tksgiving 09

eighteen chefs

The set meal comes at an affordable price of $13.90 for a good portion of main course,soup,garlic bread and a scoop of ice cream. You can customise your own meal as well,making your own pasta with different ingredients avail =)

This is a good place to patronise, Eighteen Chefs at Yishun 10(beside Northpoint). It is a restaurant set up by Benny Se Teo, the restaurant's head chef who is the only Singaporean to have trained at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen London kitchen. More importantly, it gives wayward youths a second chance to be trained by the chef and learn about working and culinary skills, benefitting from a conducive learning environment. Do not be frightened if you see the youths in tattoos etc. They are well-trained for attachment before they can work here. For more information, can refer to the url> http://www.eighteenchefs.com/

highlights from Go! Reca 09

dilemmas

In my course of work, I have been faced with constant dilemmas especially those boys who are placed in the Home on a beyond parental control order of two years. The reason that they are inside here is because of ongoing issues between them and the family, notably a strain in the relationship and breakdown in communication, mistrust and behavioral issues that subsequently surface. A temporary removal from their own home could give one another the space and time for healing and restoration to take place with focused work in counseling and other support. There is no doubt that every parent has every right to file the order if the child is not manageable and the State is requested to come in to intervene. The question is often asked, how effective is such a method used?

One scenario is that the parents will wash their hands off and do their due duties in paying monthly maintenance fees for their children and bring them back after two years. The children would probably change much, be it for the better or worse, whether they realise it or not. Along the way, they feel that the child is not improving and complying with their instructions and they do not want him back home over the weekend. Most of such families are not cohesive,divorced,separated etc and parents are not on good terms with each other or have varying parenting styles. Who is to blame?

Another scenario is that the child resents the parents for what they have done and this further creates the rift between them. He hates and blames everyone for this change in environment and gets defensive, non-cooperative and rude and defiant to staff and residents. After all, residing in a communal setting has its own set of challenges especially when boys of such backgrounds are placed together. Anger and frustration can easily get out of control. Managing this child then becomes an issue for us and we have no choice but to bring the boy back to court. The next place he will go to is juvenile prison and the parents feel guilty and regret for filing the order in the first place but does it solve all the issues?

Think importantly parents must realise that filing the order is not an end in itself. Neither should they expect that their boy will surely change for the better after their sentence. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not. They should be made fully aware the psychological and emotional consequences on their child. Ultimately, the child has to return home one day, they cannot stay in a Home forever. If not, he will lose touch with reality and becomes too dependant on others and lacks ability to take ownership of his life. It becomes more of a liability than anything else.

one-year mark

It has been a meaningful and difficult journey working with youths-at-risk for the past one year. I had not really believe that I am cut out to be a social worker despite majoring in this subject for my degree. I had tried the internship but found myself getting burnt out. It is one thing to study for it but another thing to consider it as a career. It was a step of faith and weighing the costs before I decided to go for a career path. One that involved a substantial pay cut, simpler lifestyle and lonely path at times. I really wondered to myself, why I do not choose the 'easy and comfortable' path to work for the government,work to be a teacher,policy executive,facilitator or other jobs that guarantee good pay and career prospects. Not saying that these professions do not have challenges of their kind.

Many people do not understand what I am doing, even my in-laws and parents could not make much sense of it. The remarks I have received from people are: "paid volunteer work", "such a tough job, "challenging n "not easy". I could not agree further. I am not convinced still that it is a sustainable career for male social workers with all the future family commitments in mind. Yet at the same time, I cannot help but think, if not now, then when is a good time to pursue yr dreams and passions? When is the time to step out of your comfort zone and try something different and new?

Reminded of this Prime Time With God article by Os Hilman

So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand (Exod. 4:20).
When Moses was called by God from his forty years in the desert to lead the people out of Egypt, God first changed his paradigm about his shepherd's staff which represented his work life as a shepherd. God told him He was going to perform miracles through his staff (v17).

A shepherd was considered a very lowly profession by the Egyptians. Moses had a time of breaking in the desert which separated him from all that he learned in Egypt. Many times, the way God calls us into His purpose in our work life is through a hardship of some kind.

God will often "break" our staff, or our vocation, in order to reshape and re-commission us. The purpose of the breaking is not to destroy us, but to bring us to a place of willingness to lay down our vocations so that God can use them for His purposes. The breaking prepares our heart for the new calling. God required Moses to lay down his staff in order for him to see it as something that had power. He had not viewed his work life as a shepherd as having any power.

