Caring for 'latchkey' kids over the decades

Singapore Children's Society holds carnival to mark 40 years of running student care centres

Yesterday, the Singapore Children's Society held a carnival which included game booths and a magic show to mark the 40th year of providing before- and after-school care services. ST PHOTO: JEREMY KWAN
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Senior social worker Koh Wah Koon has handled numerous cases in her 26 years working at a student care centre here, but one case stood out for how a father had to take care of his seven-year-old daughter "like a dog".

The single father would cook all the meals in the morning and leave them at home for his daughter in Primary 1 before going to work.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on October 06, 2019, with the headline Caring for 'latchkey' kids over the decades. Subscribe