20,000 pre-schoolers from underprivileged families to receive support from PCF

SINGAPORE – Pre-school children from lower-income families will get $7 million worth of support over the next four years through PAP Community Foundation (PCF) programmes.

Up to 20,000 children will benefit annually from these initiatives, which is a 15 per cent increase in the number of beneficiaries from 2023.

These announcements were made by Mrs Josephine Teo, the council chairwoman for the PCF Council of Management, at an event during the inaugural PCF Charity Week 2024 at HortPark on July 26.

Mrs Teo, who is also Minister for Digital Development and Information, said that PCF has four programmes to support underprivileged families: Spark Dreams, the Headstart Fund, Sparkle Gift of Love, and School Readiness Pack.

Under Spark Dreams, PCF makes a one-time Child Development Account (CDA) top-up of $150 or $100 to eligible pupils.

Previously only for the bottom 10 per cent of households, the scheme has been expanded to support the bottom 20 per cent of households with a monthly income of less than $6,000.

Around 5,000 children from these households are expected to be eligible for the top-up, up from over 3,000 children in 2023.

A PCF spokeswoman said that the scheme was expanded to help alleviate financial pressures that affect the most vulnerable in the community.

“By extending our support to the bottom 20 per cent of households, we aim to provide targeted assistance where it is needed most, helping to alleviate some of the economic strain and ensure that essential needs are met.” 

CDA accounts can be used to pay for basic fees and approved indirect expenses charged by approved educational and developmental institutions. They can also be used to pay for medical expenses, pharmaceutical items and optical-related care.

Mrs Teo said: “We help the families afford essentials such as childcare fees, medical expenses and educational resources, so that every child can fulfil their potential.”

The Headstart Fund in 2024 will benefit 5,800 children from 95 PCF pre-school centres with high enrolment of low-income households, according to PCF.

Under this programme, PCF will sponsor learning journeys, workshops, visits to attractions, and parent-child bonding sessions.

Sparkle Gift of Love, previously called Bag To School, will benefit 6,000 children annually.

Mrs Teo said that the children will exercise decision-making skills as they use “virtual dollars” to buy items for school, such as books, bags and stationery.

The shopping experience is usually carried out at community centre halls, with booths set up by vendors selling different items.

The School Readiness Pack will benefit 3,000 eligible Kindergarten 2 children a year, who will receive books and shoes worth $50 to prepare them for primary school.

A mother of three, Madam Siti Nurdiana, 33, told The Straits Times that these PCF programmes will help to alleviate costs of childcare.

“It puts my mind at ease as I don’t have to worry about their school fees. The CDA top-up is useful as I can use it for healthcare for the kids,” she said.

Madam Siti’s younger children are in Nursery 2 and Kindergarten 1 at PCF Sparkletots in Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng. She said that although they do not fall sick often, she is glad that there will be more money in their CDA accounts that she can use to pay for medicine and doctor consultations should they fall ill.

Mr Victor Bay, chief executive officer of PCF, said that although there are many government schemes to help those in need, there are still some vulnerable families that will benefit from further acts of charity.

He said: “At PCF, we have many important programmes to help families so that parents do not have to be too bothered about their financial means. They can focus on taking care of their children. As for the financial part, PCF will help as much as possible and come in to support in different ways.”

PCF has also set aside $120,000 to assist local charities in Singapore that actively support seniors, children or underprivileged members of the community. Food from the Heart, KidStart and Lions Home for the Elders each received $20,000 at the July 26 event at HortPark. The remaining $60,000 will be donated to other social service agencies.

Mrs Teo also announced that 50,000 volunteering opportunities for PCF staff will be created to better support families and seniors through meaningful interactions and activities.

“PCF will forge strategic partnerships with community stakeholders like grassroots organisations, social service and government agencies like the National Environment Agency and Agency for Integrated Care, to ensure that our staff’s volunteerism contributes meaningfully to these organisations and amplify their impact.”