# 發展部長馬善高國會陳述：打造「為家庭而生」的新加坡

URL: https://www.shicheng.news/zh-hant/v/N7b2W
Published: 2024-04-07
Source: 獅城新聞

![發展部長馬善高國會陳述：打造「為家庭而生」的新加坡](https://www.shicheng.news/images/image/1742/17421086.avif?0)





2024年3月6日，新加坡社會及家庭發展部長兼衛生部第二部長馬善高在國會回複議員關於「凝聚家庭」運動的系列舉措、取得的成效和進一步的打算。

**以下內容為新加坡眼根據國會英文資料翻譯整理：**

馬善高：家庭與社會服務部長

主席先生，感謝各位議員的建議。作為一個國家，我們之所以能夠經受住風暴並變得更加強大，是因為我們擁有強大的家庭和牢固的社會契約。 Forward SG重申新加坡人仍然重視家庭的重要性，大家也有強烈的共識要建設一個所有家庭都有機會成功的社會。

我將談談實現這一使命的三個關鍵方法。第一，共同努力，支持家庭走過人生的每一個階段，鞏固婚姻，從孩子幼年起就支持父母，並照顧我們的長者。第二，我們將不僅僅提供援助，賦予需要幫助的家庭力量。我們已經啟動提升版社區聯繫站計劃（ComLink+），並將進一步幫助低收入家庭的孩子脫離困境。第三，政府將與社會服務部門、企業和新加坡人攜手合作，鞏固家庭，並繼續努力幫助有需要的人，以確保產生持續的影響。我們邀請更多人參與志願服務，貢獻他們的時間、才華和財富。通過共同努力，我們將建設一個充滿關愛和包容性的社會，並保持新加坡的社會流動性。

請允許我詳細說明一下。如今，夫妻在一起的時間越來越長。最近的研究表明，在10周年紀念日之前解除婚姻關係的比例有所下降。讓我感到欣慰的是，越來越多的夫妻認識到持續投資婚姻的重要性。他們積極主動尋找婚姻和育兒資源，而不只是在關係出現問題時才尋求幫助。

我們肯定社會對家庭的承諾，並將繼續鞏固家庭觀念，這是我們未來幾年的支柱。我們通過為家庭提供終身支持來實現這一目標。正如我在衛生部(MOH)供應委員會所分享的那樣，我們正在加強對夫婦在懷孕和生育過程中的支持。

孩子的幼年時期至關重要，對於新手父母來說，可能也是最具挑戰性的時期。經過多年努力，家長們有更多機會將孩子送入負擔得起的優質幼兒園。我們將繼續努力。我們還幫助在職家長平衡工作責任和照顧嬰兒之間的關係。政府正在通過多種方式解決這一問題，內政部政務部長孫雪玲將對此進行詳細闡述。

我們最近增加了政府支付的有薪陪產假。我們鼓勵符合條件的父親使用陪產假，並正努力讓更多的父親從新增加的兩周假期中受益。不僅僅停留在關注幼兒時期，我們正在推出各種便利的方案和資源，以解決家庭各種問題。

由凝聚家庭理事會領導的「凝聚家庭」(FFL) 運動，彙集了各方面合作夥伴，在社區提供婚姻和育兒方案。目前已在9個市鎮開展，我很高興地告訴大家，到今年年底，這項計劃將擴展到18個市鎮。我們最近還與主要業者（Anchor Operators）合作，在他們的社區為學齡前兒童的家長提供「凝聚家庭」親子課程。黃玲玲女士將很高興地得知，理事會將推出更多育兒資源，以更好地支持有孩子的家庭。

上個月，我們還推出了一種新的自助工具「我們的婚姻之旅測驗」，以幫助夫妻評估他們關係的健康狀況，就像身體健康檢查一樣。

楊益財先生和黃玲玲女士提到，全社會要共同努力，建設一個「為家庭而生」的新加坡。我同意這一點。因此，理事會也希望與僱主合作，在他們的工作場所提供婚姻和育兒資源或講座。社區合作夥伴和志願者對於支持我們建立牢固家庭的使命同樣至關重要。

我們很高興看到「凝聚家庭」運動穩步發展。去年，超過150家企業和社區合作夥伴，如凱德購物中心和新加坡心臟基金會等，以及400名志願者齊聚一堂，共同支持全國家庭周。

我們將繼續推動這項運動的發展。從今年起，凝聚家庭理事會將把該活動擴展成為期一個月的全國家庭節。我鼓勵所有家庭利用理事會資源並參加全國家庭節，這個節日將於5月25日學校假期啟動時開始。我們也期待與更多合作夥伴合作一道，為家庭提供引人入勝的體驗。

