The Gift-A-Family scheme pairs participants with dedicated mentors and sponsors to support goals ranging from music and sports to therapeutic care and vocational upskilling. Originally launched as a local pilot in Boon Lay in 2022, the initiative has already assisted more than 180 individuals and lower-income families. Community Chest will supply $4.2 million in seed funding between 2026 and 2028 to finance the multi-agency rollout across the island.
Key points
The initiative complements the ComLink+ framework by transitioning lower-income household…: The initiative complements the ComLink+ framework by transitioning lower-income households from foundational stability toward long-term self-reliance.
Social service offices and family coaches collaborate directly with participants to ident…: Social service offices and family coaches collaborate directly with participants to identify aspirations and pair them with individual mentors.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development will partner with the People’s Association…: The Ministry of Social and Family Development will partner with the People’s Association and the National Council of Social Service for the expansion.
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SINGAPORE – An initiative to help vulnerable families develop their talents and aspirations through sponsorships will be expanded nationwide.
Known as Gift-A-Family (GAF), the scheme is intended to help such families move beyond stability to achieving self-reliance and social mobility, Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said on Nov 11.
GAF, which complements the national ComLink+ framework of state support for lower-income families, was started as a pilot in Boon Lay in 2022, and has since been extended to Clementi, Jurong East Bukit Merah, Queenstown and Tampines.
Seven more divisions will come onboard in the coming months: Hong Kah North, Marsiling, Nanyang, Nee Soon Link, Paya Lebar, Punggol North and Toa Payoh Central.
The eventual aim is for GAF to cover eligible ComLink+ and vulnerable families supported by Social Service Offices islandwide by 2028, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in a statement on Nov 12.
The ministry said it will work with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and the People’s Association (PA) to expand the GAF programme.
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