hopes more young people can come on board as i"it's never easy to find suitable volunteers for this role". She said, for example, that volunteers have to be sensitive to families' needs by carrying out visits discreetly if the families have not told their children or neighbours about the incarceration.


Thoughts:

1. I think it is useful for families that do not have much support to gain networks through this scheme so that they are aware that there are available support out there. It is very useful, especially for some of the increasing transnational families, where foreign spouses might not know what or who to approach for help.
2. I also feel that this highlights that the society is becoming more inclusive and accepting of families with incarcerated members, and help them to feel part of the community.
3. One thing to note is that the engagement should be regular, so that the family members do not feel that it is a once off event, and the grassroots wash their hands off after the link up with agencies. 

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big