SINGAPORE: Lower-income families in rental housing will get more help under the ComLink scheme, as part of enhancements to improve social mobility, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (Oct 19).
The Ministry of Social and Family Services will train ComLink officers to become family coaches, who will work more closely with each family to coach and motivate them towards achieving their goals, said Mr Wong.
"We can consider a higher quantum of support or even longer-term support to families that make progress in areas like staying employed, saving to buy a home or ensuring their children attend preschool regularly," said Mr Wong, without specifying the help that will be given to the families. "The bottom line is that we have a full agenda ahead of us. We will take bold steps to uplift our lower-income Singaporeans, and to keep social mobility alive and well in Singapore."Befrienders wanted: MSF seeks 4,000 volunteers to reach more families under ComLink programme
"In particular, we know that lower-income families often face more complex and multi-faceted challenges. When the parents struggle, their children tend to have a less secure upbringing and can easily fall behind their peers," he said. "We know that more still needs to be done. We see early signs that social stratification is becoming more entrenched," said Mr Wong.