在許多人的努力下，我們打造了一個「為家庭而生」的新加坡。

楊益財先生詢問我們如何才能打造一個不讓任何人掉隊的社會。我們的目標是讓每個新加坡家庭成為一個強大而穩固的家庭。這包括低收入家庭。

正如潘麗萍女士所觀察到的那樣，低收入家庭往往面臨更多挑戰。僅靠社會援助可能還不夠。例如，家庭可能不得不利用有限的財力來滿足不同的需求，同時還要平衡工作、照顧和休息。這可能會導致「帶寬稅」，即家庭只關注日常事務而無法規劃長遠。除了提供社會援助之外，我們還希望與家庭合作，幫助他們實現自己的願望，增強自己的優勢，為自己和孩子創造更好的生活。換句話說，我們希望超越援助，轉向賦權。

因此，我們推出了提升版社區聯繫站計劃(ComLink+)作為ForwardSG的一部分。 ComLink+家庭現在有了一位專門的家庭導師，在新夫妻努力實現長期目標的過程中為他們提供指導、激勵和陪伴。 潘麗萍女士也將很高興地得知，截至2023年底，約有10,000個ComLink+ 家庭已同意與我們合作，其中97%正在接受家庭導師的支持。這其中包括由家庭服務中心 (FSC) 支持的家庭，他們的工作人員承擔著家庭導師的職責。

隨著家庭朝著目標邁出積極的步伐，他們可以從ComLink+ 進步套餐中獲得資金補貼，以激勵他們努力的效果，並幫助他們更好地專注於實現自己的目標。關於這一點，高級政務次長蔡瑞隆將詳細闡述。

ComLink+的這些增強功能以及與家庭服務中心的合作表明，我們是如何將以家庭為中心作為我們一切工作的核心。正如楊益財先生所言，除了低收入家庭外，家庭服務中心還為其他家庭提供服務。就像全科醫生診所在社區提供醫療保健服務一樣，家庭服務中心也是以社區為基礎的機構，提供個案工作專業知識，來支持有社交和情感需求的家庭。 30多年來，家庭服務中心不斷發展其實踐，以滿足服務對象不斷變化的需求，幫助他們實現「3S」——自力更生(Self-reliance)穩定(Stability)和社會流動(Social mobility)。

如今，家庭服務領域不斷擴大，家庭服務中心與許多其他機構一起，為家庭提供支持。一個有複雜需求的家庭，除了獲得家庭服務委員會的支持外，還可能獲得其他社會服務機構（SSA）的支持，如家庭暴力、家庭諮詢或子女青少年計劃。儘管這些社會服務機構會努力相互協調，但家庭可能仍然會發現與多個合作夥伴互動很繁瑣。另一個擔憂是，由於每個合作夥伴都專注於解決眼前的問題，我們可能並不總能解決根本問題。

未來十年，我們還將面臨更多的人口挑戰。我們將進入超老齡社會，家庭結構可能會發生變化。

但是，隨著社會的變化，我們也有機會進行調整，以滿足新的需求，並以更加協調的方式支持家庭。我們的願景是，讓有需要的家庭通過一個單一的主體接受家庭服務的支持，這個主體能夠全面和更加協調地滿足不同家庭成員的需求，從而為整個家庭帶來更好的發展。

我很高興地宣布，新加坡社會與家庭發展部將成立家庭服務格局審查委員會。本著Forward SG的精神，我們將與社區合作，共同打造未來的服務格局。該委員會將由高級政務秘書蔡瑞隆擔任主席，成員包括來自行業合作夥伴的代表。我們將在準備就緒後和大家分享更多細節。

主席先生，我們一直致力於支持低收入家庭實現社會流動。我們持續提升新加坡社會流動性的戰略的一個關鍵方面是支持兒童，讓所有兒童無論背景如何，都能有一個良好的人生開端。

儘管低收入家庭兒童的學前教育入學率有所上升，但仍低於全國平均水平。來自低收入家庭的三至四歲兒童中，約有八成進入學前班，而全國平均水平為九成。這可能是由多種因素造成的。家長可能擔心無法負擔學前教育費用，對學前教育的好處了解較少，或者不得不用較少的資源兼顧工作和家庭。我們將推出多項措施，幫助低收入家庭的孩子從我們對幼兒教育的投資中獲益。

首先，我們將為低收入家庭提供更大的保障，確保他們有能力送子女上上學前班。所有接受社區關懷計劃（ComCare）援助金或居住在公共租賃組屋的家庭都已經自動符合領取最高託兒服務津貼的資格。正如黃循財副總理在預算案中宣布的那樣，我們將向更多低收入家庭提供類似的支持。所有家庭月收入在 6,000 新幣及以下的低收入家庭，都將有資格獲得與其收入層級對應的最高託兒服務津貼。我們將從2024年第四季度開始實施這一舉措，屆時將新增多達17,000名兒童受益。

其次，從2024年第三季度開始，我們將擴大對所有低收入家庭的主動外展活動，鼓勵他們讓孩子入讀學前班。學前外展工作人員和ComLink+計劃的家庭導師將與家長合作，幫助他們了解學前教育的重要性，並讓他們的孩子入讀合適的學前教育機構。作為ComLink+套餐計劃的一部分，ComLink+計劃的家庭如果及早為孩子報名並定期送孩子上學前班，就可以獲得財政補貼。

最後，我們將支持家庭最大限度地受益於優質學前教育。我們認識到，低收入家庭的兒童即使入讀學前班，也可能需要更多的支持。平均而言，在「主要業者」幼兒園就讀的孩子中，來自低收入家庭的孩子每月出勤率約為72%，低於中等收入同齡人79%的出勤率。他們的家庭可能也沒有那麼多資源來支持他們在家學習。

從今年第二季度開始，我們將為選定的「主要業者」幼兒園提供更多資源，讓他們能夠為他們照顧的兒童提供有效和及時的支持。「主要業者」幼兒園將與我們共同出資，提供有針對性的支持，並利用額外資源來支持這些兒童，例如提供專門的小組學習課程，並解決家庭在定期送孩子上學方面面臨的挑戰。正如馬利基部長（總理公署部長兼教育部和外交部第二部長）所說，教育部也將同樣加強教育部幼兒園的各項舉措，以支持低收入家庭的兒童。

總之，這些措施將有助於解決低收入家庭面臨的挑戰，使他們的孩子能夠與同齡人一起學習、玩耍和全面發展。

我們在加大這些努力的同時，也不能忽視家庭環境和父母在塑造孩子發展方面作用的重要性。正因如此，迄今為止已為8500多名兒童提供支持的「幼兒培育輔導計劃」（KidSTART）將重點放在向家長傳授培養孩子的知識和技能上。我們將與凝聚家庭理事會（FFL）合作，為低收入家庭提供更多的育兒資源。

這樣，家長和學前教育工作者的努力就能相輔相成，為兒童的茁壯成長奠定堅實的基礎。

有了強大的社會服務生態系統，我們為鞏固家庭所做的努力才得以實現。這個系統由一群堅定的合作夥伴、專業人士和志願者組成。我們的社會服務機構、學術界、高等教育機構 (IHL) 以及企業等不同的合作夥伴群體齊心協力，為有需要的人提供支持。

為了滿足社會不斷變化的需求，社會服務部門在未來五年內需要增加2,000名專業人員。 蔡長春議員（Keith Chua）詢問了我們吸引、招聘和留住專業人員的計劃。政府和包括社會服務機構在內的合作夥伴必須共同努力，使社會服務行業成為人們的首選職業。

其中一個關鍵方面，是確保該行業的薪資與專業人員的辛勤工作和技能相稱。去年，我們審查了《社會服務行業薪資指南》，以確保薪資與競爭市場上的同類職位相比具有競爭力。社會與家庭服務部和國家福利理事會（NCSS）也調整了撥款，以確保支持我們資助項目的專業人員的薪酬能符合薪資指南的要求。目前，該行業約有80%的員工薪酬符合指南要求。我們期待受資助機構在未來三年能遵守指南，並按指南支付員工工資。我們將與需要額外支持的社會服務機構（SSAs)密切合作，包括提供有針對性的顧問支持。

社會服務部門是一個以人為本的部門。我們更需要關懷我們的員工，這樣他們才能更好地關愛我們的受益者。我們的專業人員除了可以獲得國家福利理事會（NCSS） 提供的一系列自我保健和健康的資源，還可以獲得社會服務技能創前程三方工作小組（SkillsFuture）開展的Joy@Social Services運動，提升工作中的情感和心理健康。

社會與家庭服務部和國家福利理事會將繼續為更多人進入這一行業並在職業生涯中取得進步開闢道路。例如，我們正在與高等教育機構合作，吸引學生參與。我們還通過「轉業計劃」（Career Conversion Programmes)吸引中年人士加入，這些專業人士可以從黃循財副總理在財政預算案中宣布的技能創前程進階計劃中受益。我們正與社會服務機構一道起，通過重新設計工作崗位、加強組織能力和採取留住人才的措施，來提高職位的價值定位。為了支持專業人士的發展，我們制定了《社會服務技能框架》。我們還與相關專業協會和機構合作，監督不同專業所需的標準、資格和培訓。通過共同努力，我們將建設一個更加強大的社會服務部門。

