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Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State, MCYS

Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, Parliamentary Secretary, MCYS

Mrs Mildred Tan (Chairman, International Year of the Family Taskforce)

Mr Willie Cheng (Chairman, Committee on the Family)

Distinguished Guests and Friends

Ladies and Gentlemen

We are here today to celebrate the joy and significance of family in all our lives.

2          The foundation of a strong family is the love and mutual respect between husband and wife. The best gift you can give your children is to love their mother (or father). Love within a marriage goes far beyond romance. It is equally about communication and commitment. A marriage works only as an act of will.

3          I do not believe in giving prescriptions for a happy marriage. The only point I can make is that each couple must negotiate and decide what works for them.

4          Children learn by watching their parents.  Children who are surrounded by loving families will also, one day, aspire to have loving families of their own.

5          Family life and work all clamour for our attention. But parents should make it a point to spend as much time as they can with their children. The reality is that they only need you for a very short time in their lives. Once we miss this phase, it will be gone forever. That’s why I still send my children to school and tuck my children into bed. We will have time at the beginning and end of the day.

6          My wife and I lived with my parents for four years. Two of our children grew up within their household. It represents another treasured phase of their lives, and the closeness of the relationship cannot be taken for granted. Grandparents provide an additional layer of love, security and guidance. With their age and experience, grandparents transmit positive family values, traditions, culture and history to their grandchildren. Their collective wisdom can act as a compass to guide young families through trials and tribulations.

Enhanced Community Support for Families

7          Outside the home, the community too can play a role in creating a supportive environment for nurturing strong families. 

8          To help first-time parents better prepare for parenthood, MCYS has appointed the Centre for Fathering and Fei Yue Community Services to put together a Pre-parenting and New Parents Education programme which focuses on imparting practical knowledge and skills. This programme is already being incorporated into pre-natal classes for expectant parents in KK Women's and Children's Hospital and Singapore General Hospital. 

9          My Ministry will also be piloting a Parent Education at Pre-School (PEPS) programme in 40 NTUC childcare centres in February next year. PEPS will make family life education programmes more accessible to parents of young children enrolled in childcare centres. 

10        MCYS will also be extending the School Family Education (SFE) programme to another 40 schools next year.  Since its inception in 2002, SFE has been implemented in 40 schools and some 100,000 parents, school staff and students have participated. Having received positive feedback from parents, students and participating schools, more resources will be directed towards increasing participation in the SFE.

Making Singapore a Great Place for Families

11       This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the United Nations-designated International Year of the Family. Many community partners have responded actively by initiating family activities.  These include the Exemplary Family Awards organised by the Community Development Councils, the “My Family Recipe” literary contest by the National Library Board, and the Family Ritual Photographic Contest jointly organised by Lianhe Zaobao and Fuji Film. 

12        The year-long celebration culminates in today’s Family Conference and Family Festival jointly organised by the International Year of the Family Taskforce chaired by Mrs Mildred Tan, the Committee on the Family led by Mr Willie Cheng, and Reed Exhibitions.  I thank the many sponsors and community partners for their contributions.

13                           Making Singapore a great place for families is a long-term and sustained effort that requires individuals, families, the community and the Government to work together.  I have asked Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, my Minister of State to lead the Family Matters! Singapore Committee to enhance the partnership between the people, private and public sectors as we jointly strive to nurture a pro-family environment.

14                           Strong and stable families form the foundations of a strong society. We are here today because we believe and trust in the power of family.  I wish everyone a fruitful Seminar and enjoyable Family Festival.

 Thank you.