Early childhood programme KidStart to expand nationwide by 2025
More children from lower-income homes will receive help over the next two years from a programme to support their development.
Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling announced on Jan 26 that KidStart, which provides support in areas like nutrition and parenting strategies, will be expanded to nine more towns by 2025.
With the programme’s expansion, 80 per cent of eligible children in every birth cohort will receive its support by the time they are six years old. It has currently benefited 8,500 children across 15 towns.
By the end of 2024, six towns – Hougang, Sengkang, Serangoon, Punggol, Pasir Ris and Tampines – will be part of the KidStart initiative. In 2025, Queenstown, Clementi and Jurong East will be added, completing its nationwide reach.
KidStart, which supports children up to the age of six, also aims to reach out to more families at the pregnancy stage, as part of a revamped approach.
In a statement, Madam Rahayu Buang, chief executive of KidStart Singapore, said that support in the early years has a lasting impact on children’s development and upward mobility in the long run.
“Families often place priority on child development after birth, but it should begin from pregnancy. Pregnant mothers who join KidStart can expect regular check-ins on their physical and mental well-being as well as guidance on how to care for their newborn from KidStart teams in the hospitals.”
The programme is offered at the National University Hospital (NUH) and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital when mothers attend their antenatal checks, to reach out to pregnant mothers and their children as early as possible.
Madam Rahayu added that after the child is born, a full-time KidStart practitioner will provide home-based support to the family on child development strategies such as meeting developmental milestones in fine gross motor skills and language skills, until the child is six years old.
KidStart, which currently has 140 practitioners working with families, will hire 100 more in 2024 to support its expansion. They will be trained in child development, as well as the health and social needs of children and families.
By 2026, it aims to have at least 400 practitioners in total.
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