我們的生態系統還有另一個重要群體：我們的義工。去年，我們慶祝了與社會服務合作夥伴的合作關係。今年，我們將以這些合作夥伴關係為基礎，將 2024 年定為「歡慶義工年」。任何人、每個人都可以成為義工。義工是那些為支持他人而慷慨地奉獻自己的時間、才能和財富的人。

首先，我們的義工慷慨地奉獻自己的時間。我們「義工關愛網絡」組織的個人身上身上看到了這一點。他們與家庭與社會服務部合作開展提升版社區聯繫站（ComLink+）等計劃。蘇姍小姐就是這樣一位義工。自 2022年10月以來，她一直與瑪琳娜女士和她的兒子保持著良好的關係。

任何一位家長都知道，升入小學是一件令人興奮但緊張的事情。當瑪琳娜女士因經濟狀況而難以為兒子購買小學一年級所需的學習用品時，蘇姍指導他們申請了教育部經濟援助計劃。她的兒子帶著所需的所有課本和校服開始了他的小學生活。

如今，蘇珊繼續傾聽這個家庭的心聲，並幫助他們滿足自己的需求。例如，當發現瑪琳娜女士的兒子需要配眼鏡時，蘇珊和家庭導師向他們解釋了儘快配眼鏡的重要性。蘇珊找到社區支持，使眼鏡價格更加低廉，後來還陪同他們一起去配了一副眼鏡。我們感謝像蘇珊這樣的義工的奉獻和合作。

其次，我們的義工慷慨解囊，貢獻自己的才能和技能。例如，新能源集團（SP Group)的員工經常參加社會服務機構的義工活動。其中一些是經驗豐富的義工，熟悉弱勢家庭所面臨的挑戰，因此他們貢獻自己的真知灼見並與社會服務機構共同制定計劃。其他人則利用自身的專業領域做出貢獻。

鄭欣慈（音譯，下同） 女士和她的工程師同事開設課程，教弱勢家庭的孩子如何製作太陽能玩具車。孩子們不僅學到了太陽能知識，還受到了這些「大哥哥大姐姐」的啟發。欣慈也是新能源集團愛心項目（SP Heart Workers)委員會的成員，該委員會負責領導新能源集團全年的志願服務活動。當擁有不同技能的個人站出來時，家庭就會從所提供的機會和支持中受益。

最後，許多人慷慨解囊。他們以不同方式貢獻自己的資源。一種方式是向公益金 (Community Chest 或者 ComChest) 捐款，用於為弱勢群體提供支持服務。我將談論公益金（ComChest）的兩項舉措——分享計劃（SHARE）和消費為公益補貼計劃（Change for Charity）。

「分享計劃」（SHARE）告訴我們，持續的捐贈，即使很少，也可以隨著時間的推移，積少成多，並會產生有意義的影響。許多捐助者每個月都會向「分享計劃」捐贈幾新幣。這些個人捐款加在一起，平均每年達1600萬新幣。通過「分享計劃」，我們還看到關愛行為往往是從年輕時開始的。今年是我們的標誌性吉祥物「Sharity」誕生40周年，它將繼續向學校學生灌輸關愛和分享的價值觀。

傑拉爾德.羅德里格斯（Gerald Rodrigues）先生是「分享計劃」的首批捐贈者之一，曾是一名警官。在與低收入家庭的互動中，他對這些家庭所面臨的困境感同身受，從而激發了幫助低收入家庭的願望。傑拉爾德開始通過每月的工資捐款資助這些家庭，39年過去了，他仍然通過「分享計劃」定期捐款。像傑拉爾德這樣的捐助者激勵我們去關愛他人。為了鼓勵更多的人奉獻愛心，政府將繼續為公益金「分享計劃」的增量捐款提供配捐資助。我們還將持續配捐兩年，直到2025財年。

最近，我們推出了「消費為公益補貼計劃」（Change for Charity)，通過全社會的努力來擴大捐贈。城市發展有限公司 (CDL) 是實施「消費為公益補貼計劃」的企業之一。千禧酒店集團（Millennium Hotels and Resorts）是CDL的子公司，在新加坡有六家酒店，他們為客戶捐款提供了便利。

陳安迪(Andy Tan，音譯)先生帶領他的團隊集思廣益，在商業模式中融入捐贈機制，並推動實施。他們在辦理入住手續的前台以及餐廳放置捐贈箱，讓顧客更方便地捐贈。顧客還可以在結帳或兌換會員獎勵積分時捐贈。以顧客的消費和捐贈為起點，酒店為每位自助晚餐消費者配捐1新幣，從而將捐贈金額成倍增加。政府還通過為顧客的每1新幣捐贈提供0.5新幣的配捐，以及為企業給顧客的每1新幣配捐提供0.5新幣的配捐，進一步使捐贈資金成倍增長。我們將把這種配捐政策延長至2027財年。

