Year of Giving Up the Screen-time Struggle

Some parents find it extremely challenging to manage their children’s screen time. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO Published: DEC 18, 2022 Venessa Lee This was the year more children were glued to devices – some for six to 10 hours a day – and their parents threw in the towel trying to restrict their screen time. Anne, […]
Caregiver Support: Government expands support for women as demand grows for caregivers

Mother Sabrina Chong Abdullah found some respite after enrolling two of her five kids in our CareNights programme. With her youngest children in safe hands, she is now able to spend time with her other children and rest. CareNights is an evening support programme for children aged 6 to 14 years from 6 […]
How to prepare kids for their first social media account

Ms Cheryl Chan with her seven-year-old son Reagan (left) and daughter Raequelle, eight. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Published: OCT 17, 2021 Venessa Lee Earlier this year, Ms Cheryl Chan offered her eight-year-old daughter her own YouTube channel. The administrative executive did so even though her daughter, Raequelle Zhang, is below the minimum age […]
Be a coach and cheerleader for your child during exam season

Ms June Yong envisions herself putting on the “coaching hat” to reassure her daughter, Vera, in the final week before the PSLE. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID Published: SEP 19, 2021 Venessa Lee With the written papers of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scheduled to begin next Thursday (Sept 30), parents may be […]
Making a Difference: Empowering Families to Stay Resilient

Exoddess growing close with mother Ms Eve Lai after attending CareNights Published: Jul 2021 Temasek Holdings As evening falls, most children in Singapore will start winding down after a long day of classes and co-curricular activities. However, for primary six student Exoddess Lim, the evening marks the beginning of the second half of […]
Give that kid a mop

Smart Parenting: Helping out at home Published: APR 19, 2021 Venessa Lee Experts say getting kids to do housework can help foster independence and build family cohesiveness When pre-schooler Nur Humairah Romi Nazri asked her mother if she could wash the dishes, she was not tall enough to reach the kitchen sink. […]
More signing up for night-time childcare services

Published: MAR 22 2021 Nadine Chua MSF looking at piloting service at a Community Link site to better assess demand and sustainability Two of her three sons – one aged eight and the other, nine – are in night-time childcare, and Ms Ivy Koh plans to sign up her five-year-old next year […]
Ministry of Social and Family Development: Rental housing estates trial night-time childcare services
Published: FEB 28 2021 胡洁梅 Hu Jiemei The Ministry of Social and Family Development assessed the needs of 650 low-income families, and community partners have also reflected that night childcare services may be helpful to these families. The authorities will therefore study the possibility of piloting night-time childcare services at a ComLink site […]
Covid-19 drives demand for night-time childcare in Singapore

Published: JANUARY 30, 2021 Venessa Lee SINGAPORE – More people could be working nights to try to make up for income loss during the coronavirus pandemic. A fourth centre for night-time caregiving services for children from lower-income families, which is run by charity Morning Star Community Services, opens on Monday (Feb 1) in Toa […]
Certis partners BT BAF for its annual Community Give-Back

Children at Morning Star Community Services animating their paper robots with the help of a student-care teacher using a stop motion videography app on the smartphone. PHOTO: TRCL Published: DECEMBER 9 2020 Vivien Ang To kick off, more than 15 Certis staff and 7 BT BAF youth befriend a group of children from […]