MSF’s Care Pillar Engagements
Refreshing our social compact
The conversations with Singaporeans from different backgrounds and experiences dived into our common aspiration to better support lower-income families, and together, build a fairer and inclusive society.
Singaporeans recognised the effort lower-income families were making in various areas to achieve Stability, Self-reliance and Social mobility (3'S'), and the challenges they faced.
Examples of such areas include:
- Preschool enrolment and regular attendance to give children a good start.
- Strong parental involvement in children’s educational journey, paired with community support.
- Programmes that provide guidance and role modelling, e.g. mentorship, tutoring, after-school programmes, courses on life skills and planning for the future.
- Stable income from employment leading to savings.
- Access to career guidance, social capital and networks.
- Flexible working arrangements that allow families to balance work with familial commitments.
- Financial literacy to better manage expenditure, debt clearance and savings.
- With financial stability, families will be more able to pursue personal development and longer-term goals.
- Savings to eventually move out of public rental flats and own a home.
ComLink provides Comprehensive, Convenient and Coordinated support to families with children living in public rental housing, to uplift their circumstances and empower them to achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility.
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Youths’ views on strengthening social mobility
270 students from Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEI) were engaged through focus group discussions. 16 of these students volunteered to build on ideas their peers had raised and presented their recommendations to MSF on:
- Strengthening support for disadvantaged families to work towards empowerment and self-reliance, such as by enhancing financial literacy;
- Increasing awareness of, and access to, social support;
- Broadening definitions of, and adding more pathways to success; increasing the dignity and respect accorded to lower-wage occupations and ensuring access to a wide variety of careers.
Read their report here: https://go.gov.sg/msf-fsg-psei-report