1. 'Our Wonderful Parents', an initiative which aims to foster positive partnership between parents and preschool educators, was unveiled at the first ever Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) "Walk for Good: Little Feet, Big Hearts" walkathon at Siloso Beach, Sentosa. 'Our Wonderful Parents' is organised by Preschool Market (PSM), supported by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM). ECDA also unveiled a refreshed version of its Beanstalk website at the event, which provides resources for parents and educators on supporting children’s development collaboratively.
2. ‘Our Wonderful Parents’ aims to recognise parents who actively collaborate with preschools and educators, as valued partners in children’s holistic development. Early childhood educators can nominate parents who demonstrate the values of trust, respect, empathy and altruism from 11 May 2025 till 11 July 2025. Selected stories will be showcased at ECDA's Early Childhood Celebrations & Conference in September 2025.
3. Recognising the importance of positive parent-educator collaboration, ECDA’s Chief Executive Ms Ku Geok Boon said, "Research demonstrates that the collaborative effort of educators, families and the larger community is crucial for the development of young children, especially in their early years. Similar to any other relationships, a collaborative partnership between parents and educators has to be built on mutual understanding and positive values such as trust, respect, empathy and altruism. As providing opportunities and practical resources for parents and educators to strengthen their partnership is key for children’s holistic development, ECDA is pleased to support ‘Our Wonderful Parents’ and provide resources for parents and educators through the refreshed Beanstalk portal."
4. Dr Cheong Su Fen, Founder of PSM, emphasised that children thrive best when parents and educators work well together. "Through 'Our Wonderful Parents’, we want to celebrate the love, kindness and unwavering support of parents who play an active role in shaping a nurturing environment for our children and the wider preschool community. Their everyday acts of encouragement and synergistic collaboration make a world of difference for early childhood professionals who work hard to give every child a good start in life."
5. Ms Michelle Tay, Executive Director of SKM, underscored the role of kindness in building strong partnerships: "Kindness is the golden thread that weaves the fabric for strong partnerships. When parents actively collaborate with their child's preschool educators, they become powerful role models. Children learn values like respect, and empathy by observing these interactions. When parents and educators are united, it creates a safe and supportive environment to nurture social-emotional development and sets the stage for lifelong success."
SSDB Marks 11 Years of Community Impact
6. To deepen parent-preschool partnership, PSM organised the first ever SSDB "Walk for Good: Little Feet, Big Hearts" walkathon on 11 May 2025. The event also marked the 11th edition of SSDB, and will be PSM’s annual signature event to bring together preschools, parents and educators. More than 2,000 participants, including preschoolers, early childhood educators and their families, SSDB’s community partners and beneficiaries, joined the event.
7. This year's SSDB anchors on the theme "Together for Tomorrow, Empowering Young Hearts," emphasising the importance of service learning in developing children's social and emotional skills. Families are encouraged to work alongside preschools in nurturing children's holistic development through SSDB projects, while giving back to the community.
Enhanced Resources through Refreshed Beanstalk Website
8. Building on initiatives to support parent-educator collaboration, ECDA unveiled a refreshed version of its Beanstalk website to provide resources for parents and educators. This enhanced resource portal provides comprehensive and locally contextualised content covering crucial aspects of early childhood development, including:
Child development milestones
Effective behaviour management strategies
Inclusive practices for supporting diverse learning needs
Best practices drawn from local preschools, parents and early childhood experts
9. Parents and educators can access these resources at www.ecda.gov.sg/Beanstalk.
ISSUED BY
PRESCHOOL MARKET PTE LTD
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
SINGAPORE KINDNESS MOVEMENT
About Preschool Market
Preschool Market Pte Ltd (PSM) is an educational consultancy and registered social enterprise established in 2015. It provides meaningful learning experiences through programmes and resources for schools and communities, with a strong focus on sustainability development and support for early childhood education.
In line with its social mission, PSM is committed to supporting underprivileged children and their families. It believes that every child deserves equal access to quality learning opportunities and the chance to reach their fullest potential, regardless of socio-economic background. For more information, visit www.preschoolmarket.com.
About the Early Childhood Development Agency
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) was set up in 2013. The autonomous agency oversees the regulation and development of infant, childcare and kindergarten programmes for children below the age of seven. To achieve their vision of giving every child a good start, the agency works in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that every child has access to affordable and quality early childhood development services and programmes. For more information, visit www.ecda.gov.sg.
About Singapore Kindness Movement
Kindness is in everyone. The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) wants to encourage everyone to start, show and share kindness. We aspire to inspire graciousness one kind act at a time. By sparing a thought for the people around us, we hope to create a gracious society, and make life better for you and me. SKM is a non-government, non-profit organisation, as well as a registered charity and Institution of Public Character. For more information, visit www.kindness.sg.