It’s not hard to find press coverage on the topic of Southeast Asian charities supporting underprivileged children. Yet many kids in Singapore are also in need. Unsurprisingly, some children here are unable to provide care or supervision for various reasons. To find out more, we visited the Children’s Aid Society’s Melrose Home, a place thousands of children have called home over its 100-year history.
The historical significance of Melrose Home Singapore
While their heart-wrenching details rarely make the headlines, there are hundreds of children in Singapore who, as a result of parental neglect, abandonment or mistreatment, must live away from home. Fortunately for them, Singapore’s strong social safety net identifies and cares for them, and their families also receive the support they need.
The government partially or fully funds Melrose Home, one of over 20 residential children’s homes on the island. The home has a long association with expatriates. It was started in the 1880s, when the wives of British colonials saw a desperate need to care for abandoned and troubled children. In 1902, it re-launched as the Children’s Aid Society, and was run for decades by energetic women whose husbands served as board members and chairpersons. Among them was Sir Cecil Clementi, Governor of the Straits Settlements in the 1930s.
Melrose Home occupied a sprawling bungalow on Tomlinson Road until the organisation purchased land and opened a purpose-built residence in 1969 on Clementi Road. It remained there until December 2019, when it relocated to 35 Boon Lay Avenue. (A return to the old site and the creation of a larger facility called Melrose Village is slated for 2026.) The first Singaporean chairman, Mr TS Zain, was elected in 1972; his son now sits on the board.
Funding and mission
Like other charities, Melrose Home relies heavily on the generosity of donors and other benefactors, whose contributions account for 60 percent of its $2 million annual operating budget. The Melrose Home’s mission is “to help children and young people in need so that they succeed and contribute to society and family.” In a typical year, around 50 children aged from five to 19 call the safe, secure and happy environment home.
Privacy restrictions prevent the revealing of specific details of the children and their stories, but there is a common pattern in many of their backgrounds. It begins when a school, a hospital, or the children themselves raise an alert about abuse or neglect. They report this to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), which conducts a thorough investigation and assessment. If recommended, they remove the child from the home.
The child’s unique needs and the availability of space determine the residential home where they are placed – for example, if they already have a sibling in care.
Many reasons explain why Melrose Home removes children from their families: physical or psychological abuse, drug-dependent parents, parents in rehabilitation or incarceration, single mothers with physical or mental health issues, or overcrowding with relatives.
Daily life
What’s a typical day at Melrose Home like? The schedule can change, but here is one example of times and activities. Children in shared dormitories rise at 5am for breakfast; an hour later, they’re on the way to school. The resident cook makes sure they receive three nutritious meals a day. At the same time, other members of staff support their academic and personal development. After school, they enjoy an hour of play outside, and the school kids then do homework until dinner at 5.15 pm. Tutors and volunteers assist children with studies from 7 to 8.30 pm. After supper, they head off to bed. They schedule workshops and special activities for the weekend.
On our visit, there were approximately 30 staff at Melrose Home, including four dedicated caseworkers to manage intervention and therapeutic support for the children and their families. They do this in partnership with schools and government agencies.
Challenges at Melrose Home Singapore
A significant challenge arises from the fact that 40 percent of the kids at Melrose have special needs; some are dyslexic, for example; others suffer from mental health issues.
The team remains positive that these children can get the care and support they need. “We can help with intervention,” they explain, “and if we catch a problem early enough the children can grow up to be normal adults.”
While the primary objective is for kids to return to their families, it’s a delicate balancing act. The kids must be ready to return and, equally, the family situation must be stable. Some children live at Melrose Home for the long term – two brothers have been at the home for over a decade, as their mother is unfortunately unable to care for them.
What about contact with families? Some children can spend weekends and school holidays at home. Monitoring and control are needed when parents visit their children in other cases. A social worker provides follow-up care and mentoring once a child has returned home permanently to ensure safe settling.
Returning home can present challenges, especially if the standard of living isn’t at the same level as at Melrose Home. Children can become accustomed to the spacious grounds, regular schedule and nutritious meals; adjusting to a small HDB flat, sometimes crowded with relatives, can be difficult.
Another issue with residential care is that there are few mother or father role models. That’s one reason why the last century saw a shift to foster care in many Western countries, allowing children to live in a family context. In Asia, though, residential care is predominant.
The future of Melrose Home Singapore
In recent years, the government has moved to extend the benefits of a family living environment. The Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2015 launched an $8 million pilot programme to encourage families to foster children. In 2014, 330 children were in foster care, cared for by 235 families. In 2022, that figure had almost doubled.
“We are supportive of the government initiative to advance fostering in Singapore,” says the Melrose Home team. It’s possible, though, that the need for beds won’t diminish. Melrose Home is already seeing an increasing number of special needs residents, and foster parents may not be able to care for some of them. No matter the scenario, kids will continue to live safely and happily at Melrose Home.
Melrose Home is a registered charity; donations are tax-deductible. For more information about fostering children, please visit the website.
6466 5758 | childrensaidsociety.org.sg
For more helpful tips, head to our Living in Singapore section.
