This post came out from The Straits Times (6 November 2016)
Housewife Melissa Lee, 21, is thankful to have picked up some
parenting skills over the past five weeks in a playgroup session. "I've
learnt that it's important to talk gently and keep calm, even if I'm frustrated
when the child whines. It's helpful that there are facilitators who role-play
how we should interact with children," said the first-time mother, who has
a 10-month-old daughter, Mathilda. "Initially, she was not used to new
environments and would not allow strangers to carry her. But now I notice she's
somehow more sociable."
Mathilda is one of 280 young children from disadvantaged
families who have benefited from KidStart, a government scheme which started in
July to help such children get a leg-up in life. The three-year pilot scheme is
led by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and $20 million has been
set aside for it. About 1,000 low-income children up to age six are expected to
benefit. They live in five areas where the scheme is being piloted - Kreta
Ayer, Bukit Merah, Taman Jurong, Boon Lay and Geylang Serai.The scheme was
first announced during the Budget speech in March, and ECDA gave an update
yesterday about how it works and has progressed so far.
The playgroup session, called KidStart Group, is one
of three components of KidStart being piloted. This is for children up to three
years old and their parents, who learn parenting skills and how to strengthen
the bond with their children. Because the concept behind the KidStart Group
sessions is new here, a five-week trial was held from Oct 1. A total of 33
children and 29 parents took part, going for weekly sessions at the
volunteer-run We Love Learning (WeLL) centre at a void deck in Henderson.
ECDA said the response has been encouraging, with 80
per cent attendance on average per session. Partners involved in the trial
include EtonHouse International Education Group, National Library Board and
family service centres. Minister for Social and Family Development Tan
Chuan-Jin said on the sidelines while visiting a session yesterday that it was
vital to have community partners involved.
The KidStart Group sessions use evidence-based
curricula from Australia and the US, and ECDA said it will use learning points
from the trial to finalise the curriculum for sessions that will be rolled out
in the other pilot sites next year. The other two components of KidStart are
regular home visits and enhanced pre-school support. Under the regular home
visits, staff from KK Women's and Children's Hospital or ECDA have dropped in
at the homes of 50 infants and their parents or primary caregivers. This will
continue until the child turns three. During the visits, the parents receive
support in skills and knowledge about stages of a child's growth, health and
nutrition.
The enhanced pre-school support component has about
200 children across selected pre-schools run by PAP Community Foundation and
NTUC First Campus receiving help so far. Staff from the pre-schools help to
monitor the child's attendance, address barriers that hinder the child from attending
pre-school, and look out for the child's developmental needs.
Thoughts anyone?
Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big
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