我們希望通過這種方式產生倍增效應，擴大社會捐贈。主席先生，我們正在加強與新加坡人生命各個階段的聯繫，鼓勵他們為社會貢獻自己的時間、才能和財富。針對楊涴凌（Yeo Wan Ling）女士、蔡長春（Keith Chua）先生和黃玲玲（Ng Ling Ling）女士提出的問題，我們將以上述方式激勵整個社會，從年輕到年長，從這一代人到下一代人。我們將繼續與我們的合作夥伴（從企業到社會服務機構）合作，號召更多人為此做出貢獻。企業對在企業社會責任工作中更具戰略性表現出越來越大的興趣。我們在制定可持續慈善框架方面取得了進展，以指導他們制定基準並闡明其社會影響。國家福利理事會一直在與各行各業的領導者合作，以更好地制定該框架。

本月，我們將擴大影響範圍，與更廣泛的商界進行磋商。我們還將加強社會服務機構（SSA）義工管理人員的能力。義工管理者可以從國家福利理事會（NCSS）義工資源中心獲取資源，指導他們利用義工的創造力和專業知識來解決社會問題，並更好地吸引和留住義工。我們共同努力，為更多人創造奉獻機會，建設一個互相關愛的社會。

主席，請允許我繼續用馬來語發言。

（馬來語):主席家庭是我們社會的基礎。政府將繼續加強對家庭的支持，讓家庭在人生的每個階段都能茁壯成長。為配合ForwardSG計劃，政府將通過ComLink+計劃，加強對低收入家庭的支持，重點關注社會賦權。

義工在幫助有需要的家庭方面發揮著關鍵作用。他們的貢獻令我感到振奮。例如，在"DIAN@M³項目 "中，志願者們已經幫助了250個馬來ComLink+家庭。他們與這些家庭建立了信任。這些義工還定期與他們聯繫，並通過將他們與現有的支持計劃聯繫起來，解決他們的燃眉之急。

今後，義工將繼續與 ComLink+ 官員密切合作，為 ComLink+ 家庭提供更全面的支持。我相信，在義工的幫助下，我們將努力幫助這些家庭實現穩定、自立和社會流動性。

(英語）：主席，讓我們發揚 "前進新加坡 "（Forvard SG)的精神，共同努力，為所有家庭建設一個充滿關愛和包容的社會，一個更加光明和美好的新加坡。

![發展部長馬善高國會陳述：打造「為家庭而生」的新加坡](https://www.shicheng.news/images/image/1742/17421087.avif?0)





以下是英文質詢內容：

The Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their suggestions. As a country, we have been able to weather storms and emerge stronger because we have strong families and a strong social compact. Forward SG reaffirmed that Singaporeans continue to value the importance of the family. There was also strong consensus to be a society where all families have the opportunity to succeed.

I will touch on three key approaches to achieve this mission. First, working together to support families through every stage of life, strengthening marriages, supporting parents from their children's early years and caring for our seniors. Second, we will move beyond assistance to empowering families in need. We have started this through ComLink+ and will go further to uplift children from lower-income families. Third, the Government will come alongside the social service sector, corporates and Singaporeans to strengthen families, uplift those in need and reinforce their efforts to ensure sustained impact. We invite more to volunteer and contribute their time, their talent and their treasures. Together, we will build a caring and inclusive society and sustain social mobility in Singapore.

Let me elaborate. Today, couples are staying together longer and recent cohorts show a lower proportion of marriages dissolving before the 10th anniversary. I am heartened that more couples recognise the importance of continuing to invest in their marriage. They proactively look for marriage and parenting resources rather than seeking help only when the relationship is on the rocks.

We affirm society's commitment to families and will continue to strengthen families, our anchor in years to come. We do this by supporting families throughout their lives. As I shared in the Ministry of Health (MOH) Committee of Supply, we are enhancing support for couples in their journey through pregnancy and parenthood.

The early years of our children are critical and for new parents, possibly the most challenging time too. Over the years, parents have greater access to affordable and quality preschools. We will continue to enhance these efforts. We are also helping working parents balance work responsibilities and infant caregiving. The Government is tackling this in several ways, which Minister of State Sun Xueling will elaborate on.

We recently enhanced the Government-Paid Paternity Leave. We encourage eligible fathers to use the paternity leave and work is in progress to allow more fathers to benefit from the additional two weeks of leave. But we do not stop at the early years. We are making programmes and resources even more accessible to support the range of family relationships.

The Families for Life (FFL) movement, led by the FFL Council, brings together various partners to offer marriage and parenting programmes in the community. Currently in nine towns, I am pleased to share that this will be expanded to 18 towns by the end of this year. We have also recently partnered Anchor Operators to offer FFL parenting programmes to parents of preschoolers in their neighbourhoods. Ms Ng Ling Ling will be happy to note that the Council will roll out more parenting resources to better support families with teenagers.

