eligibility criteria & faqs

7/27/2019 Eligibility Criteria & FAQs

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Annex A

COMCARE CHILD/STUDENT CARE SUBSIDIES

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA/DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA DOCUMENTATION

1. CitizenshipChild is Singapore citizen. If child is PR, at least 1member of immediate family is Singapore citizen.

1. Completedapplication form

2. Child’s birthcertificate (BC)

3. NRIC of applicant/spouse/dependents (childrenand elderly parents of spouse/applicant

with no income)

4. Parent(s) pay slip oremployment letter

2. Age CriteriaChildren must be aged 6 and below and attendinglicensed child care centres, or aged 7 – 14 years oldand attending eligible student care centres.

3. Employment CriteriaBoth parents must be employed.

4. Household Income CriteriaFamily’s monthly household income is $3,500 andbelow. Include regular sources of income such asrental income, overtime, commission, and pension.

5. Per Capita Income (PCI) CriteriaFamilies with PCI of $875 and below.

To calculate PCI:

Definition of “Family Members” includes:- Applicant and spouse- Their children (with no income)- Applicant/spouse’s elderly parents (with no

income)

As at 30 May 2012



Annex A


MANAGEMENT OF EXCEPTIONS

CIRCUMSTANCES ELIGIBILITY AND DOCUMENTATION

1 Citizenship

a) Child is foreigner but parentis Singaporean

Not eligible

b) Child is Singaporean butparent is foreigner

Eligible as long as other criteria met

2 Age Criteria and Non Eligible Kindergarten

a) Child exceeds stipulated agedue to special needs

Parent/ Guardian to provide letter of deferment from MOE, or medical report/relevant supporting document from Hospital

b) Child not attending eligiblekindergarten

Not eligible

3 Employment Criteria

a) One parent is on Social VisitPass / Long Term Visit Pass

Plus (LTVP+) and notemployed

Eligible as long as other criteria met for aninitial period of 3 months. Parents have to

produce either the Proof of Job Search or signthe Undertaking and produce the Approvalfor Interim ComCare Child Care/ StudentCare Subsidy letter.

b) Single/ unwed parent withspouse’s particulars stated inchild’s birth certificate

Eligible as long as other criteria met. Parenthas to indicate the relevant marital statusaccordingly in the application cum renewalform.

c) Child under care of guardian

as parents are ‘missing’ andguardian not employed

Relevant proof such as parents’ death

certificate, legal guardianship papers orpolice report

d) Parent(s) undergoingtraining/studying

Document verifying training course andduration of course

e) Parent(s) certified unable to work due to illness

Medical Certificate or letter from hospital withstated duration of MC.

f) Parent(s) unemployed butlooking for work

Eligible as long as other criteria met for aninitial period of 3 months. Parents have toproduce either the Proof of Job Search or sign

the Undertaking and produce the Approval forInterim ComCare Child Care/ Student Care

As at 30 May 2012



Annex A


Subsidy letter.

g) Parent(s) incarcerated/ inDrug Rehabilitation Centre

Letter/document from prison/ DRC

h) Child under care of fosterparent under MCYS FosterCare programme

Foster Care papers/ documentation

i) Parent(s) caring fordependent and unable to

work

Document/letter from hospital certifyingdependent requires constant care

j) Parent(s) working but notearning any salary

Not eligible

k) Parent(s) just beginning workand have not received firstmonth’s income statement

Eligible as long as other criteria met for aninitial period of 3 months.

4 Household Income Criteria

a) Applicant/Spouse unable toproduce pay slip

Statutory declaration (Annex 6) OR letterfrom employer (Annex 5) stating nature of

work, number of hours of work and monthlyincome from work

b) Applicant/Spouse is self employed

IRAS Tax statement or Statutory declaration(Annex 6) OR statement fromclients/customers stating nature of work,number of hours of work and monthly incomefrom work

c) Household income > $3,500 Eligible if PCI <$875 & meets other criteria

d) Household income >$3,500and PCI>$875 but familydeclared bankrupt

Not eligible

e) Parents are legally divorced/in the process of divorce

Divorce papersIf in process of divorce, lawyer’s petition/court documents, etc. To update centre with acopy of decree nisi once divorce finalised. If no papers, statutory declaration (Annex 7)

f) Parents are separated but notlegally divorced, spouse doesnot contribute to familyincome

Statutory declaration (Annex 7) if no proof of marital status

As at 30 May 2012



Annex A


5 Per Capita Income (PCI) Criteria

a) PCI exceeds cap of $875 Eligible if Gross HHI<$3,500 & meets othercriteria

b) Applicant/ spousesupporting dependents notstaying within the sameresidence

If there are extenuating circumstances, submitAppeal Form (Annex 2) with relevantsupporting documents to CDCs forconsideration (refer to Appeal Form for details).

c) Applicant / spousesupporting dependents thatdo not include their children,or elderly parents with noincome.

