Children’s Aid Society breaks ground on residential care and therapeutic services facility
The site will feature dedicated spaces for family visits, counselling and therapy services, as well as hostel-style accommodations for older youths
[SINGAPORE] Children’s Aid Society (CAS) on Thursday (Mar 27) broke ground for Melrose Village, a residential care and therapeutic services facility for youths who have gone through adverse circumstances such as abuse and neglect.
Donors and corporate partners, including ASML Holding, have committed S$16 million towards the project’s fundraising goal of S$25 million – the Low Tuck Kwong Foundation devoted S$6.5 million to the development in 2024.
The charity is seeking support to raise an additional S$9 million to complete the final stretch of funding for the site.
Once completed, the development will combine the offerings from CAS’ current services: Melrose Home, which offers residential homes to youths aged 6 to 21 who face challenging family conditions; and Melrose Care, a community-based agency set up in 2019 that provides subsidised counselling.
The facility, located at 503 Clementi Road, will feature dedicated spaces for family visits, counselling and therapy services, as well as hostel-style accommodations for older youths to transition into independent living, among others.
Alvin Goh, executive director of CAS, said that bringing together its services will enable it to provide children and youths with the “best possible support, guided by international best practices”.
Desmond Lee, minister for national development and minister-in-charge of social services integration, attended the ground-breaking event. He noted that the development aligned with the government’s objective of nurturing a skilled workforce that can deliver effective and high-quality care.
Established in 1902, CAS is one of the Republic’s oldest philanthropic organisations. It provided care for latchkey and homeless children in its early years, before shifting its focus to at-risk youth.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
