SINGAPORE — Most of the affected children from Beyond Social Services' (BSS) pre-school have found places in other centres, following the agency's move to close the school at the end of 2025.
Of the 14 enrolled children, six will graduate from the pre-school, known as Healthy Start Child Development Centre (HSCDC), by the end of 2025 and are unaffected by the closure.
Of the remaining eight, seven children have found places at alternative pre-schools or secured care arrangements, with help from BSS and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).
BSS and ECDA gave these figures on Nov 13 in response to queries from The Straits Times.
BSS had announced in October that HSCDC will shut down operations at the end of 2025 after more than 20 years due to declining enrolment.
The number of children enrolled had dropped from more than 50 in 2018, to 14 in 2024, the organisation said, with fewer referrals when families relocated due to housing redevelopment.
HSCDC opened in 2002 after a survey done in the Henderson and Bukit Merah estates found that many children were at risk due to inadequate childcare, parental incarceration or leaving school early.
The centre in Bukit Merah was the pre-school that four-year-old Megan Khung, who was fatally abused by her mother and the woman's boyfriend, attended before her death in 2020.
Teachers and social workers had tried to help Megan after discovering bruises on the girl in school.
On Oct 23, an independent review panel found a series of breaches by agencies in the handling of Megan's case, including a Child Protective Service officer failing to log calls from BSS seeking help for the girl, and police officers not following procedures.
BSS said it will continue to support families through neighbourhood-based programmes and provide support through peer networks.
The organisation is currently developing a pilot for a community-based programme to continue supporting the families of the children from the pre-school. It will be launched in 2026.
A spokesman for ECDA said the centre had informed them, as well as parents, of their plans to close on June 30. This is in line with ECDA's six-month notification requirement for childcare centre closures.
For staff at the pre-school, BSS said it will redeploy them internally to other roles in the agency where possible.
For others who may not be redeployed, BSS said it will provide employment assistance, including referrals to other pre-schools and agencies within the social service sector.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