God was instructing Moses to lay down that which represented his life and calling, so that He could transform it and raise it up for His purposes. Once Moses laid his staff down and then took it back up, a significant change took place. It was no longer his shepherd's staff; it was the "staff of God."

God's staff has power. After Moses' staff became God's, it was used as the instrument of deliverance and transformation for the people of God. It delivered people out of the slavery of Egypt through one of the most dramatic miracles of all time -- the parting of the Red Sea (see Ex. 14:16). Moses' staff transformed a people from slavery to freedom and was used to demonstrate his God-given authority.

Looking back, I thank God for the available opportunities to be used by Him to lend a listening ear, do my part to help them with the many issues that they faced at school, home and in the Home itself. Stealing, substance abuse, sexualised issues, smoking, fighting are some of the issues. I realise that there is only so much that help can be rendered to these youths. Many a times, they relapse into the same old issues. To them, not following the rules and be well-behaved is the 'cool' way to go. Their friends' views and group identity count more than anything else, not even their parents come close. The normal school environment can be difficult for them to change for the better as the approach is top-down and conforming in nature.

Not all the cases are successful given their past family background eg. divorced parents and choices that they made, but at the end of the day, I trust and pray that God will guide and direct them in the way that they should go whatever the cirumstances. A minority did succeed, thrive and went on to achieve the impossible.

I thank God for the support I received from colleagues, dear and other like-minded peers. I do fail them at times, being withdrawn to myself but by His grace, strength, I am striving forward till I finish what I need to do in this job, to see my cases being discharged next year.

last line of defence

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,194529,00.html?

The Electric New Paper :

From files of family service centre counsellors

'We are the last line of defence'

From this April, the 36 family service centres here will get a $16m boost from the Government - $3m up from last year - for hiring and training of staff. The New Paper spends a day at the Tanjong Pagar FSC - to understand how one of the key pillars of Singapore's social security system works

HER tear-streaked face was creased with worry, as she poured her problems out to a stranger.
By Genevieve Jiang
03 March 2009

HER tear-streaked face was creased with worry, as she poured her problems out to a stranger.

Grabbing the hand of Mr Xin Li, a counsellor from the Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre (FSC), the 76-year-old woman claimed her son was abusing her.

Her son, in his 50s, married a foreign woman without her knowledge a few months ago.

The disagreement led to constant arguments and her son hit her, she alleged. She called the police, who then referred the case to the FSC.

It is 3pm at the void deck of a block of flats on Telok Blangah Crescent, a typical afternoon for Mr Xin.

The woman is one of about 40 cases the counsellor has on his plate at any one time, and the meeting is one of two home visits he has scheduled for the day.

Mr Xin usually takes the bus for home visits to cut costs. He said: 'We take taxis only in cases of emergency. Most of us do not drive.

'If clients see that we drive, it creates an instant gap between us and them and it makes it hard for them to relate to us.'
The woman wasn't home when he went to her one-room flat 10 days ago.

This time, he decided to wait for her nearby and managed to meet her by chance.

Said Mr Xin, in his 40s: 'Often, we have to play detective to find out what is truly happening. Sometimes, what appears to be a simple case may turn out to be a lot more complicated as we find out more.

'In this case, the next step is to meet the family members to see how best we can help them.'

Although Mr Xin is an art therapist by training, he has to handle a variety of cases ranging from abuse to troubled teens, on top of providing art therapy to the mentally-disabled at the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Home for the Disabled every week.

Occasionally, he also has to conduct marriage preparation workshops. He said: 'We all have to multi-task. There are just too many cases to handle.'

Mr Xin is among 23 staff members - including social workers, counsellors and psychologists - at Tanjong Pagar FSC, who help more than 1,300 troubled families every year.

Each staff member takes care of 35 to 40 cases or more in addition to various programmes such as help for problem gamblers and unwed pregnant teens.

For social workers handling low-income families, case loads can go up to 65 at any one time.

Often, working hours stretch beyond the usual 9am to 6pm. Although the FSC's deputy director, Mr Udhia Kumar, 39, was rostered to work the afternoon shift on Tuesday from noon to 9pm, he was in the office by 9am.

He had scheduled a meeting with a client that morning at a crisis centre for abused and homeless women. The case involved an elderly woman who had left home over a series of family problems.

Said Mr Kumar: 'The day this woman left home, I was due to catch a flight to India with my family and had to be at the airport by 7pm.