We have also launched a new self-help tool, Our Marriage Journey Quiz, last month, to help couples assess their relationship well-being akin to physical health checks.

Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Ng Ling Ling referred to the collective effort by everyone in society to build a Singapore Made for Families. I agree. That is why the Council is also looking to work with employers, who play a crucial role in fostering a family-friendly environment, to offer marriage and parenting resources or talks at their workplaces. Community partners and volunteers are equally critical in supporting our mission to build strong families. 

It is wonderful to see the FFL movement growing steadily. Last year, over 150 corporate and community partners, such as CapitaLand Malls and Singapore Heart Foundation, alongside 400 volunteers, came together to support the National Family Week.

We will continue to grow this movement. From this year, the FFL Council will expand the event to a month-long National Family Festival. I encourage all families to make use of the FFL resources and participate in the National Family Festival, which will start from 25 May, when the school holidays begin. We look forward, too, to collaborating with more partners to offer families an engaging experience.

With the effort of many, we build a Singapore Made for Families.

Mr Melvin Yong asked how we can foster a society where no one is left behind. Our goal is for every Singaporean family to be a strong and stable family. This includes lower-income families.

Lower-income families often face additional challenges, as Ms Denise Phua observed. Social assistance alone may not be enough. For example, families may have to stretch their limited finances to meet different needs while also balancing their work, caregiving and rest. This can lead to "bandwidth tax", where families are focused on the day-to-day and not be able to plan for the long-term. Beyond providing social assistance, we want to partner families as they work towards their aspirations and reinforce their strengths to build better lives for themselves and their children. In other words, we want to move beyond assistance to empowerment.

That is why we introduced ComLink+ as part of ForwardSG. ComLink+ families now have a dedicated family coach who coaches, motivates and journeys with them as they work towards their longer-term goals. Ms Denise Phua will be pleased to hear that of the approximately 10,000 ComLink+ families that have agreed to work with us, 97% are receiving family coach support as at end-2023. This includes families supported by Family Service Centres (FSCs), whose case workers perform the family coach function.

As families take active steps towards their goals, they can receive financial top-ups from ComLink+ Progress Packages to multiply the impact of their efforts and help them better focus on achieving their goals. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua will elaborate.

These enhancements to ComLink+ and partnerships with FSCs show how we place family-centricity at the heart of everything we do. As Mr Melvin Yong observed, besides lower-income families, FSCs also serve other families. Like GP clinics providing healthcare in the community, FSCs are community-based agencies that provide casework expertise to support families with social and emotional needs. For over 30 years, FSCs have evolved their practice to serve changing needs of clients to help them achieve the "3Ses" – Self-reliance, Stability and Social mobility.

Today, the landscape of family services has grown and FSCs work alongside many other agencies to support families. A family with complex needs, apart from receiving support from an FSC, may also receive support from other social service agencies (SSAs) for domestic violence, family counselling or youth programmes for their children. While SSAs put in effort to coordinate with one another, the family may still find it tedious to interface with multiple partners. Another concern is that we may not always be addressing the underlying issues, as each partner is focused on tackling the issue at hand.

In the next decade, we will also face more demographic challenges. We will become a super-aged society and household structures may change.

But as our society changes, there are opportunities for us to adapt to meet the emerging needs and support families in an even more coordinated manner. Our vision is for families in need to receive support through a single primary touchpoint for family services, who can address the needs of different family members in a holistic and more coordinated manner to achieve better outcomes for the entire family.

I am pleased to announce that MSF will be establishing a review committee on the Family Services Landscape. In line with the spirit of Forward SG, we will engage and co-create the future landscape with the sector. The committee will be chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua and will comprise representatives from sector partners. We will share more details when ready. 

Mr Chairman, we have been concerted in our efforts to support lower-income families towards achieving social mobility. A key aspect of our strategy to sustain social mobility in Singapore is to uplift children and for all children to have a good start in life regardless of their background.

While preschool enrolment rates of children from lower-income families have increased, these remain lower than the national average. About eight in 10 children aged three to four from lower-income families are enrolled in preschool, compared to the national average of nine in 10. This could be due to a variety of factors. Parents may have concerns about being able to afford preschool fees, be less aware of the benefits of preschool, or may have to juggle work and family commitments with fewer resources. We will be rolling out several measures to help children from lower-income families reap the benefits of our investments in the early years.

First, we will provide greater assurance to lower-income families that they can afford to send their children to preschool. All families on ComCare assistance or residing in public rental flats already automatically qualify for maximum childcare subsidies. As Deputy Prime Minister Wong announced in the Budget speech, we will extend similar support to more lower-income families. All lower-income families with a monthly household income of $6,000 and below will qualify for the maximum amount of childcare subsidies for their income tier. Up to 17,000 additional children stand to benefit when we introduce this move from the fourth quarter of 2024.

