Singapore Children’s Society celebrates 70 years of bringing hope & smiles

What a journey it has been! Looking back at how far we’ve come, Singapore Children’s Society has accomplished so much as an organisation and community.

Join us on a walk down memory lane, as we take you through some of our key milestones over the years.

Singapore Children’s Society was established on 17 April 1952 by a group of civic-minded citizens and expatriates to help malnourished, poor, abused, and neglected children. On 30 November 1956, we set up a Convalescent Home along the Changi seafront for malnourished children. Today, it is known as Sunbeam Place @ Children’s Society, a gazetted place of safety for children who have been abused and neglected and in need of protection.

In the 60’s and 70’s, Children’s Society’s services took on a neighbourhood-based and holistic approach and we pioneered various community outreach programmes.

In the 80’s, Tinkle Friend, a national toll-free helpline, was set up to provide support, advice, and information to lonely and distressed children. As part of the Society’s efforts to adapt to the changing times, Tinkle Friend expanded onto the digital landscape, launching a website and online chat service in 2014.

In the 90’s, we set up a Family Service Centre and launched a school-based drop-in service, known as project CABIN, that provided afterschool activities for students. In 2000, Children’s Society then launched its first community-based youth drop-in centre, Roundbox. Today we have four community-based youth drop-in centres.

Also in 2000, KidzLive: I Can Protect Myself, a programme that educates children on protecting themselves against sexual abuse, was launched. Originally introduced for lower primary students, KidzLive was brought to pre-schools in 2011 when research showed that younger children were even more vulnerable to sexual abuse.

The importance of research led us to formally establish the Research and Outreach Centre in 2003 to undertake projects related to research as well as public education initiatives.

In 2004, Children’s Society started the Bully-Free Programme to address the issue of school bullying and its impact on those involved. The programme aims to promote a safe and supportive culture in schools with a zero tolerance stand towards bullying.

Fast forward to today, and we are one of Singapore’s leading charities with over 10 service centres across the island and…
We turn 70 this year!
Witnessing how your support and efforts have helped shape the lives of our beneficiaries keeps us going.

The last 2 years haven’t been easy for everyone. The pandemic impacted us in ways we could not have imagined possible.

When the circuit breaker hit, Singapore Children’s Society responded swiftly, providing over 500 children and youth from 260 families with financial assistance, meals, and laptops. When all physical events had to be cancelled, pivoting our annual Walk for Our Children event to a fully virtual one was also not an easy feat.

Despite the tough times, the generosity of our donors and the hard work of the Society’s team enabled us to continue nurturing and supporting our beneficiaries.

We’ve come a long way and as a largely self-funded charity, we could never have done it without your continual support. Whether it’s through donations, fundraising, or volunteering, your contributions enable us to continue bringing hope and smiles.

Thank you for being here all these years. Let’s journey together for the next 70 years (and beyond).
Donate generously and continue supporting us!

As we celebrate our birthday this year, we would love to hear from you, too!

Drop us a wish or message in the comments section when you donate, and feel free to let us know how you hope our Society can continue to bring a positive change to the community 😊