'But all day, I was calling several shelters to find her a place to stay and managed to get her settled only after 5pm. It was a mad rush but such is the nature of the job.'

Back at the centre, Mr Kumar's colleagues were waiting for him to attend a case conference - which is held when a case that cannot be resolved by a social worker is discussed among the staff.

It was a packed day for Mr Kumar, who had to leave after the conference for a training session and then return for three back-to-back counselling sessions with clients in the evening.

But such a work pattern is common, said the FSC's executive director Mr Wong Kwong Sing, 53.

Said Mr Wong: 'I want to hire more staff to spread out the work, but there's just no space. We don't have any more work stations for new staff.'

The FSC runs various programmes, including providing affordable childcare to low-income families, a child adoption service and free legal services to those who cannot afford it.

Said Mr Wong: 'FSC social workers work the hardest. Often, we are the last line of defence.

'We are referred cases by the police, schools, hospitals and other agencies when these families are found to have a whole gamut of problems.'

Staff leaving
At 5pm, the centre is quiet. Half the staff are out for meetings, and there are no walk-in clients, which is uncommon. The centre usually sees about five walk-in cases a day.

Assistant senior social worker Subha Rajaiya, 32, was among those who were in the office clearing paper work.

There is much to be done as she will be leaving for a social work position in Australia next month after more than five years at the FSC. The centre has lost two other social workers in the past three months.

Miss Subha says she's leaving because of pull factors, not push. But she acknowledged that burnout and pay is a reason many people leave the job.

She recalled a case last year of a woman who had been physically abused by her husband for more than three years and yet refused to leave him.

When Miss Subha accompanied the woman to a shelter, the woman said she had been there before.

Miss Subha even had to spend the night at the shelter with the woman because she was too afraid to stay there on her own.

She said: 'It wasn't the first time she had been beaten so badly that she had to seek help at a crisis shelter. Yet, she allowed the abuse to continue.

'As a social worker, it's hard not to feel helpless and frustrated that some cases are unable to break the cycle of violence or poverty.'

Mr Wong said FSC social workers earn the least compared to their counterparts in schools, hospitals, community development councils and the public sector.

A new social worker's starting pay at an FSC is about $2,000, whereas those in the public sector can earn up to $2,700.

Those who continue to stay in the job do so for the love of helping others.

Counsellor Merlissa Yeo, 30, had made a career switch from marketing communications three years ago.

She said: 'I can't think of doing anything else. It's a good feeling being of use to people. There is a purpose, if not for yourself, then for someone else.'

At 7pm, a group of children, accompanied by their parents, arrived at the FSC for free tuition, provided by volunteers.

A 38-year-old woman waited while her daughter and son attended class for the next two hours. She prefers to wait instead of going home - a 10-minute bus ride away - so that she can save on transport.

The woman, who has four children aged 7 to 18, has been receiving help from the FSC for so many years, she cannot remember the number of social workers her case has been passed on to.

Her husband has a drinking problem, and was recently retrenched. The FSC has been helping her with food rations and financial help for her children.

She said: 'Whenever I'm low, there is someone here to listen to my problems.

'I can survive up to now because people here listen, they don't judge me.'

Cases with mental health issues up

THE number of people seeking financial help at the Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre has gone up by almost 80 per cent.

There were 1,369 walk-in cases at the FSC last year.

Of these, there were 238 cases seeking financial help in the second half of the year, up from 133 in the first half
.
In January this year, 57 out of the 131 cases were involved financial difficulties, said the FSC's executive director, Mr Wong Kwong Sing.

'We are also seeing an increase in the number of people facing mental health issues like depression and anxiety,' said Mr Wong.

There were 31 people with mental health problems in the second half of last year, up from 12 in the first half. In January this year alone, there were seven cases.

It costs $1.4million every year to run the FSC, said Mr Wong.

gd job

Tot it was interesting to see my boys make their attempt to bake a cake, it is a departure from hearing the usual mischiefs they get into. Channel their energy into learning a good lifeskill, hope we can do a lot more of this in the Home

gd bk to read

This is a good read, featuring spore's most prominent crime lawyer and his insights into the cases that he take. Some include prominent cases such as Anthony Ler, Abdul Nasir and Ah Long San. You can read about his experiences in dealing with clients whom no one else wants to take. There are valuable insights into our law system and his interpretation of the law, how he believes that every offender deserves a fair trial regardless whether or not he is proven guilty. How he works with the court,police and families of his client. It includes his experiences inside the prison cell as well. It is interesting for me as it is somewhat related to my work as I deal with the juvenile offenders and their brushes with the police and court.

articles to read

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,189448,00.html
She shoplifts shoes for demanding daughter
Both previously caught for stealing sweets, toys from supermarket
THIS mother's love knows no bounds, even when it comes to crime.
By Crystal Chan
12 January 2009
THIS mother's love knows no bounds, even when it comes to crime.

