Introduction
1 Good afternoon and a warm welcome to all. I am proud to be here with you today, amongst a group of passionate individuals ready to uplift the lives of Singaporean families.
2 Today, we commemorate a significant milestone as we honour the first graduating class of the Foundation Programme for ComLink+ family coaches. Congratulations to all graduates!
Commitment to serve
3 Over the past six weeks, as newly minted family coaches, you have undergone rigorous training. The training is designed to equip all of you with valuable skills and knowledge to support the families you’ll be working with – such as case management, financial planning, and motivational interviewing skills.
4 Being a family coach requires both a combination of hard and soft skills, which I hope the Foundation Programme has equipped you with. Ultimately, a family coach needs to have what I call the C.A.R.E. characteristics:
- C: Care and Concern, which is to have a heart for families;
- A: Action-oriented and also an analytical mind, to work with families to come up with an action plan, appreciating the strengths and challenges families face at the same time;
- R: Resilient, to press on in their journey with families when the going gets tough, and;
- E: Empathetic, to understand and relate to the family.
5 Many are here today, having switched tracks from different careers, and have chosen to be a family coach because you care. Let me share the story of Mr Muhammad Ali, one of the graduands here today. Previously a manufacturing engineer, Mr Ali is making a switch to be a family coach because he sees the need for families to receive the support and guidance in order to unlock their full potential. Mr Ali views this career shift as an opportunity to give back to society. People like Mr Ali bring a wealth of professional and life experience, which will help the families that we all work with as they journey toward social mobility. I hope more who C.A.R.E. can join us as a family coach. We welcome you.
6 Important and meaningful work lies ahead of you. What you do will reach into the homes and hearts of those who will look to you for guidance and support. You will work with them as they chart their next steps towards achieving stability, self-reliance, and social mobility. And you will take the lead in bringing together different sources of support for the ComLink+ families under your care. Your work, however challenging, will give families hope and motivation to progress, and help them to create a better future for their young ones. I hope that as you journey with your families, you will always seek to exemplify the C.A.R.E. characteristics I described earlier.
7 It is also important to remember that you are not going at this alone, but part of a 200-strong – and growing – cadre of compassionate and dedicated individuals who share the same vision to uplift and empower families. So, lean on each other, seek guidance when needed, and continue to learn and grow as you navigate the complexities and joys of your role.
ComLink+ Progress Packages
8 Beyond equipping our family coaches as best as we can, we also want to provide more resources to support ComLink+ families. As part of this support, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced last November that we will start offering four ComLink+ Progress Packages.
9 These Packages will provide additional financial support when ComLink+ families take proactive steps in key areas to secure a better future for themselves and their children, and fulfil goals that they set together with their family coaches. The packages are designed to affirm and reinforce families’ efforts and sense of ownership over their own goals and multiply the outcome of their efforts.
10 I am pleased to announce that starting this month, the ComLink+ Progress Package for Preschool will be made available to eligible ComLink+ families. This Package encourages ComLink+ families to provide their children with a good start in their education by enrolling their children in preschool by age 3 and ensuring that they attend regularly, as local data shows that children who attended preschool from age 3 onwards are less likely to require additional learning support in primary school. Therefore, preschool enrolment and regular attendance is a significant step that we want to encourage all lower-income families with preschool-aged children to take, to pave the way for a better future for their children, and as a result, the whole family. Our family coaches will be reaching out to eligible ComLink+ families to invite them to sign up for this ComLink+ Progress Package.
11 ComLink+ families can also look forward to the ComLink+ Packages for Employment, Home Ownership and Debt Clearance, which will be rolled out progressively from the end of the year. We will share details about these packages later.
Conclusion
12 Our family coaches are instrumental in helping ComLink+ families access available resources, and supporting them in building and strengthening their foundation to achieve 3Ses - Stability, Self-reliance, and ultimately Social mobility. ComLink+ and the ComLink+ Progress Packages exemplify the Government’s shift from social assistance to longer-term, family-centric support that recognises and boosts families’ agency to take charge of their goals and secure a better future.
13 To our family coaches, congratulations once again, and may your journey as family coaches be marked by fulfilment, growth, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are truly making a difference in the lives of fellows in the forest, the lives of human beings around us. Thank you.