Who You Help

No. of Philanthropists

147 Donated

1000
Target

Vulnerable Children and Youth

– Protecting Children and Youth who are Abused and/or Severely Neglected

We provide fundamental care and guidance for vulnerable children and youth where suitable, collaborate with families to provide safe, stable and permanent care, and with each child’s best interests at heart.

At just six, James* was constantly in the crossfire of his parents’ arguments, his own basic needs neglected. It was only after he was referred to Sunbeam Place @ Children’s Society that he reclaimed his childhood, and received the support and counselling he needed to cope emotionally.

Over the years, he gained a reputation among his peers and social workers as someone who is highly motivated and independent. He also set his sights high, single-mindedly pursuing his dream to join the aerospace industry.

He worked hard for his GCE ‘O’ levels examinations, and now, at 17, has landed a spot in an aerospace-related course at a local polytechnic, pushing him closer to his dream of working with planes or flying.

Mr Gideon Pang, one of the social workers who works closely with him, says he is especially proud of how self-motivated James is: he is involved in co-curricular activities, and even has a part-time job during the holidays for some extra pocket money. At the centre, James played both basketball and volleyball.

He hopes the friendships forged at the centre during his time there and through school will help James overcome any future challenges he encounters.

To James, who left Sunbeam Place in September this year, the help and support received over the years has been invaluable.

“I’m also grateful to the staff members, past and present. They look out for our well-being and care for us selflessly,” he says.

*Name has been changed to protect the beneficiary’s identity

A pair of brothers who came to us, Aaron* and Andy, aged 7 & 8 respectively during their time at Sunbeam Place, our residential home.

Before they were referred to us, both Aaron and Andy came from a happy family with a loving father who worked hard to provide for the family. Despite his shift job with odd hours, their Dad always made time for his two young boys often taking them out for meals and even took them out for jetty fishing when the boys did well in school.

Things changed dramatically overnight when their Dad met with an accident. When he returned from the hospital, he was never the same again. Aaron and Andy were too young to understand at that point of time that their father had a serious brain injury that caused him to be easily irritable. He lost his job due to the accident and as a result, the family’s financial situation became very strained as the bills for the home and the medical stay began to pile up. This caused the family to break apart. The children’s mother gradually became alcoholic, and eventually left the house.

With the stress slowly building up, their father was no longer able to control his emotions and often took it out on his boys by choking or whipping them with a belt. Aaron and Andy were confused and at a loss at how their family has fallen apart. They wondered what they have done wrong and longed for those happy times with their Dad. Unfortunately, the abuse became more aggressive and frequent and that’s when their grandmother decided to step in and seek help from the school and they were eventually referred to us.

The two brothers initially came to Sunbeam Place displaying aggressive behavior and would often get into fights, be verbally abusive to the staffs who were trying to reach out to them and were not motivated to learn or attend school.

But over time and guidance of our social workers, they slowly recovered from their physical and emotional distress and are slowly adjusting back to a normal life. Aaron and Andy are just two of the many kids Singapore Children’s Society reaches out to.

During these years that they’ve been with us, grandmother would visit the boys every weekend and even bringing them home on weekends when she didn’t have to work. The children’s father’s health continues to deteriorate and has eventually lost his house and is now staying in a nursing home, where he receives the due medical attention.

Aaron and Andy are aged 10 and 11 now. Grandmother shuttles between both homes visiting both his son and his grandsons, and tries to keep whatever is left of the family intact.

*Aaron’s and Andy’s name have been changed to protect their identity.

Children and Youth Services

– Supporting, Nurturing and Inspiring our Children and Youth

We provide value-adding care, nurture and inspire children and youth, to complement what their parents and guardians provide.

For 16-year-old Daron, after-school hours felt empty until a social worker suggested he try hanging out at The Fort @ Children’s Society. From day one, it felt right – he felt comfortable interacting with the social service practitioners and his peers, and as someone who is inherently warm and friendly, he fit right in.

Daron dropped by the centre four to five times a week to play FIFA on the PS4, and especially enjoyed participating in the annual virtual FIFA competitions organised by The Fort.

“It allowed me to get to know everyone better, and to also learn new skills from my friends,” he says. He would guide those new to the game along. He also enjoyed playing basketball and street soccer when The Fort went outdoors.

Now 19, Daron has graduated from the Institute of Technical Education and is exploring further education. Still, he regularly returns to The Fort as an alumnus and mentor. “I had such a wonderful experience at The Fort and enjoyed my time there so much. I hope to be able to continue to help in any way I can."

For social service practitioners at The Fort, it is welcomed help.

“The Fort only started in 2018, so we have yet to form a formal alumni. We are grateful to Daron for being so willing to help,” says Social Programme Manager, Mr Norirwansah Bin Ramli.

Family Services

– Supporting and Strengthening our Families in Need

We support and strengthen families in need by working together with them.

Ms Seena George didn’t have an easy introduction to motherhood: her son Austin entered the world in May last year almost 16 weeks too early. Born prematurely at 24 weeks and weighing just 565 grams, Austin had to remain on ventilator support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for an entire month.

His early birth also led to multiple medical conditions, so he had to remain in a high-dependency ward for almost three more months.

Ms George, who wasn’t allowed to stay with him, visited daily to spend time with her son.

It was physically, emotionally and financially challenging for both Ms George and her husband, but they tried to stay positive and press on, supported by their family and the hospital medical staff.

“Daily updates from the doctor and nurses were comforting as I looked forward to Austin’s discharge. The days when Austin was not doing well were especially tough,” she remembers.

And while they were excited about finally having Austin home, it was the start of more challenges as he adapted to a new environment. He suffered from gastric reflux and was easily agitated due to pain from his wounds.

With her hands full while her husband was at work, Ms George often forgot to eat, sometimes getting by on nothing more than a slice of bread.

Because of his premature birth, Austin also needed injections to prevent serious respiratory tract infections caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Thankfully, help came in the form of the Children’s Medical Fund, which subsidised the cost of the injections.

Ms Lee Poh Ling, a Senior Social Worker from the Financial Assistance Unit, Yishun Family Service @ Children’s Society, also lent her support and a listening ear. She taught Ms George how to massage her baby through online tutorials, which helped her better bond with Austin.

As Ms George celebrates her first Mother’s Day, she is thankful for all the miracles that allowed that to happen.

“While my baby battled for his life, the doctors said three times they might not be able to save him – but miracles do happen. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be a strong mother and enjoy every little moment with my precious one. I am looking forward to celebrating my first Mother's Day with him,” she said.

Research and Advocacy

– A Voice for our Children and their Future We perform research and advocacy work to protect and promote the well-being of children, youth and their families, as well as to enhance the usefulness of social services to children and youth. Research Bites is Singapore Children’s Society’s bi-annual research newsletter, which aims to make research findings more accessible to interested members of the public and professionals working with children, youth and families. Click here to view and subscribe: Research Newsletter: Research Bites (childrensociety.org.sg)