Needy children at NTUC pre-schools to get $400

Mr Mustakem Muhamed Rais (third from left), flanked by his wife Diana Abu Bakar and six-month-old daughter Nur Thahirah Mustakem, receiving the $2 million contribution to the NTUC initiatives, on behalf of beneficiaries, from NTUC secretary-general N
Mr Mustakem Muhamed Rais (third from left), flanked by his wife Diana Abu Bakar and six-month-old daughter Nur Thahirah Mustakem, receiving the $2 million contribution to the NTUC initiatives, on behalf of beneficiaries, from NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng (second from left) and NTUC First Campus chief executive Chan Su Yee. PHOTO: NTUC FIRST CAMPUS

Children of low-income families attending NTUC pre-schools will receive a one-time $400 top-up to their Child Development Accounts (CDAs) from May this year.

In addition, one member of each of these 4,000 families will get a sponsored NTUC membership, said NTUC First Campus (NFC) in a statement yesterday.

NFC, which operates My First Skool and Little Skool-House, said the initiatives are part of its efforts to give low-income families and their children extra support and a good start to Chinese New Year.

In order to qualify, families must have a monthly household income of $4,500 or less, or monthly per capita income of $1,125 or less.

Their child or children must also have been enrolled in NFC's pre-schools by Jan 31 this year, and for at least three months, to be eligible for the payout.

Children receiving the $400 will have the sum matched dollar for dollar by the Government, if the family meets criteria under the Baby Bonus Scheme.

On the sponsored NTUC membership, NFC said the families will enjoy financial and employability benefits offered by the National Trades Union Congress.

For eligible families who already have NTUC memberships - which cost $117 per annum - NFC said it will pay the fees for one member per family.

Families will enjoy the fully sponsored memberships until their child or youngest child leaves NFC's pre-school network.

NFC said the support for the two programmes totals $2 million and will be funded by its Bright Horizons Fund, which it set up in 2008 to help children from low-income families receive quality pre-school education.

One beneficiary, Madam Zhu Su Qing, whose six-year-old daughter Cai Wen Xin attends My First Skool in Boon Lay, said the one-time top-up will help to alleviate her family's concerns over child-raising expenses.

The 36-year-old part-time hawker hopes to use some of the money to buy vitamins to meet her children's nutritional needs.

Another beneficiary, 48-year-old Mustakem Muhamed Rais, said his family is financially stretched as up to 80 per cent of the monthly household income of about $2,500 is spent on raising their five children.

"I'm very happy about this $400 CDA top-up because we can use it to pay for my daughter's pre-school fees," said the private-hire car driver, whose six-month-old daughter goes to My First Skool.

The NTUC membership will help reduce grocery bills as expenses can be offset with membership points at FairPrice outlets, he added.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 10, 2021, with the headline Needy children at NTUC pre-schools to get $400. Subscribe