Concerns Over Reduction Of Subsidies For Special Needs Children
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In response to the ST article dated 7 Jan 06, I would like to pen my thoughts on the anxiety of parents who have special needs children.
As a parent of an autistic boy, I have been alerted to complains by parents of special needs children on their respective online forums ([email protected] and [email protected]). Unfortunately, there has been a lack of coordinated effort to bring to light these concerns. The main reason - parents of these special children already have their hands full to make ends meet in providing for their kids with the necessary programs to improve their long term well being. All the time consuming efforts leave them with little time to gather, discuss and publicise their plights.
Programs for special needs children are costly and are in short supply in Singapore. As parents, we all want to provide the best for our kids. On average, it costs a parent between $1000 to $2000 monthly to support a special needs kid. Excluding the financial burden, parents often have to trial and error to find the best program to suit their children. The latest income mean testing measures to determine affordability by households has, in my opinion, added further burden to parents already bogged down with unexpected financial costs and endless emotional baggage.
While it makes a lot of economic sense for the policy makers to ensure sustainability of subsidise health care, it is probably a mean measure to implement by a normal person who has little insight on the upbringing of special needs kids. Special needs children are also Singaporeans. Their disabilities at a young age have rendered them ineligible for insurance coverage, ie there is no way to mitigate their long term medical costs. In addition the short supply of specialists in their respective areas means that the public sector has not been able to cope with their treatments, leaving parents to turn to the more expensive private sector specialists. Long queues for medical and special educational services are common for these kids and the situation has yet to improve significantly despite increased awareness amongst the Ministries.
In view of the continuing cost cutting and outsourcing programs, I would like to suggest the relevant Ministries to reconsider the income mean testing exercises. Instead, they should do well to help formulate a fair and sustainable assistance package that will help parents of such kids to defray the high costs. A co-pay scheme together with a list of accredited lists of specialists, similar to the present baby bonus scheme, can be administered to ensure all special needs kids obtain their required healthcare and educational needs at the shortest possible time.
Our Prime Minister has promised us an all inclusive Singapore society. Parents with special needs children have been labouring in silence all these while in hope of miracles in their children. With the rising incidence of special needs, reasonable financial assistance from the government will help to allay further anxiety for these parents.
As a parent of an autistic boy, I have been alerted to complains by parents of special needs children on their respective online forums ([email protected] and [email protected]). Unfortunately, there has been a lack of coordinated effort to bring to light these concerns. The main reason - parents of these special children already have their hands full to make ends meet in providing for their kids with the necessary programs to improve their long term well being. All the time consuming efforts leave them with little time to gather, discuss and publicise their plights.
Programs for special needs children are costly and are in short supply in Singapore. As parents, we all want to provide the best for our kids. On average, it costs a parent between $1000 to $2000 monthly to support a special needs kid. Excluding the financial burden, parents often have to trial and error to find the best program to suit their children. The latest income mean testing measures to determine affordability by households has, in my opinion, added further burden to parents already bogged down with unexpected financial costs and endless emotional baggage.
While it makes a lot of economic sense for the policy makers to ensure sustainability of subsidise health care, it is probably a mean measure to implement by a normal person who has little insight on the upbringing of special needs kids. Special needs children are also Singaporeans. Their disabilities at a young age have rendered them ineligible for insurance coverage, ie there is no way to mitigate their long term medical costs. In addition the short supply of specialists in their respective areas means that the public sector has not been able to cope with their treatments, leaving parents to turn to the more expensive private sector specialists. Long queues for medical and special educational services are common for these kids and the situation has yet to improve significantly despite increased awareness amongst the Ministries.
In view of the continuing cost cutting and outsourcing programs, I would like to suggest the relevant Ministries to reconsider the income mean testing exercises. Instead, they should do well to help formulate a fair and sustainable assistance package that will help parents of such kids to defray the high costs. A co-pay scheme together with a list of accredited lists of specialists, similar to the present baby bonus scheme, can be administered to ensure all special needs kids obtain their required healthcare and educational needs at the shortest possible time.
Our Prime Minister has promised us an all inclusive Singapore society. Parents with special needs children have been labouring in silence all these while in hope of miracles in their children. With the rising incidence of special needs, reasonable financial assistance from the government will help to allay further anxiety for these parents.
