NCSS - Children and Youth

Children and youths, regardless of abilities, have opportunities to maximise their potential. Programmes and activities in developing personal, social skills, decision-making, motivational and life skills are available to help build self-confidence and achieve positive relationships and behaviours.

School-based Programmes

Programmes in the school setting to create opportunities for children and youths.

School-based Social Work

The Builders Project – Lutheran Community Care Services
The Builders Project is a student-centric school based programme to work with schools to positively influence school culture through Restorative Practice. This is accomplished through a range of participatory learning programmes that will strengthen or repair relationships students have with their schools, families and the wider community.

The Scaffold Programme – Children-At-Risk Empowerment Association & Students Care Service
An early intervention programme (funded by NCSS) to support lower secondary school students from the Normal streams in mainstream schools. The programme engages the social ecosystems of a student, such as families, teachers and communities, with support structures to improve their school outcomes, parent-child relationships and school-student attachment.

Enhanced STEP-UP

Enhanced STEP-UP
A support programme for students who are at risk of dropping out of school, and out-of-school youths.

ESU aims to provide social work services to students with attendance issues so that they remain in school, as well as to out-of-school youths so that they can be meaningfully engaged to achieve one of the following outcomes:

To remain in school and improve attendance;
Enrolment into alternative academic learning institutions;

Engaged in gainful employment or enlisted for National Service

Developmental Programme

Halogen SPARK! – Halogen Foundation Singapore
Youths from vulnerable families can develop their confidence and self-efficacy through this programme. It is based on an entrepreneurship curriculum developed by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Youths will acquire fundamental business skills and build entrepreneurial mind-sets through a series of workshops and experiential learning sessions with corporate volunteers.

Community-based Programme

Community programmes that create opportunities for children and youths to maximise their potential.

Support for Children of Parents with Mental Health Issues

The Orchid Project – AMKFSC Community Services Ltd
A family-centric programme that supports children of school-going age who have parent(s) diagnosed with a mental health issue. It has a two-pronged approach, which not only equips the children with skills in managing the mental health challenges in the family. It also helps improve parents’ competencies to provide a safe and healthy home environment for their children.

Developmental Programmes

EQUAL Youth Programme – EQUAL-ARK Singapore Limited
A programme that builds character in secondary school students and help them develop positive behaviour. This is done through a socio-emotional curriculum delivered over 16 sessions through equine-facilitated psychotherapy.

Youth COP – SHINE Children and Youth Services
With Youth COP, social service agencies, schools and Neighbourhood Police Centres work together to help students at-risk to:

better understand laws and consequences of offences
build life skills and positive behaviours towards achieving their potential
improve their socio-emotional resilience and relationships with others

Youth United Programme – Beyond Social Services
The programme reaches out to youths residing in rental housing neighbourhoods and engages them in community activities. Desired outcomes include youths developing a positive mind-set towards education and employment, and caregivers feeling supported and equipped to resolve problems and make positive decisions.

Socio-Legal Support

Appropriate Adult Scheme for Young Suspects – Singapore Children’s Society
An independent and trained adult will accompany a young suspect under 16 years old to law enforcement interviews. The appropriate adult is a neutral party that provides emotional support to the young suspect and facilitates communication where necessary. Individuals aged above 21 years old, have a passion in supporting youths, and are interested to be an appropriate adult may register their interest at aays@childrensociety.org.sg.

Vocation or Skill-based

Vocational and Soft Skills Programme – YMCA Project Bridge
YMCA Project Bridge reaches out to youths-at-risk and out-of-school youths (aged 15-21) to integrate them back into society through education or employment. The programme helps youths develop positive work attitudes, such as responsibility and skills for future employment through vocational and apprenticeship schemes.

Child Protection Specialist Centres (CPSCs)
CPSCs provide support and assistance to cases involving child abuse, neglect and welfare concerns that no longer require statutory intervention. They provide community-based resources and assistance to families, while ensuring the safety of the child as they remain with their families.

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Befriending and Mentoring

For children and youths who are vulnerable or display at-risk behaviour. Befrienders and mentors are older and experienced to serve as role models, coaches, friends and facilitators. They help ease the transition to adolescence by supporting and challenging these young people to achieve and thrive as individuals and in their communities.

Commitment-Attitude-Performance Academy – Care Corner CROSSROADS Youth Centre
A programme which builds character and resilience in youths aged between 13 to 23 years old through healthy engagement in sports, life skills training, experiential learning and mentoring.

Frenz mentoring – Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM)
A mentoring programme for students from Institutes of Technical Education who require support in social relationships, academic achievement or motivation in school.

The programme helps to inculcate values such as lifelong learning, an entrepreneurial mind-sets and giving back to the community through a range of activities, such as interactive group work sessions, counselling and community service.

Experiential Learning & Mentoring Programme – Youth Guidance & Outreach Services
Youths are encouraged to turn away from loitering and idle after-school hours. They provide an open door for youth who need support and a supportive community to help them succeed and achieve positive life outcomes at home and school through befriending, experiential learning workshops, and individual mentoring sessions.

Evergreen Bees Mentoring Programme – Care Corner Teck Ghee Youth Centre
For Primary Four to Six students from disadvantaged families who may not be academically inclined or have little parental supervision during after-school hours. This programme aims to build up their motivation and academic foundation through tuition and supervised play-time with volunteer mentors.

MightyKids, Families & Community (MightyKFC) – Life Community Services Society
MightyKFC runs an Activity Centre for children and youths aged six to 19 years old in the Telok Blangah Estate. These young people can drop by the centre, and be engaged in fun and healthy activities, as well as enrichment programmes. It seeks to empower the young and provide them with a loving and learning environment.

Cyber Wellness

Cyber Wellness programmes promote cyber wellness values, healthy gaming and online safety.

Help123 – Fei Yue Community Services & TOUCH Youth Services
Help123 is the first one-stop platform in Singapore that brings together the People, Public and Private (3P) sectors to address youth cyber wellness issues. Youths, family members and educators can interact with trained counsellors through web chat, phone or email regarding cyber concerns, and be connected with appropriate support services.

eGEN Cyber-Counselling Service - Fei Yue Community Services
eGEN is an online platform comprising weblog, forums and cyber counselling to reach out to youths aged 13 to 25 years old. They will learn to better manage their issues and gain knowledge of community resources to tap on.

TOUCH Cyber Wellness - TOUCH Community Services
A cyber wellness and new media literacy programme for children, teenagers, parents and educators; it aims to inculcate respect, a balanced lifestyle and responsible use of digital technologies to help families grow together in the digital age.

MeToYou Cyber Care – Montfort Care
A cyber wellness programme for youths aged 12 to 18 years old, to improve their lives of youths and of their families who are facing challenges associated with the internet.

Support for Children with Incarcerated Parents

Services and programmes that help to maintain family ties between parent and child during the period of imprisonment.

Early Reader & Love Without Walls – New Life Stories
The Early Reader programme helps children aged three to seven years old develop positive skills and improve their literacy through reading activities in their homes. At the same time, the incarcerated mothers are engaged under the Love Without Walls programme to develop resilience and help them bond with their children through shared activities.

Friends of Children & Youth – Life Community Services Society
Befriending services for children and youths aged seven to 19 years old who have parents who are incarcerated. A volunteer befriender functions as a role model.
Group activities, guidance sessions and home visits are also conducted to improve positive behaviours and coping skills.

Kids in Play – Salvation Army
A psycho-educational groupwork to help children and youths aged five to 18 years old cope with parental incarceration. They also help caregivers and incarcerated parents to enhance their parenting skills and relationship with their children.

We have prepared these additional reading materials to support your needs: