Eric Chua on economic and social costs of adverse childhood experiences

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) agrees with recent findings that there is a cost to every adverse childhood experience but believes that many such experiences and their detrimental effects can be prevented or at least mitigated, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua. Replying to a Parliamentary question on Monday (Oct 14), he said families form the bedrock of society and are the first line of support for many people. That is why MSF has been strengthening its upstream interventions to foster strong and resilient family relationships and equip families to create a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Mr Chua pointed out that for a small group of individuals who have been through more severe or multiple adverse childhood experiences, the efforts of the family alone may not be enough. This is where the community and Government would need to step in to support them, he said.