2022 marks Singapore Children’s Society’s 70th Anniversary and it gives me great pleasure to celebrate this milestone with all our stakeholders.

Children’s Society was founded on 17 April 1952 and on 30 November 1956, we officially opened our Convalescent Home for malnourished children in Changi. From these humble beginnings, we have grown to become one of Singapore’s leading charities with 11 service centres across the island.

Our growth is in tandem with the unfolding of the Singapore story. As our people and nation were still emerging from the economic and social malaise from WWII, our services in the 1950s addressed the urgent needs of sickly and malnourished children. As more jobs were created with rapid industrialisation of the 1970s and 1980s, it became more common for both parents to be working, which inevitably left school-going children alone at home. To engage these ‘latchkey children’ meaningfully while their parents were at work, Children’s Society stepped in to provide services and programmes for them through our Child Development Centre.

Today, Singapore has risen from a developing country into a prosperous and modern city state. However, challenges to the well-being of children, youth and families remain and continue to emerge in new forms. It is important for us to continue our preventive and developmental work in the community and to advocate for those we serve.  Guided by our research findings and observations from the ground, the Society’s work continues to stay relevant and meaningful for our beneficiaries in the years ahead.

As we reflect on ’70 years of bringing hope and smiles’ to our beneficiaries, Singapore Children’s Society also want to use this occasion to celebrate our collective achievements and show appreciation to our many stakeholders who have stood by us over the past seven decades. Looking ahead, our work to bring relief and happiness to children in need will continue to depend on like-minded individuals and corporates who believe in our cause.

I invite you to continue on this meaningful journey ahead with us.