Second, we will expand proactive outreach to all lower-income families from the third quarter of 2024 to encourage them to enrol their children in preschools. Preschool outreach workers and ComLink+ family coaches will work with parents to help them understand the importance of preschool and to enrol their child in a suitable preschool. As part of the ComLink+ Packages, ComLink+ families can benefit from financial top-ups when they enrol their children early and send them to preschool regularly.

Third, we will support families in maximising the benefits of quality preschool education. We recognise that children from lower-income families may require more support even after they enrol in preschools. On average, among children who are enrolled in Anchor Operator preschools, children from lower-income families have a monthly attendance rate of about 72%, lower than the 79% attendance rate of their middle-income peers. Their families may also have less resources to support their learning at home.

From the second quarter of this year, we will provide more resources to selected Anchor Operator preschools to equip them in providing effective and timely support to the children under their care. Anchor Operators will co-fund this targeted support and use the additional resources to support the children, such as providing dedicated small group learning lessons and addressing the challenges that families face in sending their children to preschool regularly. As Minister Maliki shared, MOE will also similarly strengthen initiatives in MOE Kindergartens to support children from lower-income families.

Taken together, these measures will help address the challenges that lower-income families face and enable their children to learn, play and develop holistically alongside their peers.

Even as we step up these efforts, we cannot overlook the importance of the home environment and parents' role in shaping their children's development. This is why KidSTART, which has supported more than 8,500 children to date, focuses on equipping parents with the knowledge and skills to nurture their children. In partnership with the FFL Council, we will increase the accessibility of parenting resources for lower-income families.

In this way, the efforts of parents and preschool educators complement each other and lay a strong foundation for the children to flourish.

Our efforts to strengthen families are made possible by a strong social service ecosystem. This comprises a group of deeply committed partners, professionals and volunteers. The different groups of partners, our SSAs, academics and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and corporates, come together to support those in need.

To meet the evolving needs of our society, the social service sector needs 2,000 more professionals over the next five years. Mr Keith Chua asked about our plans to attract, recruit and retain professionals. The Government and partners, including SSAs, must work together to make the social service sector a career of choice.

One key aspect is to ensure that the salaries in the sector are commensurate with the hard work and skillsets of our professionals. Last year, we reviewed the Social Service Sector Salary Guidelines to ensure salaries are competitive with comparable roles in competing markets. MSF and National Council of Social Service (NCSS) also adjusted funding to ensure professionals supporting our funded programmes can be paid within the guidelines. Currently, around 80% of employees in the sector are paid within the salary guidelines. We expect our funded providers to adhere to and pay employees within the guidelines over the next three years. We will work closely with SSAs that require additional support, including providing targeted consultancy support. 

The social service sector is a people-oriented sector. All the more, we need to care for our people, so that they can better care for our beneficiaries. Apart from a range of NCSS' resources on self-care and wellness that our professionals can access, the SkillsFuture Tripartite Taskforce also promotes emotional and mental wellness at work through the Joy@Social Services movement.

MSF and NCSS will continue creating pathways for more to enter the sector and progress in their career. For instance, we are working with IHLs to engage students. We are also attracting mid-career entrants through the Career Conversion Programmes and these professionals can benefit from the new SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme announced by Deputy Prime Minister Wong in the Budget Statement. Together with SSAs, we are improving the value proposition of roles through job redesign, strengthening their organisational capabilities and working on talent retention measures. To support the development of our professionals, we have the Skills Framework for Social Service. We are also working with relevant professional associations and providers to monitor the standards, qualification and training required for the different professions. Together, we will build a stronger social service sector.

Our ecosystem is made of another important group of people: our volunteers. Last year, we celebrated the partnerships with our social service partners. This year, we build on these partnerships and have dedicated 2024 as the Year of Celebrating Volunteers. Anyone, and everyone, can be a volunteer. Volunteers are people who give generously their time, talent and treasures to support others. 

First, our volunteers give generously their time. We see these in the individuals that make up our MSFCare Network. They work with MSF in initiatives, such as ComLink+. Miss Susan Lim is one such volunteer. Since October 2022, she has been befriending Mdm Marlina and her son.

And as any parent would know, the transition into primary school is an exciting but hectic one. When Mdm Marlina had difficulty buying school materials needed for her son at Primary 1 due to her financial situation, Susan guided them through the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme application. Her son managed to start primary school with all his books and school uniform needed.

Today, Susan continues offering the family a listening ear and assisting them in meeting their needs. For instance, Susan and the family coach explained the importance of getting Mdm Marlina's son glasses as soon as possible when he was found to need them. Susan found community support to make the glasses more affordable and later accompanied them to make a pair. We thank volunteers like Susan for their dedication and partnership.

