$1,500 to help lower-income families with PCF pre-schoolers improve their homes for living and learning

A new initiative aiming to make homes more conducive for children to learn and thrive will provide 260 lower-income families with up to $1,500 for household appliances, as well as items that can be used for a child's development.

Families can purchase items such as study tables or play areas, as well as appliances such as refrigerators or electric fans.

KidStart Sparkle Homes, which was launched on Oct 18, is open to families with at least one child registered with a PAP Community Foundation (PCF) pre-school.

The families must have been registered as a beneficiary with KidStart for at least eight months and be nominated by their practitioner - KidStart professionals trained in areas such as early childhood development.

The scheme will receive up to $412,000 in funding between 2025 and 2027 from PCF's charity division, under an agreement signed in July between the foundation and KidStart.

KidStart is a non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Early Childhood Development Agency that supports the development of children in lower-income homes.

More than 60 families under the new initiative attended the launch event at the Mothercare Experience Store at HarbourFront Centre on Oct 18, where they received an additional $300 to shop for items such as nursery furniture and educational toys at the store.

Housewife Dewiayuni Edi Rianto, whose family has been with KidStart since 2021, said she would buy a new fridge and a wardrobe, as well as a table and chairs for her three sons, who are aged between two and seven.

"The wardrobe will help my boys learn how to organise their own things and be more responsible, while the table and chairs will give them a proper space for reading and colouring, instead of on the floor," the 34-year-old said.

Another beneficiary, a mother of two who gave her name only as Elisabeth, said she hoped to buy a ceiling fan, as her son struggles to sleep at night and sometimes gets rashes from the heat.

"Having a ceiling fan to cool the whole house means my children can rest better, and I can also feel more comfortable while cooking for them," said the 37-year-old, who works part-time at a fast-food restaurant.

Also at the event was Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who chairs the PCF Council of Management.

"We know from studies that the child's growing-up environment, both in school and at home, makes a difference. So KidStart Sparkle Homes is designed to support families to make improvements in their homes, so that the environment for the children can be better," said Mrs Teo, adding that this would allow children to "really flourish".

PCF chief executive Victor Bay said the programme will help to build "solid families with strong foundations".

"A sturdy table, a proper bed or a working fridge may seem simple, but for parents, these are the things that bring peace of mind and dignity," he said, adding that the foundation was constantly looking for more partners and new programmes that could help to uplift children.

KidStart CEO Joel Tan said the initiative aims to create "safer, nurturing and more child-friendly homes", to allow parents to focus on raising their children with greater peace of mind.

When asked whether there were plans for KidStart Sparkle Homes beyond its initial three years, Mr Tan noted the initiative was still new and that its benefits to families need to be assessed.