If there are extenuating circumstances, submitAppeal Form (Annex 2) with relevantsupporting documents to CDCs forconsideration (refer to Appeal Form for details).

d) Applicant /spousesupporting step/adoptedchildren and elderly stepparents with no incomeresiding within the sameresidence

Submit Appeal Form (Annex 2) with relevantsupporting documents (e.g. Marriage, adoptionand birth certificates) to CDCs for consideration(refer to Appeal Form for details).

e) Applicant/spouse issupporting parents who are

working but earn minimalincome

Submit Appeal Form (Annex 2) with relevantsupporting documents (e.g. Payslips and NRIC) to CDCs for consideration (refer to Appeal Formfor details).

f) More than 1 applicant(residing in differentresidences) intends to includesame dependent e.g. elderlygrandparent, in the PCIcomputation to receive highersubsidies

No double counting of dependents. The samedependent can only be counted once at any onetime. Only one applicant may include thegrandparent in the calculation of PCI NRIC of dependent and Appeal Form (Annex 2) if dependent is not staying within the samehousehold as applicant

g) Two separate households with the same elderlygrandparents living within

the same residence intend toclaim for subsidies

No double counting of dependents. The samedependent can only be counted once at any onetime. Only one applicant may include the

grandparent in the calculation of PCI. NRIC of grandparents

h) Joint custody of a dependentchild

Only the applicant with care and control of child eligible to include child in calculation of PCI. Document proof (e.g. court order)

i) Grandparents or otherdependents who areforeigners or on visit passes

Not eligible to be included in the Per CapitaIncome headcount.

As at 30 May 2012



ANNEX B

APPLICATION WORKFLOW FOR PRESCHOOL AND STUDENT CARE SUBSIDIES

Centre confirms lace

Has extenuating

circumstances or marginally exceeds

criteria

Does NOT meet criteria

Applicant submitsapplication form and

documents

Centre assesses eligibility

Meets criteria

Centre sends application withthe relevant supporting

documents to CDC

CDC processes applicationand informs Centre, applicant

and referral agency of theoutcome.

No special

circumstances

Wishes

to appeal

Does not

wish toappeal

Applicant

does nothave

relevantdocument

Centre providesappeal form to

applicant

Applicant submitsappeal form and

supportingdocuments

Centre submitsappeals form and

documents toCDC

CDC contactsapplicant if further

information isrequired

As at 30 May 2012



CCCAAALLLCCCUUULLLAAATTTIIIOOONNN OOOFFF CCCOOOMMMCCCAAARRREEE SSSTTTUUUDDDEEENNNTTT CCCAAARRREEE SSSUUUBBBSSSIIIDDDIIIEEESSS

File Reference / Case Reference

[Date]

TO: [Community Development Council][Name of Officer][Address]


Acknowledgement of Receipt by CDC(via fax/ email):

Name: _______________________________

Annex F

Calculate Gross Household Income (HHI)

Gross Monthly HHI = Gross Monthly Income (Applicant + Spouse)

Gross Monthly

Household Income

(HHI)

(Family members =

4 or fewer)

Gross Per Capita

Income

(PCI)

(Family members =

5 or more)

For Prorated Fees/ Fees

> $260 (Regular SCC)

or > $550 (Special SCC)

OR

For Prorated Fees/ Fees

< $260 (Regular SCC)

or < $550 (Special SCC)

Actual Subsidy Amount Subsidy Amount

= SCC Fees × % Subsidy**

Regular SCC Special SCC % Subsidy **

≤ $1,500 ≤$375 $255 $540 98%

$1,501 - $2,000 $376-500 $250 $525 95%

$2,001 - $2,200 $501-550 $235 $500 90%

$2,201 - $2,400 $551-600 $210 $445 80%

$2,401 - $2,600 $601-650 $185 $390 70%

$2,601 - $2,800 $651-700 $160 $335 60%

$2,801 - $3,000 $701-750 $130 $280 50%

$3,001 - $3,200 $751-800 $105 $220 40%

$3,201 - $3,400 $801-850 $80 $165 30%

$3,401 - $3,500 $851-875 $55 $110 20%

To Calculate Per Capita Income (PCI)

Determine number of family members* residing within same household *Family Members include:

- Applicant and spouse- Their children (with no income)

- Applicant/spouse’s elderly parents (with no income)

If family members = 4 or fewer,

use Gross Monthly Household Income

If family members = 5 or more,

use Gross Per Capita Income (PCI) OR

ANNEX C

As at 30 May 2012




[Date]

TO: [Community Development Council][Name of Officer][Address]

FROM: [Name of Case Worker][Designation][Name of Organisation][Email Address]

[Telephone no.][Fax.]