**2.45 pm**

Second, our volunteers give generously, by contributing their talent and skills. For example, employees of SP Group regularly volunteer with SSAs. Some are seasoned volunteers who are familiar with the challenges faced by vulnerable families, so they contribute their insights and co-curate programmes with SSAs. Others tap on their own areas of expertise to contribute.

Ms Tay Xin Ci and her engineer colleagues run classes to teach children from vulnerable families how to build solar powered toy cars. The children learn not only about solar power but are inspired by these "big brothers and sisters". Xin Ci is also part of the SP Heart Workers committee, which spearheads volunteering activities for SP Group throughout the year. When individuals with different skills come forward, families benefit from the opportunities and range of support offered.

Third, many give generously their treasures. They contribute their resources and give in different ways. One way is through donations to the Community Chest, or ComChest, which go towards supporting services for vulnerable groups. I will talk about two ComChest initiatives – SHARE and Change for Charity.

SHARE reminds us that sustained giving, even in small amounts, can add up and lead to meaningful impact over time. Many donors put in a few dollars to SHARE each month. Collectively, these individual donations amass an average of $16 million per year. Through SHARE, we also see how acts of caring often start from young. This year is the 40th Anniversary of our iconic mascot, Sharity, who will continue engaging students in schools to inculcate the values of caring and sharing.

Mr Gerald Rodrigues is part of the pioneer batch of donors on SHARE and a former Police officer. His interactions with lower-income families ignited a desire to help those with less, as he empathised with the hardships they faced. Gerald started donating through his monthly payroll. It has been 39 years. And he continues to donate regularly through SHARE. Donors like Gerald inspire us to care for others. To encourage more to give, the Government will continue to match new and incremental donations to SHARE. We will do so for another two years till Financial Year 2025.

More recently, we introduced Change for Charity to amplify giving through a whole-of-society effort. City Developments Limited (CDL) is one of the businesses that has implemented Change for Charity. At Millennium Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary group of CDL with six hotels in Singapore, they make it convenient for customers to donate.

Mr Andy Tan led his team in brainstorming ideas to weave giving mechanisms in their business model and pushing for the implementation. They place donation boxes at the check-in counters and F&B outlets, to make giving more accessible to their customers. Customers can also donate when they are paying their bills or by redeeming membership reward points. With the customers' spending and contributions as the starting point, the amount is multiplied as the hotel donates a dollar for every dinner buffet cover. The Government further multiplies the contributions by matching 50 cents to every dollar donated by customers, and another 50 cents to every dollar if businesses match their customer's donation. We will extend this matching till Financial Year 2027.

Through this, we hope to create a multiplier effect that amplifies giving in our society. Mr Chairman, we are strengthening touchpoints with Singaporeans at every stage of their lives to encourage them to contribute to the society – their time, talent, their treasure. To the questions raised by Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr Keith Chua and Ms Ng Ling Ling – this is how we will galvanise the community, from young to old, from one generation to the next. We will continue to work with our partners, from corporates to SSAs, to rally more to contribute. Corporates have shown growing interest in being more strategic in their corporate social responsibility effort. We are making progress in developing the Sustainable Philanthropy Framework to guide them in benchmarking and articulating their social impact. The National Council for Social Service (NCSS) has been engaging leaders across diverse sectors to better shape the framework.

This month, we will be extending our reach by holding consultations with the wider business community. We are also enhancing the capabilities of volunteer managers in SSAs. Volunteer managers can access resources from the NCSS Volunteer Resource Hub to guide them in tapping the creativity and expertise of volunteers to address social issues and to better attract and retain them. Together, we create opportunities for more to give and build a society that cares for one another.

Chairman, allow me to continue in Malay.

(In Malay): Chairman, families are the foundation of our society. The Government will continue strengthening our support to enable families to grow and thrive through every stage of life. In line with ForwardSG plans, the Government will strengthen support for lower-income families by focusing on social empowerment through the ComLink+.

Volunteers play a pivotal role in uplifting families in need. I am heartened by their contribution. For instance, under Project DIAN@M³, volunteers have assisted 250 Malay ComLink+ families. They build trust with these families. These volunteers also check in with them regularly and address immediate concerns by connecting them to available support schemes.

Moving forward, volunteers will continue to work closely with ComLink+ officers to provide more comprehensive support for ComLink+ families. I am confident that with the help of volunteers, we will work towards helping these families to achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility.

(In English): Chairperson, carrying forth the spirit of Forward SG, let us work together to build a caring and inclusive society, a brighter and better Singapore for all families.

新加坡國會丨來源

新加坡國會丨圖源