For children with developmental disabilities, Singapore will promote an early infant and toddler intervention programme

Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling replied to MPs' questions on the Early Infant and Toddler Intervention Programme.

The following is a translation of the Singapore Eye based on Parliamentary sources:

Ms. Chan Hun Min: Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to ask Minister Suser Ling about the Early Childhood Intervention Programme (EIPIC). She mentioned what kind of training will the Early Childhood Intervention Programme provide to parents if their child has a developmental disability?

Secondly, there is the issue of capacity-building. As far as I know, the waiting time for children with developmental disabilities to register at an Early Childhood Intervention Program Centre can be up to several months, which is a bit ironic because in their case, the sooner they should intervene, the better. So, will the Ministry of Education consider strengthening its response capacity by attracting talent and trained professionals from abroad, and then building local talent over the next three to five years to ensure that early infant and toddler intervention programs are delivered more quickly?

Ms Suet Ling Sun: I thank the Member for his question. First of all, yes, as I mentioned before, we are going to launch the EIPIC-Care pilot program, which is a care training program for children aged 2 to 3 years with developmental disabilities. We do this because international research shows that parents are the early educators of their children, early role models in their children's lives, and they are the most effective in intervening with their children's social and emotional skills. And all this can be done at home. The six-month programme will allow caregivers to learn from professionals how to support their child's development at home through group workshops and individual counselling sessions.

As for her second question, I shared with her that we will be rolling out more Early Childhood Intervention Program places by adding 1,200 places. This is already a 26% increase from 2022. And in 2024, we will launch four more early intervention centres and add 1,500 places. These numbers are not small.

If we look at percentages, we are expanding the number of places in government-funded children's services to increase the coverage of children who need a medium to high level of early intervention from 60% to 80%. So, in terms of percentages, that's already a very big increase.

Obviously, this means that we have to bring in more professionals. But we are also very aware that these professionals obviously have to be adequately trained, and they must also understand our social norms. It's very important that they are able to work with our parents, with the parents of these children with developmental disabilities.

Therefore, in some places where there is more specialization, for example, it can be speech therapy or play therapy. Where possible, we will consider bringing in international staff to respond and assist. We want to keep a core group of educators in Singapore, and we will definitely train more of them, because it is important that we are able to take care of these children with developmental disabilities through educators who are trained in Singapore and who are trusted by Singaporean parents.

Mr Yim Yin Song: I am glad to hear that the Ministry of Social and Family Development plans to professionalise and provide funding for childcare services.

So, I would like to ask Minister Sun Xueling, what impact will this have on the existing non-professional child care centres? I have some options for looking after the babies and children of the neighbourhood, which are usually older women who are not highly educated and may not be prepared to be formally employed in the nursery. As a result, it may be difficult for them to complete formal courses and written examinations. So, how will these non-professional childcare workers and parents who use their services take advantage of the subsidies provided by the Ministry of Social and Family Development under the scheme?

Ms Suet Ling Sun: I thank the Member for his question. Our aim is to provide more options for parents, which means that if there is an arrangement between a childcare worker or babysitter in the community and a parent, we will not change that arrangement. Non-professional arrangements can continue.

However, since we're doing the pilot, and as we do it, we do hope that the results of the pilot will guide us as a long-term plan. Therefore, we have to make sure that its parameters are sustainable, and therefore, we need to develop certain standards.

So what I want to say is: in the case that you mentioned, if they're happy with the arrangement, and it's been going on, it's something that has been going on for a long time between parents and child care providers, they can go ahead with the current arrangement. But if they want to be part of the pilot so that parents can take advantage of the subsidies provided by the government, then we will require childcare workers to adhere to the standards I shared earlier. It's also about putting the Ministry of Social and Family Development in charge of the pilot, and then we know what parameters will make the pilot work.

