SINGAPORE – For 20 years, Mr Mohamad Ali A. Wahab was a manufacturing engineer who would spend his work day on standby to fix technical issues and ensure machines run smoothly.

       From August, the 56-year-old will be one of around 200 family coaches supporting lower-income families that are working towards achieving stability in their lives.

       “Switching from engineering to social service allowed me to align my career with my passion for making a positive impact on people’s lives,” he said. “I find greater fulfilment in helping people and using my problem-solving skills to address social issues. It is much more human.”

       On Aug 8, he was among 30 family coaches who graduated from a six-week foundation training programme under the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

       The family coaches will be approaching eligible families to invite them to sign up for the ComLink+ Progress Package for Pre-school.

       Under the ComLink+ scheme, lower-income families will be given financial incentives and other support if they work towards improving their lives.

       Last November, MSF announced four ComLink+ Progress packages, which focus on early education, home ownership, employment and debt clearance.

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       The ComLink+ Progress Package for Pre-school is the first to be officially rolled out. The others will follow suit progressively from the end of 2024.

       From August, families under the scheme will receive incentives when they enrol their children in pre-school before the age of three and ensure that they attend regularly.

       They will get a one-time $500 top-up to their children’s Child Development Account (CDA) when the children turn three, and this can be used to pay pre-school fees.

       In addition, children between the ages of three and six will get a $200 CDA top-up every three months if they attend pre-school regularly.

       The role of family coaches is to motivate and support ComLink+ families in working towards their goals.

       As at July 2024, MSF said there were close to 200 family coaches across 24 social service offices.

       Together with family service centre case workers, they serve 10,000 ComLink+ families.

       MSF is looking to recruit another 100 family coaches by end-2024.

       Speaking at the Foundation Programme Graduation Ceremony for ComLink+ family coaches on Aug 8, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said that important and meaningful work lies ahead for the family coaches.

       “What you do will reach into the homes and hearts of those who will look to you for support and guidance,” he said.

       “You will work with them as they chart their next steps towards achieving stability, self-reliance and social mobility.

       “You will take a lead role in bringing together different resources and support systems for the ComLink+ families under your care.”

       Family coaches’ training, done in collaboration with the Social Service Institute, teaches them how to better support families under MSF’s ComLink+ scheme. It covers case management, counselling skills, and how to develop action plans.

       Newly graduated family coach Surbhi Sharma, 32, is excited to start work in her new role since making the switch from the early intervention sector and a research role at women’s rights group Association of Women for Action and Research.

       “Since I have worked with kids, I really believe that breaking that generational cycle and uplifting families who have children will really help society get better,” she said.

       “You can plan as much as you want in terms of how you want to help the families, but if you do not have empathy to see where they are coming from, it’s going to be very hard to work with them.”

       There will be cases that will be more challenging than others, she added, “but I look forward to it and hope to empower them”.