SINGAPORE: Challenges faced by single-parent
families in Singapore is a subject that has been very much in
discussion over the past few days.
At the constituency level, grassroots too have been
dealing with the problems faced by single-parent
families.
The number of cases of single-parent families in
need of help are not large, and the cases at the Meet-the-People
sessions are often those who need assistance with homes and
schools.
"The mother and child would have to move on in life and society has
to provide that sort of support for both the mother and child,"
said Ms Ellen Lee, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang Group
Representation Constituency (GRC).
"If people are important to us, the illegitimate child is also
important to us."
"The issue is (if we) should be assisting them to make their life
just a little bit easier; (if we) should be looking for ways that
the single mum who's never been married has as much assistance in
raising her children as another mum is married," said Dr Janil
Puthucheary, MP for Pasir Ris-Pungggol GRC.
Grassroots bodies have several programmes to help single-parent
families in need.
"We are working very closely with the community because at the end
of the day, we want to have community befrienders who actually
befriend these families so that whenever they need help, we are
able to activate the national scheme or local scheme," said Dr Teo
Ho Pin, MP for Bukit Panjang GRC.
"We try to ensure that the kids continue to remain in school and
the mother has a stable job to ensure that the family continues to
be stable," added Mr Zainudin Nordin, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh
GRC.
The MPs said the ongoing Our Singapore Conversation is expected to
be a lively platform to discuss future trends in single
parenthood.
"The National Conversation is a very good opportunity for us to get
a very good feel of the pulse of Singapore society going forward
and then that would probably move into the situation where we
review policies such as maternity, housing affecting singles and
single families," said Mr Desmond Lee, MP for Jurong GRC.
"There are two areas we should focus on: families who have or
mothers or fathers are single parents not through choices but
through unhappy choices," said Mr Hri Kumar Nair, MP for Bishan-Toa
Payoh GRC.
"We should help them and we should not forget that the child's
welfare is paramount."
The dialogues are expected to take place both at the national and
local constituency levels.
- CNA/xq