SINGAPORE - The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) spent $32.6 million last year to help 17,700 low-income households.

Of these, 1,220 households received more support, such as having case workers assigned to help them.

For this year, CDAC has set aside a budget of $36.4 million to assist about 18,000 households.

CDAC chairman Ong Ye Kung, who is also Health Minister, said on Tuesday (June 28): "Compared to the billions of dollars spent on government national schemes to uplift and assist low-income Singaporeans, the CDAC's budget is small. Our focus is on promoting social mobility through education."

He was speaking to the media after CDAC's annual general meeting at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Trade Association Hub at Jurong Town Hall.

This year marks CDAC's 30th anniversary - three decades of assisting low-income families in the Chinese community.

CDAC ensured that help continued to reach its beneficiaries amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

CDAC board member Low Yen Ling, who is also Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth, said on Tuesday that the council moved its tuition programme online so that students could continue learning.

It also offered about 13 per cent more tuition places and disbursed 17 per cent more bursaries, which benefited a record 8,520 students last year.

This year, CDAC increased the bursary quantum from $280 to $300 per year for primary pupils, and from $450 to $480 per year for secondary students.

It also provided casework support for 15 per cent more households to tide them over the challenging period.

CDAC also launched two new programmes last year - Project Fresh, which supports families with grocery vouchers, and Project Basic, which helps lower-income families defray the cost of Internet subscriptions.

It will continue focusing on its strategy of "Growing Grass, Planting Trees".

Under this strategy, the CDAC will implement three new initiatives to better support children from low-income families starting next year, said CDAC board member Koh Poh Koon, who is also Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Manpower.

CDAC will give children from low-income families a stronger educational foundation by enhancing its enrichment programmes for pre-schoolers, starting with K1 and K2 children.

The programmes will nurture their confidence, creativity and communication skills through play-based learning.

Parents will also be given knowledge about nutrition and health to support the development of their children.

CDAC will also provide longer term support for some children from low-income families.

It will identify these children and journey with them from K2 to give them a sense of confidence and stability as they transition from primary, secondary and post-secondary years.

CDAC will match their learning needs to their programmes and provide mentors who can be trusted role models for them.

Lastly, CDAC will continue to enhance and broaden the learning experiences of students in its programmes.

For example, it has started to use edtech tools to provide a more personalised learning experience for some students.

To mark its 30th anniversary, CDAC will also organise special events and welcome its renovated headquarters at Tanjong Katong, 28 years after it moved in.

With the pandemic easing, CDAC is also looking forward to having more in-person events.

CDAC board member Baey Yam Keng, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and Transport, said that a record 1,260 volunteers were recruited last year.

CDAC has a pool of about 3,000 volunteers now and hopes to recruit more in the coming years.

Mr Ong thanked Ho Bee Land executive chairman Chua Thian Poh, 74, who is retiring from his position as chairman of CDAC's Board of Trustees after 26 years.

He will be replaced by Mr Roland Ng, 69, chief executive of home-grown crane rental company Tat Hong.

Mr Ong also expressed his gratitude to Mr Pok Cheng Chong, 54, who will step down as CDAC executive director after 10 years of service.

Educator Tan Yap Kin, 52, will take over as executive director from Wednesday.