1476 Signatures
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Tay Juay H
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Tan Siok K
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Ryan W
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Tsui P
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Janice W
- Comments
- Let's include and assimilate the less fortunate into our society.
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Jason Y
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WAILEEN SONG POH C
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Chua Swee H
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GEETHA S
- Comments
- THE BIGGEST ASSET IN LIFE IS CHILDREN
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joseph t
- Comments
- let's hope something positive will come out of this... haiz....
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Josephine L
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Yeo Hong H
- Comments
- My opinion is that education whether gifted programs, mainstream curriculum, special needs or otherwise should be made free to all Singapore children below the age of 16 years old.
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Ng Pue S
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Henry
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ANDY T
- Comments
- Hope the government can relook into the reduction schemes or find an alternative to help these children.Let's make S'pore a better place to live.
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Leng Teck J
- Comments
- Singapore has a per capita GDP equal to many rich nations. I do hope that we can spend a little effort and resources to help those special children. Our country spends about 4b in defence and the next big spender is Education, but yet so small a portion is given to the children with special needs. May I request that we get them a little more attention.
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Chan Wai H
- Comments
- The strength of a society is measured by the welfare of its weakest members. Please upgrade the quality of life for these special needs children and their families.
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Tommy T
- Comments
- The government should increase subsidies for Special Needs Children ,not decreasing it.
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WS T
- Comments
- The government should let the heart rule over the mind in this matter.
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SENIWATI A
- Comments
- I have a daughter and expecting my second one. I don't know what will come in the near future cause we are planning to have 3 children. I agree to the petition because i have a special needs sister myself. All expenses has been beared by my both parents and us. She has to go for her monthly checkups and usually my parents have to take taxi to see a doctor. We live in Jurong however, no neighbourhood doctors would like to see her therefore have to take her to see a doctor at Balestier Rd. Therefore, I support strongly to this petition.
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Anne L
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Daniel Ong S
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Peter S
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Kevin L
- Comments
- В
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Michael M
- Comments
- В
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Lynn Ong Lay H
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Tan Wee M
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Loke Wai H
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Preeti B
- Comments
- The continuation of the subsidy will but reduce a fraction of the anxieties that parents of children with special needs perpetually experience. Yet its cancellation will increase the concerns a thousandfold.
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Lee Tai P
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Theresa Lim L F
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shirley T
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Liau Chern Chern, J
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Valerie S
- Comments
- В
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Benjamin F
- Comments
- We know first hand how special needs are grossly inadequate in Singapore, which also encourages peoples' thoughts and action on emigration to societies that do care and act more for those in need. We can have more heart and do more without being a welfare society. As it is, the load on such parents, as you know, is very heavy - they have not only to think of providing for one generation but also for the next generation. Help the kids who really can't help themselves. What if we were in their position? A more gracious society with adequate help for these kids could also encourage more to have more kids without worrying what if their kids or the next one faces some special needs.
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Sherri H
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Christina N
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Thomas L
- Comments
- Please do not cut subsidies.
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Leong Yuet Mei (Rita W
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Chan Ying L
- Comments
- I implore the Govt to do more to help parents with special-needs kids. Any measures, whether in terms of improving the availability of affordable professional/special-ed services or helping parents to defray the high cost of raising such children will be useful. and very much appreciated.
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Yeo Eyau L
- Comments
- I think our society can afford it ,it sadden me if we lose this value.
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ray l
- Comments
- Response to the needs of the parents, care for the welfare of these children who deserve care & attention.
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Tan Seng Y
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David N
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Magdalene T
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Harlina Bte Abdul K
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Mak Keen T
- Comments
- В
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Chua Choon G
- Comments
- Please hear our voices and help us to help our children. They are also human beings and deserve a place in society.
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Lau Beng H
- Comments
- Give our children a chance!
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Elizabeth L
- Comments
- One never knows how is it like to be a parent of a special child unless you step into the person's shoes. The financial difficulty and emotional stress is not something everyone will understake. But as a parent, you make the choice and hope for the best for the child. In this, I hope that the special kids in Singapore will continue to receive this financial subsidy so that we can continue to do the best for our special kids without worrying about how to make ends meet.
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1476
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