Uplifting about 10,000* lower-income families
Stability
Ensure essential needs are met
Some families face unstable income or short-term employment, which may make it harder to plan ahead and meet every day needs.
Some may turn to short-term loans that add to debt stress. Our programmes aim to meet their essential needs and empower these families to work towards a more secure future.
Self-reliance
Encourage independence with skills training
Many lower-income families face challenges in achieving self-reliance due to limited opportunities.
Our suite of programmes provides a wide array of support. The family has access to academic, vocational and professional opportunities that empower them to take charge of their own lives
Social Mobility
Support pathways out of financial instability
Having access to resources and opportunities is integral for families to achieve social mobility. We provide long-term and sustained support so that the next generation can have a brighter future.
Image credit: 3 Pumpkins
Our Programmes
There is no one-size-fits-all solution that addresses the needs of lower-income families.
A holistic approach is key - one that provides support across education, employment, health, community assistance, and housing.
By addressing challenges via a range of programmes, each family member can receive the right support, strengthening the overall well-being of the household.
What It Does:
Supports early childhood development for lower-income families with children. This initiative supports specifically children who have gone through the KidSTART programme and are transiting to formal education in primary school.
How It Works:
The programme bridges the transition from preschool to formal education while celebrating Kindergarten 2 graduates. It offers bursaries to support their continued learning and connects families to essential support networks.
Goal/Impact:
To empower young children during their most formative years by fostering essential skills, promoting learning and addressing developmental gaps early.
What It Does:
Provides age-appropriate learning packs and enriching experiences to foster holistic development in children.
How It Works:
The programme provides curated learning packs to newly enrolled KidSTART families and contains developmental toys, books and resources and organises engaging learning journeys to provide families with parent-child bonding, play and learning opportunities outside the home.
Goal/Impact:
To give children a good start during their formative years by providing opportunities for early development, increased parent-child interaction and holistic growth through experiential learning.
What It Does:
- Provides literacy-based support to inculcate reading habits and to narrow academic gaps in learning.
- Creates a nurturing environment for children to develop holistically and build strong friendships and a sense of community.
- Nurtures curiosity & creativity in young minds through constructive activities.
- Equips children with essential life skills for social and emotional growth.
How It Works:
Operates as an after-school centre that offers homework help and academic coaching and engages students in a wide variety of activities comprising STEM and SEL activities, thematic discussions, arts and crafts, games and literacy activities to encourage independent learning, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a love for reading.
Goal/Impact:
To empower children from lower-income families by closing the literacy gap so as to foster academic growth as well as encouraging personal development in discipline and resilience while building friendships, creating a sense of community in a nurturing inclusive environment.
What It Does:
Helps eligible lower-income families reduce verified and legitimate debt as they take responsible steps toward financial stability. Support is only for families not on ComCare assistance currently.
How It Works:
Families that repay verified and legitimate debts to licensed creditors receive a dollar-for-dollar match, funded by donors. Families can be supported by up to $2,500 of matched repayments, which go directly to creditors.
Goal/Impact:
By easing their debt load, the package helps to free up mental bandwidth – enabling families to focus on long-term goals such as home ownership and financial resilience, and move toward a more secure future.
What It Does:
Supports working adults in lower-income families by providing financial and CPF top-ups to encourage stable, long-term employment, benefiting the entire household.
How It Works:
Provides financial top-ups via cash and CPF payouts for three consecutive months of employment, with additional top-ups for dual-income families.
Goal/Impact:
To empower families to achieve long-term self-relianceby encouraging sustained employment and reducing financial instability.
What It Does:
Provides systemic support to children of incarcerated individuals and families, fostering educational and emotional stability while preparing parents for reintegration.
How It Works:
Delivers weekly befriending sessions, family counselling, play therapy, and case management. Facilitates meaningful family connections through visits, and initiatives like book writing and story recordings to strengthen bonds.
Goal/Impact:
To empower children with life skills, resilience, and personalised care to overcome challenges. The programme aims to foster both emotional well-being and long-term success through tailored support and professional intervention.
What It Does:
Provides comprehensive housing assistance to help families transition from public rental flats to home ownership.
How It Works:
Supports families with children living in public rental flats by providing grants, guidance, and budget management. Equips them with the necessary skills and resources to achieve and sustain home ownership.
Goal/Impact:
To empower families to achieve stable home ownership, building long-term security and financial independence. With plans to expand, the programme aims to uplift even more families in the future.
What It Does:
Provides weekly sports and academic enrichment programmes for Primary and Secondary students, fostering holistic development and leadership skills.
How It Works:
The year-long programme’s curriculum incorporates both academics and sports across the course of 50 sessions. Classes are conducted with a blend of sports like netball and football with academic subjects such as English, Maths, and Science. Biannual sports camps further enhance engagement, mentorship, and leadership development.