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR HIGHER CHILD CARE/ KINDERGARTEN/

STUDENT CARE* SUBSIDIES

This is a recommendation to provide higher child care/ kindergarten/ student care* subsidiesfor:

Name of

child(ren)

BC No. Name of

CCC/Kindergarten/SCC

Subsidy

Start Month

Period of

Assistance

Name of

Applicant#

IC No. Relation to Child Monthly Gross

Household Income

Work Status

The above mentioned child/ children is/are known to FSC/ MCYS Family Child Protection & WelfareService (FCPW)/ Pilot Intensive Case Management Agency (ICM)*.

2 I have assessed the family and confirm that the family meets the criteria for higher child care/kindergarten/ student care* subsidies as follows (please tick):

SC or PR child/ children (infant to age 14) with at least 1 SC immediate family member The family faces particular risk factors, over and above financial difficulties The family is known to the FSC/FCPW/ ICM Agency* and will continue to receive casework

support from our agency for at least 6 months The family has a monthly gross household income up to $2,000 or for income more than $2,

000, the per capita income of the family per month is $450 or less. Special approval is requested for (e.g. 2nd/3rd SUG, emergency approval etc):

_________________________________________________________________

Acknowledgement of Receipt by CDC(via fax/ email):

Name: _______________________________

ANNEX D

As at 1 Nov 2011



3 The recommended amount of monthly co-payment will be as follows:

Name of child(ren) Recommended

Monthly Co-

Payment

Type of Subsidy

required (child

care/ kindergarten/student care*)

Approval Sought

for 2nd

/ 3rd

Startup

Grant/

Urgent Admission/

Backpayment/

higher SUG for

Infant Care*? (Y/N)

4 The family agrees that as part of receiving higher child care/ kindergarten/ student care*subsidies, they would be responsible for ensuring the child attends the centre regularly. The parentsshould also remain gainfully employed for a minimum of 56 hours per month as far as possible

(applicable only for child care/ student care), and/or work on a mutually agreed action plan. A socialreport on the family would be retained at the Agency and will be produced upon request.

5 The family’s progress will be monitored and the FSC/FCPW/ ICM Agency will provide theletter of recommendation to the Centre if the family is still under our care and requires higher subsidiesat the next renewal of subsidies.

6 Please contact me at if I can provide you with further information to support this application.Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Name of Case Worker Signature of Case Worker

This recommendation is supported by:

Name of Supervisor Signature of Supervisor

# The applicant can be the parent or guardian or foster carer.* to delete where necessary

As at 1 Nov 2011



ANNEX E

List of Indicators of Child Abuse

The list provides a guide identify a child under abuse. The indicators could either be a normal behaviour for achild or as a result of other problems such as illnesses or financial hardship. Should the indicator/s persist andthere is a call for concern, please do not hesitate to contact the Ministry of Community Development, Youth andSports – Child Protection and Welfare Services at 1800-7770000 for advices.

Physical Indicators Complaints of pain without obvious cause Headache, disorientation, blackouts Bruises, scarring, swelling, burns or bite marks (in various stages of healing) Complaints of painful urination/ bowel movements or have pain the in anal or genital area Poor hygiene Dental decay or poor dental care Chronic tiredness, lack of interest or has little energy Height and weight significantly above or below age level Undernourished or signs of malnourishment (swollen or distended stomach etc) Chronic insect bites, sunburn, or respiratory illness that seems to indicate overexposure to the elements Lack of medical treatment for illness or injury Toileting problems which are not age-appropriate Self-destructive behaviours Speech difficulties

Social/ Emotional Indicators Withdrawn or very passive behaviour Aggressive during play or getting along with other children Fear of being with a particular person or going home Fear of being touched Knowledge of sex or describe sexual encounters beyond what is age-appropriate Suggest behaviours or display sexual parts through play or artwork Suicidal behaviour or discussion Problems in school work, lack of concentration or learning difficulties Overdressed or underdressed, inadequate, oversized, undersized, torn or dirty clothing Missing a lot of school

Child continually complains of having no bed, no home or sleeping in different locations Child describes drugs or dangerous elements in the home Begging, hoarding, stealing, cheating Obsessive behaviours Shows signs of working Discusses on illegal activities, photographed inappropriately or work

Parent Indicators Parents belittles the child and constantly speaks of the child as bad or evil Blames the child for own and family’s problems Parent very rough and threatening when talking to child

State there is no one at home when child is there

As at 30 May 2012



Parents seems unconcerned about child Parents avoids appointments or coming to school Parents seems overly attentive to child in a more sexual way

As at 30 May 2012



As at 30 May 2012

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How many more families are expected to benefit from the introduction of the PCI

criteria?