Punished once for helping her child to steal, she did it again - and was caught again.

In March 2006, housewife Sally (we are not using her real name to protect the identity of her child) was jailed a day and fined $4,000, while her daughter, then 12, was sent to Gracehaven, a children's home, for three years.

They had stolen sweets, snacks and toys costing about $90 from Giant hypermarket in Parkway Parade.

But the punishment was soon forgotten.

On 31 May, mother and daughter shoplifted again because the girl wanted a new pair of shoes.

At the time, the girl was having a weekend break from Gracehaven.

For their latest offence, Sally, 51, was jailed two weeks on 29 Dec, while the Juvenile Court extended her daughter's stay in Gracehaven by 15 months and 25 days.

Computer table
They were shopping for a computer table at Giant's Tampines outlet when the girl demanded new shoes.

The low-income family had money only for the table, as the Chinese Development Assistance Council had sponsored the computer for Sally's elder daughter.

But the girl insisted on a new pair of shoes as her feet were aching.

Not wanting to disappoint her daughter, Sally decided to help her to steal the shoes.

Court papers state that the girl took the shoes, which cost $19.90, from the ladies' shoe department and wore them. She passed her old shoes to Sally, who placed them in a box.

While her daughter made her way out of Giant, Sally hid the box under a rack in the menswear department, after checking that security cameras had not captured her actions.

But Mr Rashid Bakar, 48, a loss prevention officer at Giant, had seen Sally's actions and detained mother and daughter in the carpark.

Sally's lawyer, Mr Jiang Keyue, told The New Paper that his client's circumstances had led her to offend again.

He said: 'She comes from a typical dysfunctional family trapped in the vicious circle of poverty and beset with social problems as a result.

'Sally had attended counselling sessions with her husband to improve their parenting skills. However, their daughters, who were always used to getting their way, didn't respond favourably to their parents' attempts to discipline them.'

Sally's older daughter, 17, was sent to The Tent, a children's home, for being beyond parental control in 2003. She has since been released.

Sally also has an 11-year-old son, who is educationally subnormal.

Sally's younger daughter told psychiatrists at the Child Guidance Clinic that her elder sister taught her to steal and she did so when she could not afford something she wanted.

Mr Jiang added that Sally's husband has to hold down two jobs to support the family and even then, they were still on welfare.

He said: 'Sally tried to look for work but her medical conditions prevent her from working.'

Sally's husband earns only $800 a month from being a gas delivery assistant and an odd-job worker.

Mr Jiang said in court that Sally offered to pay for the shoes on the spot when she was caught.

He said: 'Sally had caved in to her daughter's demands and committed the offence as she didn't want to disappoint her.'

Mr Jiang, who was assigned to the case by the Law Society's Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said Sally was more outspoken than her children but she tended to let them do what they wanted.

'When I met them, the older girl and the younger boy were running around the place and Sally didn't do much to control them.'

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,191308,00.html
TEEN NABBED FOR GLUE-SNIFFING THREE TIMES IN A YEAR, BUT SAYS:
'I'm not addicted'
This misperception common among offenders, who are still mostly the young
WHILE most 14-year-olds are meeting up with friends after school, Joan has to meet up with a different kind of crowd.
By Andre Yeo

31 January 2009
WHILE most 14-year-olds are meeting up with friends after school, Joan has to meet up with a different kind of crowd.

She meets officers at the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) twice a week after she was arrested for glue-sniffing at age 13.

A CNB spokesman said Joan (we are not using her real name as she is a minor) was one of the youngest glue-sniffers arrested so far.

The youngest glue-sniffer nabbed last year was 12.

Though figures on inhalant abuse showed a decrease from 644 arrested in 2007 to 615 last year, it is young people like Joan that the CNB is concerned about.

The reason: Nearly 70 per cent of those arrested last year were below 20.

CNB released its annual drug statistics yesterday. (See figures below.)

