A government pilot programme to help disadvantaged children up to age six will be expanded to benefit another 5,000 in the next three years, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
KidStart, led by the Early Childhood Development Agency, was rolled out in the second half of 2016, targeting children from low-income families in Bukit Merah, Kreta Ayer, Boon Lay, Taman Jurong and Geylang Serai.
The programme provides advice and support to families on such aspects as nutrition, child development and parent-child interaction, to enable their children to have a good start in life.
About 1,000 children have benefited so far from the $20 million trial.
The scheme, announced in 2016, is part of government efforts since 2012 to raise the quality, accessibility and affordability of pre-schools.
Mr Mustakem Mohamed, 46, has two daughters aged five and seven. They have learning needs such as slower speech development. The single parent said he used to struggle with disciplining his children.
“KidStart taught me to be more patient, keep eye contact with them and discipline them by telling them what is right and what is wrong,” he added.
For Madam Jenny Ooi, 38, her sons Javier, six, and Kevier, three, could not adjust well in pre-school, often crying and refusing to take part in class activities.
Madam Ooi said KidStart has helped to increase her children’s confidence and they are now settling in well in pre-school and attend school regularly.
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Source: The Straits Times, 19 August 2019