A1: We expect about 2,000 families may benefit from the enhancement.

Q2: Why did MCYS retain the household income criteria? Isn’t it easier to just use

PCI for all?

A2: The use of both household income and PCI will ensure that large households

with many family members will benefit from more subsidies, while not disadvantaging

the smaller households who have chosen to keep their families small.

Q3: Why is the definition of “family members” just limited to those specified

categories and why the requirement they must live together? Many families support

dependents who stay apart from them.

A3: The intent of providing SCFA is to make student care more affordable for

working parents. It provides subsidies for student care, and does not provide

financial assistance to support the subsistence needs of families in need. Theinclusion of elderly parents was to recognise and support families who resided with

and supported their elderly parents. For families who face extenuating circumstances,

they may submit their appeals to the Community Development Councils for

consideration. Families requiring financial assistance can go to the CDCs for

assistance under other schemes.

Q4: Why is income of other extended family members not included?

A4: Just as we do not include other extended family members (e.g uncles, cousins,nephews etc) in calculating the number of family members, we would also not

include incomes of other extended family members.

Q5: What will happen to those who exceed both the household income of $3,500

and PCI criteria of $875?

A5: In the absence of extenuating circumstances, the families will not be eligible for

the subsidies.

Annex F



As at 30 May 2012

Q6: Does MCYS expect student care centres to explain to parents what documents

to submit if they wish to appeal?

A6: We have provided two checklists, one for application/renewal of SCFA and theother for appeals. Parents are advised to submit the required documents as

stipulated in the checklists. For appeals, the onus is on applicants to provide

whatever necessary information to support their case. CDCs may contact applicants

for further information if needed.

Q7: What should student care centres do if parents insist on appealing despite not

having any extenuating circumstances?

A7: They may proceed to submit the appeal form accompanied by their supporting

documents. The Community Development Councils will assess their eligibility and

consider their circumstances accordingly.

Q8: Would new SCFA applicants who now meet the PCI criteria, but are already in a

student care centre, be able to receive the Start-Up Grant (SUG) even though it has

been paid by the parent previously?

A8: Only new applicants who are receiving SCFA for the first time from July 2012and have not paid for the start up expenses, will be able to receive the SUG.

Q9: What does the SUG cover? Is the deposit kept by centre?

A9: The SUG of up to $400 is a one-off grant to help parents pay for the initial costs

of enrolling their child in student care. This is to cover registration fee, deposit,

insurance, school uniform and materials/ book fee, where applicable. The deposit

under SUG will be withheld by CDC and CDC will pay to the student care centre if

the parent did not provide 1-month advance notice of his/her withdrawal.

Q10: What if our current centre fee is lower than that of the subsidies provided?

A10: For prorated fees or fees below $260 (regular SCC) or $550 (special SCC), the

subsidy amount will be calculated based on the percentage of subsidy according to

the family’s HHI/PCI.



As at 30 May 2012

Q11: For children who have been referred for student care by Family Service

Centres/ Child Protection Service, and already receive SCFA subsidies that are

higher than the maximum quantum, how should SCCs treat these?

A11: These families will not be affected by the enhancements. They will continue to

receive the same subsidies and SCCs do not need to resubmit an application for consideration under the PCI criteria.

Q12: What should I do if I have parents who still can’t pay their student care fees

despite receiving SCFA subsidies? Can I refer them to a Family Service Centre

(FSC)?

A12: If the family is facing financial problems (e.g. due to retrenchment), you can ask

them to visit the CDC to be assessed for financial support. The main role of the FSCis not to provide financial assistance, but to provide case management and

counselling support to families. Hence, if the family is facing parenting, marital or

family violence concerns, you can refer them to see a Social Worker at an FSC.

Q13: What should I do if I receive a “Letter of Recommendation” from the FSC or

MCYS Child Protection Officer?

A13: These children are currently under the care of a FSC/Child Protection Officer.

The family will be considered for higher subsidies beyond the normal subsidy

amount. A copy of the letter of recommendation is to be attached with the application

form upon submission to CDC for processing.

