NTUC to grow $500 million endowment fund for children, seniors over next five years

SINGAPORE - A new $500 million endowment fund will be grown over the next five years by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to boost support for young children and seniors in Singapore.

About $12 million will be disbursed in 2026 to programmes supporting child development and eldercare.

The new NTUC Community Fund, launched on April 9, brings together two existing funds under the union to better coordinate assistance for beneficiaries and support a larger pool of people.

It consolidates the Bright Horizons Fund by NTUC First Campus and the Health for Life Fund, forming an initial base of $200 million for the new fund. The endowment will be further grown through contributions from businesses under NTUC Enterprise.

Over the next three years, the fund will expand its annual reach from 7,000 to 10,000 young children, and from 2,000 to 3,000 seniors.

Officiating the launch of the fund at the NTUC Health Senior Day Care in Serangoon, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said that many low-income families in Singapore have shared their concerns about giving their children a fair start in life and ensuring their elderly parents are well cared for as they age.

These concerns sit at the heart of the union’s social mission, he said, and the fund will allow NTUC to act on this mission in a much bigger way, standing with workers and their families and supporting them through different challenges.

“When difficult times hit, NTUC and our enterprises are always looking for ways to better support our workers.

“Amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict, we know that families will face rising cost pressures,” he said.

FairPrice Group announced on April 8 that it will freeze the prices on 100 daily essentials like eggs and rice to ensure the items are affordable.

By scaling the efforts under the fund, more lower-income families or those with additional needs will have better access to early education and intervention support, and more seniors will have support to access essential services and programmes to help them age in place, Mr Ng said.

For children, the fund aims to level the playing field in early education, particularly for those from lower-income households and those with developmental needs. It will support enrichment and early intervention initiatives that expose children to arts, sports and music to build confidence and social skills.

Another key programme supported by the fund is the Development Support Specialist Programme, which provides in-classroom intervention and therapy within pre-schools. Specialists work alongside teachers to support children who need additional help, improving their social interaction, emotional regulation and participation in class.

The programme has already been implemented in My First Skool centres and will be expanded to other pre-school operators.

For seniors, the fund will provide financial assistance for essential services like nursing home care, daycare and home care, particularly for lower-income elderly people.

It will also support community-based initiatives aimed at reducing isolation and promoting active ageing.

These include programmes such as Walking Football, which helps seniors maintain physical fitness and social connections, and Community Cafe, where seniors can take on roles such as baristas and service crew.

NTUC also plans to partner market operators to pilot new care solutions and approaches, with the aim of raising overall standards of care across Singapore.

While its initial focus is on children and seniors, the union said the fund is expected to expand into other areas over time.

The fund provided much needed help for Madam Zuliyana Hamid in March 2025 after the sudden death of her husband from a heart attack.

Her daughter, who was six years old and attending My First Skool at the time, was identified by teachers as needing developmental support.

A social support executive working for the fund encouraged her to take the girl for a formal assessment at a hospital, and later also helped Madam Zuliyana with the girl’s enrolment into AWWA’s Early Intervention Centre.

Madam Zuliyana, who works at McDonald’s, also received referrals to assistance schemes like KidStart and ComLink+, and had grief support with the help of the fund.

“The support has eased some of the challenges I faced after suddenly losing my husband. (This) has helped me to focus on caring for my two children and providing stability for them,” she said.