CAREforward: Speech by Mr Edwin Tan, 1 Dec 2024

Speech by Mr Edwin Tan, CaringSG Deputy CEO, at the CAREforward launch of The Healing Journal on 1 December 2024, Sunday, 1.15pm, Punggol Regional Library, Level 1 Atrium

Good afternoon Ms Denise Phua, caregivers and families, invited guests and supporters,

Welcome to the launch of The Healing Journal under our CAREforward initiative.

A heartfelt thank you to our Guest-of-Honour, Ms Denise Phua. Your tireless efforts to uplift the caregiving community have touched the lives of many. 

To the caregivers here today, you are the reason we are here, and your selflessness and dedication inspire us every single day. 

Caregiving is a journey filled with dedication and love, and also sacrifice, pain and loneliness. At CaringSG, we believe in deepening our support for caregivers through meaningful programmes and services that cater to their needs and well-being.

CaringSG empowers caregivers with the knowledge and skills to support other caregivers through the Caregiver Volunteer Training (CVT) programme, which is funded by SG Enable.

For example, Vanecia Er is a caregiver who stepped up to become a CAREbuddy, a trained caregiver volunteer who provides support to fellow caregivers. 

After she completed her caregiver volunteer training, CaringSG paired her with Wendy Zhao, a caregiver who was worried about her son’s progress after interventions and therapies, and requested caregiver support from CaringSG. 

Vanecia supported Wendy through her journey, and Wendy gained the confidence to manage her caregiving challenges and even start her own podcast.

From August 2021 to January 2024, the CAREbuddy programme, catalysed by Temasek Foundation, helped more than 95 caregivers through more than 800 touchpoints during the pilot period. Our Proof-of-Concept report revealed that:

1. 100% of caregivers gave feedback that their CAREbuddies shared and explored strategies and resources with them.
2. 93% of caregivers would recommend the programme to other caregivers.
3. 89% of caregivers gave feedback that the CAREbuddy programme helped them to consider changes needed to improve their family lives.
4. 83% of caregivers felt more confident and competent as a caregiver after their CAREbuddies’ support.

To amplify this programme’s impact, CaringSG aims to partner at least 5 social service agencies, EIPIC (Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children) and special education schools with a total pool of 160 trained caregiver volunteers by March 2026.

With the CAREforward initiative, we aim to care-it-forward to as many of the estimated 350,000 caregivers across Singapore as possible to make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Thank you once again for joining us today. Your presence here fills us with hope and strength, and serves as a reminder that no caregiver should ever have to walk this path alone.