One of the unique strengths of NTUC First Campus (NFC) is the support that we extend to children and their families. The Child Support Model (CSM) at NFC enables our team to work closely together to support and empower families.

Our team is made up of multi-disciplinary professionals and we have the expertise to support children with developmental needs through a whole range of programmes. It takes a village to raise a child, and it definitely takes a team to provide such support.

I am the Lead Therapist at NFC and I oversee the Therapy Team which comprises Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, and Educational/Clinical Psychologists. I am also an Occupational Therapist by training and I am able to provide Occupational Therapy for the children when there is a need for it.

For me, working in the early childhood field at NFC is a joy. It is what we Therapists call working in a community setting. In such a setting, I am able to see the children in their most natural setting (classrooms) and work hand-in-hand with teachers and principals to support their learning and participation in daily life.

One of my most memorable experiences at NFC has been working with a child with behavioural challenges that stemmed from underlying developmental needs. While working with the child, it was clear to me that her parents had to be engaged in order to further the support. It was a privilege for me to be able to work with the child’s mother by coaching her to take small yet important steps to make shifts in her parenting style and communication. This shift empowered her to see her child from being ‘attention-seeking’ to ‘seeking connection’. This adjustment helped the mother to begin communicating with her child in a more positive manner which, in turn, resulted in an enhanced parent-child relationship. It was a truly gratifying experience for me to see the child’s behaviour improve both at home and in school, allowing the child to benefit from the care setting at NFC.

Most programmes offered under the CSM programmes are funded through contributions to NFC’s Bright Horizons Fund (BHF). These programmes are developed specially to cater to the children’s learning and well-being, particularly children who come from low-income families.

Regular funding enables our CSM programmes to be carried out smoothly. With increased funding, we can support more children and families. We can also develop new programmes for families, conduct pre-schooler cyber wellness programmes, and even introduce new services to meet specific developmental needs that are not covered in the current CSM programme.

As the saying goes ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’. Contributions to the BHF will not just provide the ‘fish’ but will support our work in the CSM to empower these families with the hope that they learn and develop skills to ‘feed themselves for a lifetime’.