The following is the content of the question in English:

Ms Carrie Tan: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to address my clarification to Minister of State Xueling regarding the EIPIC programme. To clarify whether I heard correctly that, she mentioned there will be some training provided for parents under the EIPIC programme if they have children with advanced or high developmental needs? Could she elaborate more on what this is?

And secondly, the point on capacity building, because I understand that right now the waiting time for children with high needs to be enrolled into an EIPIC centre can be several months and it is a bit ironic because we are looking at early intervention in a very critical few years in their lives. So, will the Ministry be looking into shoring up in immediate-term manpower in this sector by, perhaps, attracting talents and well-trained professionals from abroad to shore up our local capacity and then to look into capability building in the next three to five years to quickly tap on local talents to make sure that the EIPIC provisions and services can be ramped up in an accelerated manner?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her questions. Firstly, yes, I had mentioned that we will be introducing an EIPIC-Care pilot and that this is a training programme for caregivers of two to three-year-olds with developmental needs. And the reason why we want to do so is that the international studies have shown that parents, they are the early educators, early role models in their children’s lives and they are in the best position to embed intervention related to social, emotional skills. And this happens, this can happen at home. So that is the intent. This will be a six-month programme and the caregivers will be learning from professionals through group workshops and individual coaching sessions on how to support their child’s development at home.

On her second question, I had shared that we are launching more places when it comes to EIPIC, by increasing our capacity by 1,200 places. This was in 2023 and this was already a 26% increase from 2022. And in 2024, we will launch four more early intervention centres and increase our capacity by 1,500 places. These numbers are not small.

And if you look at it in terms of percentage, we are expanding our Government-funded places to serve the children from 60% of children who require medium to high levels of early intervention moving from 60% coverage to 80% coverage. So just think about it in terms of percentage terms, this is already a very, very large increase.

And what that means, obviously, is that we have to bring in more professionals into the space; but we are also extremely mindful that these professionals will obviously have to be adequately-trained and they would also have to be aware of the norms that we have in our society. And very importantly, to be able to work with our parents; the parents of these children with developmental needs.

So, where there are specific specialisations, for instance, it could be speech therapy, could be play therapy. Where possible, we would look at bringing in international staff to cope with and to be helpful. But I think we would like to keep a core group of educators in Singapore and we will definitely be training more of these educators because it is important that we are able to take care of these children with developmental needs, with educators who are trained in Singapore and who are trusted by our parents here in Singapore.

The Chairman: I know Mr Giam you have raised your hands several times. I had given priority to those who have filed cuts first. You can have the floor now.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Thank you, Sir. I did file a cut on this. I am very glad to hear that MSF is planning to professionalise and subsidise childminding services.

So, my question for Minister of State Sun is, can I ask how this will affect existing informal childminders? I have residents who look after their neighbours’ infants and kids after school and these are usually older women who are not highly educated and may not be prepared to be formally employed by childminding operators. So, they may have difficulties completing formal courses and passing written tests. So how will these informal childminders and the parents who engage their services, be able to tap on the subsidies that MSF is offering under this programme?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. Our intent is to have more options for parents, which means that if there is an existing arrangement between a nanny or an infant childminder in the community with a parent, we are not going to go in there and change the arrangements. The informal arrangements can continue.

But because we are launching a pilot and when we launch a pilot, we do hope that the results from that pilot will guide us in being able to have it more as a permanent programme. So, we have to make sure then that the parameters are such that it is sustainable and, therefore, we will need to have certain standards in place.

So, what I would say is: in the situation that you mentioned, whatever is an informal arrangement right now – if it is something that they are happy with and there is something ongoing, it is something that they have been doing for a long time between the parent and the infant childminder, they can just go ahead with whatever it is that they have right now. But if they should want to be able to be part of this pilot so that the parent is able to make use of the subsidies that the Government is providing, then we would require the childminder to adhere to the standards that I have shared earlier. This is also so that MSF is responsible for the pilot and then we know what are the parameters that would make this work.

CF丨Editor

Edited by CF丨

Singapore Parliament丨Source

Singapore Parliament丨Source

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