Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the proportion of Student Care Centres (SCC) which are not registered as a Student Care Fee Assistance Administrator or school-based SCC; (b) whether such SCCs are subject to any regulatory oversight; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider subjecting all SCCs to a licensing and regulatory regime similar to early childhood development centres.
Answer
1 All school-based Student Care Centres are registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). As for centres which are not school-based, they are only required to register with MSF if they wish to administer the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme.
2 The general regulatory regime for all Student Care Centres and their staff, irrespective of whether they administer Student Care Fee Assistance, is that they must comply with the prevailing laws, including the Children and Young Persons Act.
3 MSF will continue to monitor the existing regulatory framework for student care
centres, and if necessary, to enhance it.