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Have you wondered how you
can enrich your marriage?
How to be a good parent?
How to handle stress within the family?
Well, you will be pleased to
know that you can turn to Family Service Centres (FSCs) for advice and support.
A FSC is a neighbourhood-based focal point of family resources
which everyone can turn to on any family-related matters. They are
run by voluntary welfare organisations and supported by the Ministry
of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the National Council of
Social Service. Anyone, regardless of age, race, language or religion,
can benefit from FSC services.
FSCs are located within
the community to make social services more accessible to the public.
They are staffed by professional social workers who are ready to
provide a listening ear and helping hand. They have a good network
in the community and can help you obtain assistance from other social
and community service agencies if necessary.
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| Location of individual FSCs |
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| As a family-oriented
wellness centre, FSCs offer families support for sustaining family
strength throughout all family life stages within the community through
a range of remedial, preventive and developmental programmes.
You can also participate in
their family
life education talks on marriage
preparation, parenting, caring for the elderly, stress management
and so on. Or you can make use of their support services such as
student
care centres, drop-in centres for the elderly and toy &
book libraries. Or you can be a volunteer with
them.
Key features of Family Service
Centres:
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Family-focused services
FSCs focus on the family as the primary unit of intervention
and service.
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Wide range of services
FSCs provide a continuous spectrum of services that cater
to a wide variety of family needs.
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Responsive to the
needs of the local community
FSCs are expected to identify gaps and pilot new services
based on the needs of the community.
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There are currently 36 FSCs located
around Singapore and they are all linked by the National
Family Service Centre Helpline 1800-8380100 which operates in
English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. Just dial this number and key
in the first three digits of your telephone number to be connected
to the FSC nearest your home. |
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All FSCs provide
the following key programmes:
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Family Life Education
Programmes
Family Life Education Programmes aim at enriching the lives of
families and individuals, including those who are already
strong and stable.
Some of the programmes
conducted include talks, seminars, workshops, etc on:
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Marriage Preparation
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Marriage Enrichment
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Parenting
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| (iv) |
Support Groups
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For information on other
Family Life Education Programmes, please visit AboutFamilyLife.org.sg
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Outreach Programmes
Outreach programmes are
aimed at reducing the risk of particular difficulties or dysfunctionality
by proactively reaching out to the needs of the community.
The programmes vary across FSCs depending on the particular
needs of the community which they serve. These include programmes
for children, youths, families and elderly.
Available Outreach
Programmes
The following are some
of the activities provided:
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMES
- Toy
and Book Library
- Children's
Literary Programmes
- Child
Befrienders
- Student
Care Centre
- Children's
Drop-in Centre
- Healthy
Start Programme
- Reading
Programme
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YOUTH PROGRAMMES
- School
Social Work
- Streetwise
Programme
- Youth
Drop-in
- Youth
Outreach
- CABIN
Programme
- Intermediate
Treatment Programmes for Young Offenders
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ADULT PROGRAMMES
- Parents' Support Group
- Mothers' Support Programmes
- Family Clubs
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ELDERLY PROGRAMMES
- Drop-in Centre
- Befriending Services
- Home Help Services
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PROGRAMMES FOR SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES
Based on the needs of the local community, FSCs provide a range
of services for single-parent families. These include:
- Single-parent Support Group
- Education Programmes for Single Parents
- Group Work for Children from Single-parent Families
- Support Recovery Programme
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Casework And Counselling
Casework and counselling
in FSCs is provided by trained social workers to help families
or individuals resolve their personal, social and emotional
difficulties, and life challenges.
Available Counselling Services
- Marital Counselling / Pre-marital Counselling
- Behavioural Problems / Child Management
- Domestic Violence
- Financial Difficulties
- Interpersonal Relationships
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Family Violence Programmes
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Along with the Family
Court, police, hospitals and crisis shelters, the FSC
is one of the entry points into the network of help and
support for people who experience family violence. FSCs
provide a range of professional services and practical
assistance, which include the following:
- Legal advice and referrals to the Family Court
- Referrals to crisis shelters, if necessary
- Counselling, Groupwork and Support Groups for:
- Those who experienced violence
- Those who used violence
- Children who witnessed violence
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Information And Referral
The information and referral
service functions to link people in need with appropriate
community resources when the FSC is unable to service the
client's needs itself.
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FSCs promote volunteerism
and social responsibility within the community by mobilising volunteers
to participate and assist in the delivery of social services.
Examples of volunteering
opportunities:
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Befrienders
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Tuition
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Reading Programme
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Mentoring |
How to be a volunteer?
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Quotes from
Beneficiaries
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"I benefited a lot
from these workshops as I now do believe in myself and I can
make the most out of my life."
By a youth who attended a youth camp.
"We attended a Marriage
Enrichment Workshop... the sessions were meaningful. Our married
life has been enriched."
By a couple who participated in a Marriage Enrichment Workshop.
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"My daughter has
become more sociable and cheerful. The centre's staff are
dedicated to the children under their care."
By a parent who placed her child at a Student Care Centre by FSC.
"The best benefit
is that both my child and I are able to understand each other
better... I have learnt to express my feelings and expectations
to him."
By a mother who participated in the mothers' support group.
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"It was a learning
experience for both my wife and I. As a family, we have learnt
to make time and do things together."
By a father who had benefited from family counselling.
"The counselling
and groupwork sessions conducted by social workers in schools
provided an avenue for pupils to share their experiences and
learn from one another. We appreciate the workers' good work."
By a school principal who had engaged school social work
services from FSC.
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| Thoughts / Commitment
of the FSCs
"We are committed to taking
the next step in quality improvement by service innovation, tapping
talent and expertise from within and outside the organisation and
staff training."
John Ang, Chairman, Fei Yue FSC
"We are a people's organisation
and as an FSC, we need to keep thinking and looking for better ways
of doing things."
Michael Gray, Chairman, Ang Mo Kio FSC
"Looking from a macro
perspective, demand for the services of FSCs has been on an increasing
trend nation-wide, due largely to greater awareness generated by
the outreach programmes of such centres and relevant government
agencies."
Lee Kim Yiang, ex-Chairman, TRANS Centre
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| The National FSC
Helpline is a toll-free telephone number that links all FSCs. It operates
in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
How the Helpline works:
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| Step
1: |
Caller
dials 1800 - 838 0100 |
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2: |
Caller
selects desired language:
1 for English 2
for Mandarin 3 for
Malay 4 for Tamil |
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3: |
Option
1: |
Caller
presses 1 to be connected to an FSC.
Caller keys in first 3 digits of home telephone number,
and is immediately connected to the nearest FSC.
Caller will be attended to by a social worker during office
hours.
Caller will be asked to leave a message if the line is
busy or if it is after office hours. |
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Option
2: |
Caller
presses 2 to request for a list of FSCs.
Caller keys in fax number, and a list of FSCs will be faxed over within minutes. |
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