Steering children and families to brighter horizons
The Bright Horizons Fund, a charity initiative by NTUC First Campus, offers holistic support to preschool children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Chief child support officer Louisa Chng (left) and Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How (seated, centre) at a Bright Horizons Fund event held at the Singapore Discovery Centre.
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Muhammad Adam Muhammad Faizil, a Nursery 2 student at a My First Skool centre, was two years old when his teachers observed that he displayed a preference for solitary play over participating in group and classroom activities.
At home, in addition to his hyperactivity, Adam was fixated on trucks. Furthermore, he was not meeting age-appropriate communication milestones.
His parents were understandably worried and their sense of helplessness was compounded by the weight of financial hardship. They shared their struggles with the NTUC First Campus child enabling executive (CEE) assigned to the family, who proceeded to set in motion a chain of assistance that would transform Adam’s life, thanks to the NTUC First Campus’ Bright Horizons Fund (BHF).
BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD
At the unveiling of the Forward Singapore report, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong raised a noteworthy concern – a decline in the enrolment and regular attendance of preschool by children from lower-income families. The report’s findings underscore the critical role that preschool education plays in bolstering children’s confidence, nurturing their social skills and laying a robust foundation for their future.
Years of frontline engagement with children and their caregivers made it clear to NTUC First Campus that early intervention is paramount to prevent more families from slipping through the cracks. It was in response to this pressing need that the BHF, a pioneering initiative, was established in 2008 to provide timely assistance to vulnerable households.
The fund strives to improve outcomes for children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds and children with learning needs. This aim is accomplished through the provision of holistic support across four key pillars: Financial, social, health and nutrition as well as learning and development.
Highlighting the crucial importance of a child’s formative years, Ms Louisa Chng, chief child support officer at NTUC First Campus, shared that early childhood intervention programmes are essential for mitigating various stressors, including financial instability and insufficient social support, which could impede a child’s healthy development.
“Our aspiration is for every child to reach their full potential and for parents to access the support required for their growth. However, it is difficult for one single programme to successfully uplift families – what’s needed is a series of inter-related initiatives,” said Ms Chng.
To date, BHF’s comprehensive strategy has improved the lives of more than 37,000 children and facilitated the disbursement of over S$19 million to families.
HOLISTIC SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED OUTCOMES
To maximise a child’s potential, initiatives at BHF often go beyond learning needs, addressing essential aspects such as health and well-being.
In Adam’s case, the CEE’s priority was to enrol him in an Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centre. Concurrently, she referred Adam’s parents to a community agency and secured the family monthly food rations. Through a raft of BHF programmes, she managed to procure school uniforms, Child Development Account (CDA) top-ups, a sponsored NTUC membership, enrolment in the Infant Nutrition Programme, food and nutrition packages and perhaps most memorably for Adam, a cake on his birthday.
The CEE also equipped his mother with strategies to better cope with Adam’s hyperactivity and to engage him in a manner consistent with his teachers at school, for a more uniform approach to behavioural management.
As a result of BHF’s multi-pronged approach, Adam’s parents experienced a significant reduction in their financial burden. Today, they take comfort in the fact that Adam now maintains longer focus in class and at home. He has grown more confident in verbal communication, too.
ADDRESSING CHANGING NEEDS
Through the years, BHF has adapted to meet the evolving needs of families, even amid unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Chng recounted that many low-income families encountered job losses then and struggled to make ends meet. They also grappled with health concerns and caregiving stress within the confines of small rental flats during the circuit breaker.
In response to the crisis, BHF bolstered its efforts to support families in need. The measures included providing opportunities for upskilling through sponsored NTUC memberships, job-hunting assistance provided by the Employment and Employability Institute, digital device loans for home-based learning as well as the launch of a mental well-being programme facilitated by a consultant psychologist from Mayo Clinic.
Post-pandemic, BHF programmes now place extra emphasis on socio-emotional development and enrichment opportunities, exemplified by the You’ve Got Talent programme that is partially funded by the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union.
“The initiative empowers kindergarten-grade children to build their confidence and self-esteem through a range of music, art and sports programmes,” said Ms Chng.
Single parent Mdm Yap* witnessed first-hand the benefits her son Ethan* reaped from learning to play the cajon drum. “My son loves music and has grown more confident about showcasing his skills through the programme,” she said, adding that Ethan would use everyday materials like boxes to create musical improvisations at home.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
To enhance the accessibility and quality of preschool education, BHF partners organisations such as CapitaLand Hope Foundation and OCBC Bank.
For instance, the CapitaLand Bright Horizons Fund Ready-for-School Programme enables the fund to help an additional 220 children from low-income families annually. These young learners benefit from language, literacy and numeracy learning support through the Classroom Support Programme. They also receive essential school supplies like stationery, lunch boxes and school bags, lightening the financial load for their families as they prepare for the transition to primary school.
In the coming year, BHF intends to enhance its Classroom Support Programme by incorporating social-emotional modules to equip children with the skills required to thrive in today’s world. These modules help prepare children for higher educational levels by teaching them how to make friends, work in teams and regulate their emotions.
Another noteworthy partnership is the OCBC-NTUC First Campus Bridging Programme, where children receive a CDA top-up of S$400 while their parents gain access to financial literacy workshops.
“Working with like-minded organisations has enabled us to scale our programmes further. With continued support from our partners and the public, we remain committed to looking after the ever-changing needs of the children and families under our charge,” said Ms Chng.
Learn more about NTUC First Campus’ Bright Horizons Fund and how your donation will pave a brighter future for children and families.
*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