Q14: Should SCCs consider accepting a child whose parent is looking for

employment?

A14: Parents looking for employment may receive an initial 3 months’ subsidies and

start-up grant if they submit the “proof of job search” and meet all other eligibilitycriteria. CDC will disburse SCFA subsidies and start-up grant to the SCC where the

child is enrolled in. For extension of subsidies beyond the 3 month period, parents

are required to submit a renewal form together with their employment details unless

there are genuine reasons why the parents are unable to secure employment. Such

requests will be put up as an appeal for CDC’s consideration.



As at 30 May 2012

Q15: Will there be any changes in the application process for SCFA following the

enhancements?

A15: We have simplified the SCFA application/ renewal form and included a section

on PCI. We have also simplified the forms and streamlined the way appeals are to

be submitted. The basic documents to be submitted have not changed. Movingforward, we are working toward enhancing the Child Care Link System to allow

SCFA applications to be submitted online.

Q16: How often should a child attend student care in order to be eligible for the

student care subsidy for the month?

A16: The child is required to attend the SCC regularly and meet a minimum

attendance of at least 50% per month before they can receive SCFA subsidies. If there are genuine reasons why the child is not attending student care regularly e.g.

CCA in school, supplementary classes in school or sickness, the Centre should

record these reasons in the attendance log for audit purposes.

Q17: Why is there the need to tighten the registration and audit processes for SCCs

now?

A17: Due to the enhancements, we expect an increase in the number of children

benefiting from the scheme. There will also be higher expectations from parents on

standards of care their children will receive. With the increase in the amount of

subsidy given, tighter registration and audit processes will be put in place to ensure

that the correct amount of subsidies are given to the target beneficiaries and to those

truly eligible for the subsidies, as well as ensure minimum standards of care are met.

Q18: Why is there the need to impose the criterion that SCCs have at least 10% of

their enrolment made up of SCFA beneficiaries? How will this criterion be

implemented?

A18: Moving forward, SCFA administrators will be quality centres that meet

minimum standards of care. The 10% requirement will ensure SCCs are open to

accepting children who meet SCFA eligibility criteria. We note enrolment of SCFA

beneficiaries at SCCs may fluctuate. As such, upon renewal of registration, the

number of enrolled SCFA children will be taken into account over a 2 year period

(based on six-monthly returns submitted).



As at 30 May 2012

Q19: What will happen if SCCs are not able to meet the minimum standards?

A19: SCCs have 1.5 years (up to end 2013) to meet the minimum standards. Most

of the minimum requirements are not new to SCCs and were provided to SCCs

when setting up their Centre. MCYS will support and advice SCCs on ways to meet

these standards. SCCs will be audited on these standards from 2014.

Q20: Why is there a need to carry out an Annual Parents and Students Satisfaction

Survey?

A20: The survey will help SCCs to continually improve their services. The published

returns will help parents to make informed choices in the selection of SCCs.

Q21: Why is there a need to have a two-yearly renewal of registration to be an SCFA

administrator?

A21: The renewal of registration exercise will ensure only quality SCCs will continue

to receive SCFA subsidies. Parents can then make the informed choice of

distinguishing between SCCs that are registered and those that are not. Currently,

all Child Care Centres receiving child care subsidies must be licensed.

Q22: Are there any plans to allow submission of SCFA applications and the returns

electronically?

A22: We will be enhancing the Child Care Link System (CCLS) to allow the

submission of SCFA applications and returns online.

Q23: What will happen if a SCC decides not to continue to be a SCFA Administrator?

A23: The SCC must provide at least 3 months notice to the parents/guardians of children receiving SCFA subsidies, that the SCC will no longer be able to receive

student care subsidies. This will allow parents/guardians to make alternative care

arrangements. If the children decide to move to another SCC, they will continue to

receive the SCFA subsidies at the centre until the end of the approved period. SCFA

subsidies will then be provided for the child at the new Centre as well as a SUG if

required.



As at 30 May 2012

Q24: SCCs often charge additional costs during the holidays to cover the full day

programme that the children attend. Will SCCs be able to claim SCFA subsidies to

cover this?

A24: MCYS is currently reviewing this and will update SCCs accordingly if there are

any changes in the future.

Q25: Why is MCYS imposing additional requirements on SCCs?

A25: Similar to Child Care Centres, MCYS must ensure quality care is provided by

Centres receiving subsidies from Government. These additional requirements are

intended to ensure there are at least minimum standards in the SCCs receiving

government subsidies as parents will also expect this.

eligibility criteria & faqs

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