People say it takes a village to raise a child.
However, it may take more than a village for vulnerable families beset by a myriad of everyday problems.
Karen Lee belongs to a family in need of help. She supports her four school-going children, aged 6 to 21, elderly parents, and adult brother.
Her brother got into an accident when he was 15. He suffers from seizures, which prevent him from working and supporting the family.
Karen’s mother cannot hold a job because she takes care of Karen’s brother. Her father works but only earns enough to cover certain bills.
As Karen shares her story, the full weight of supporting eight lives on her administrative executive salary is palpable.
“I want to give up. My social worker is worried about me.
“She said, ‘If you give up, then what about your kids?’ I said, ‘Give my mum, my dad to take care lor.’
“But now, I don’t think I would have done it because it’s very selfish.
“It’s been a real struggle. I’ve also got depression, which needs medication to control,” she shared candidly.
Life may have dealt a harsh blow to the 43-year-old sole caregiver, but there are social enterprises to help. One such enterprise is NTUC First Campus (NFC), which offers childcare services to families in Singapore, including families like Karen’s.
My First Skool is one of the key preschool brands it operates.
Her youngest son, Branson, 6, attends one of its centres.
When they learned about her situation, NFC did everything they could to help Karen and her family. They provided financial aid, learning support, and social assistance.
Leaving No Child Behind
Karen enrolled her two middle children in My First Skool when they were 2 months and 18 months old.
When it was Branson’s turn, his mother had to delay his preschool admission until he turned 3 as she couldn’t afford the fees.
“Branson was 3, but he could not talk. Because of that, he didn’t dare to speak up. And if you asked him to repeat what he is saying, he would get angry.
“I felt that wasn’t good, so I enrolled him in My First Skool,” Karen shared.
The child often mumbled, making it hard for teachers and classmates to understand him. This often left him feeling isolated and playing alone.
To help Branson, his teachers monitored his articulation and word pronunciation. They also encouraged the family to speak to him in English and Mandarin to reduce his use of Hokkien.
The Kindergarten 2 child also had speech and other therapy to enhance his speech, language, and motor skills.
Branson can speak more clearly today. His teachers and classmates can better understand what he wants to say.
His grasp of English and Chinese has also improved, and his classmates are now more inclined to interact and play with him.
“The speech therapy and help for motor skills have been the most useful. Imagine if your son doesn’t know how to speak up. Now, after less than one year of speech therapy, he can speak well.
“I’m happy; he is so talkative now, it’s almost annoying,” Karen smiled.
Chasing the Blues Away
Karen’s stress intensified because of her struggles. She was diagnosed with depression when her third child, Braven, was born.
“Braven was difficult to handle.
“During COVID, we had to work from home. One day, he wanted a biscuit, and I asked him to wait because I was still working. He couldn’t wait and started to cry. And the more he cried, the more I went crazy.
“The therapist at My First Skool taught me how to handle [the situation], like telling me to walk away,” she said.
NFC regularly checks in on Karen to monitor her well-being and help address the issues she encounters.
For instance, NFC’s social support officer reminds Karen to take her antidepressants. The officer also shares tips on caregiving, stress management, and coping. She also encourages Karen to keep working with her social worker for more support.
Brightening the Days Ahead
Karen also benefits from NFC’s Bright Horizons Fund (BHF) charity initiative.
The fund helps lower-income families with educational needs, including preschool fees. In 2023, BHF’s programmes assisted over 6,000 children and 5,000 families.
With Government subsidies, Karen now pays just $25 per month instead of the usual $765.
The BHF also sponsors the annual Family and School Together (FAST) events, which allow children and families to enjoy educational excursions and experiences.
The Fund also supports graduation packages for Kindergarten 2 children like Branson.
NFC also assisted the family in several other ways, including supporting their applications for food rations and assistance schemes. The schemes are the NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) and the NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers).
The childcare services provider also guided Karen in applying for Government bursaries for her two primary school children.
Barry and Braven also benefited from the Government’s ‘Ready for School’ Project. They received educational materials, vouchers, and other essential items.
The support helped Karen relieve her financial burden and provide much-needed peace of mind.
“The help has been a blessing. My life is much better now, I can say about 10 upon 10.
“My hope is that my children can study well. It is good for their future because they can have a good job and have a better life. I want them to have a good education so they can take care of themselves. As long as my kids are happy, I will be happy,” she said.