Goal/Impact:
To engage students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and help them build academic and athletic growth, leadership development, and peer mentorship. Older students can be role models for younger peers in building confidence for lifelong success.
What It Does:
Provides financial support to ITE students, reducing their reliance on part-time work and enabling them to focus on their education
How It Works:
The scheme provides a monthly allowance to students from lower-income families who display good attendance and conduct, which will help to cover their meal and transport expenses.
Goal/Impact:
To ease financial burdens, enabling students to focus on their studies, fostering academic success, and supporting equitable opportunities for future career advancement
What It Does:
Provides financial aid to students facing economic challenges or emergency situations, helping them focus on their education without the strain of excessive part-time work.
How It Works:
The scheme includes two components: the Student Pocket Money Scheme (SPMS), offering $150 monthly for three months each semester, and the Student Emergency Money Scheme (SEMS), a one-time $1,000 disbursement for urgent family situations.
Goal/Impact:
To support students by sustaining their daily expenses and tide over financial difficulties, ensuring equitable access to education for the financially disadvantaged, fostering academic focus for long-term success.
What It Does:
Offers a 1-to-1, child-centric mentoring program that pairs children with professional mentors, known as Friends. The programme focuses on developing essential social-emotional skills and educational competencies of the children, with the long-term goal of enabling social mobility.
How It Works:
The eight-year programme guides children through key milestones in school, such as the transitions from K2 to P1, and subsequently P6 to Sec 1. STAR’S professional mentors focus on developing the core assets (social emotional competencies and life skills) of each child and the Parenting Support Specialists equip parents/caregivers with the skills and capacity to nurture an environment that best helps children to achieve their potential.
Goal/Impact:
To empower children to overcome educational and social barriers, fostering resilience, essential life skills, and opportunities for long-term success.
What It Does:
Supports lower-income students at risk of dropping out after failing PSLE, equipping them with life skills, resilience, and vocational training that empowers them to achieve personal success and be ready for work and life.
How It Works:
The six-year programme consists of two phases. The first four years at Assumption Pathway School focus on rebuilding self-esteem, developing life skills and resilience through the Positive @ APS framework with initiatives like the Year 1 Special Programme, iSTAY, and APS Challenge while building foundational vocational skills. Students graduate with an ITE Skills Certificate (ISC), which prepares them for employment or admission into ITE.
The next two years at Assumption Pathway Academy provides a work-study programme for students who are not work ready and unable to advance to ITE upon graduation at APS. Students deepen their work skills through on-the-job trainings and acquire workforce qualifications for employment or higher learning.
Goal/Impact:
To transform educational and career outcomes of at-risk students by building life skills, fostering resilience, and providing the vocational tools they need for sustained success.
What It Does:
Provides a safe space embedded in rental flat estate for children to socialise, engage in recreational activities, and seek guidance from fun-loving and caring adults.
How It Works:
The drop-in centre offers structured activities and mentorship to children navigating complex challenges such as family separation, bereavement, or mild intellectual disabilities.
Goal/Impact:
To foster emotional resilience, a sense of belonging, and holistic development for children in vulnerable situations.
What It Does:
Provides holistic support for children and youth through mentoring, academic enrichment, and values-based activities that foster social mobility and personal growth.
How It Works:
Supported by a committed team of volunteers and professionals, Touch Young Arrows supports the development of children through volunteer-led activities across 24 clubs in Singapore. YouthPhoria, the follow-up programme for graduates of Young Arrows, supports the physical and mental development of its youths by providing academic coaching and mentoring on a weekly basis.
Goal/Impact:
To empower underprivileged children and build social, emotional, and educational growth to break the cycle of poverty, enhancing social mobility for lower-income families.
What It Does:
Supports children through an early intervention initiative that develops executive functioning skills and strengthens family engagement.
How It Works:
Focuses on enhancing children’s social and self-regulation skills through structured activities.
Goal/Impact:
To help families communicate better, to foster stronger family relationships for developmental success.
What It Does:
Provides tailored mentoring and well-being programmes, including a community choir for children.
How It Works:
Operates as a hub for children and youth, includes programmes like the You Sparkle community choir, organised in partnership with ComLink+ and Voices of Singapore.
Goal/Impact:
To help children build confidence, self-esteem, and cultivate friendships while enhancing their emotional well-being through creative and collaborative expression.
What It Does:
Supports youths from lower-income families in building life skills, resilience, and confidence through tailored mentoring programmes.
How It Works:
Offers a three-tiered approach: general group mentoring to build foundational values; targeted support to provide tailored guidance for specific needs; and intensive professional care for psychosocial issues.
Goal/Impact:
To help youths develop life skills, resilience with tailored support, and professional intervention to overcome challenges, so as to achieve emotional well-being and long-term success.