Speaking to The New Paper at the office last Tuesday, Joan, who will turn 15 this year, said she first tried glue-sniffing in Secondary 1 at a friend's home.

The Normal (Academic) student said she tried it as she wanted to forget her family problems.
Her parents were constantly arguing, she said.

Joan also felt her parents were not giving her the attention she craved as they doted more on her younger siblings, aged 7 and 6.

Said Joan: 'Maybe they felt I am the eldest so I know more things and they would not need to talk to me.'

Feeling down and hearing from friends that sniffing glue could help her feel better, she took her first whiff in November2007.

From then on, she would sniff glue two to three times a week, using a tube of contact cement each time. She said a tube used to cost 70 cents, but now costs $1 to $2.

But the next month, her father suspected something was amiss when she reeked of glue. Relations between the two had been strained for years.

Dad called cops

With communication between father and daughter non-existent, he didn't wait for her to explain and called the police. Two officers went to their flat to arrest her.

After she was tested positive for inhalant abuse by the Health Sciences Authority, she was given a warning.
But six months later, last June, she relapsed.

Three police officers arrested her and a friend at a multi-storey carpark while they were sniffing glue.

In September last year, she reported to the CNB office at Ang Mo Kio Police Divisional HQ twice a week.

But about two months later, she had another relapse.

Again, the informant was her father.

Joan said: 'My father smelled glue on my body and before I could answer him, he called the police.'

She now has to report to the CNB office until November this year.

Despite two relapses, Joan doesn't think she is an addict.

She said: 'I won't be tempted to do this. I can think better. I won't try to avoid it because I am not addicted.'

The office Joan reports to has been headed by CNB's Deputy Superintendent, Lucy (not her real name), 34, for the past four years.

The CNB requested that we do not use Lucy's real name as she conducts raids and undercover operations against drug addicts and traffickers.

She said some parents did not keep tabs on whom their children mixed with and they often reacted with shock when they received a call from a CNB officer informing them that their children have been arrested.

Her office is responsible for monitoring the drug situation in Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Yishun, Sengkang and Punggol.

She said the common misconception about glue-sniffing among youths like Joan was that it was not serious.

Said Lucy: 'Many of them did not think they were committing a crime. They thought they were making a mistake and not committing an offence.'

She said some supervisees were so high, they even reported to CNB with plastic bags with traces of glue in them.

Said Lucy: 'When they are on it, they don't think rationally. They get forgetful.'

Serious response

Once there is evidence they have succumbed to their old ways, Lucy said CNB will arrest them immediately and send them to hospitals for blood tests.

Adults who test positive for inhalant abuse will be sent to the Selarang Park Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Changi for treatment.

Juveniles may have their supervisee order extended from the usual six months , depending on whether it was their first time.

Those who relapse too often will be sent to the Juvenile Court where they will be charged with inhalant abuse.

For inhalant abuse, you can be admitted to a rehabilitation centre for treatment for up to six months.

You can also be jailed up to six months or fined $2,000 fine or both.

gh family

the camp

getting ready to dance for the night =)after the climb up the diary farm hill. it's a tedious one!

Thought it was a great camp for the children, to go out and have some fun and hear the good news preached. Thank God for the good weather, did not experience much of rain but sunshine for large part of the camp. The campers were also well-behaved. The lunge and skyride part was exciting and fun though it was a very fast ride It is a simple camp but the activities were planned well. Liked the preaching too especially the one by Andrew from cornerstone who connected very well with the children, how the hands of the Lord were evident in his life at different life stages and strengthened his trust in Him despite trying circumstances.

It was a good thing to serve together with audrey in the same group after not serving for so long. Helping the group people, faciliating the sharing, just listening to them, great to have a few of them crossed the line of faith =) Pray that God will continue to preserve their seeds of faith

happenings over the weekend

It was a good summit at the youth mentors' summit held at the ntuc auditorium. I guess, it is just another aspect of youth work, you need the volunteers and befrienders to provide guidance and direction to these youths before they run with the law. Was surprised to see zhenzhu as well, another 'worker' who is giving her time and energies to help the youths-at-risk. It is definitely an eye-opener to see Dr William Tan in person share about his sporting achievements, how he overcome the odds and achieve his dreams. It is an unbelivevble feat. Glenn Lim also shared about his work with at-risk youths, giving a framework and some tips at working with them. I liked his philosophy when he shared that he is not interested in just getting these youths to conform to mainstream society as much as helping them achieve their dreams as well, to dare to stand up for what they believe in and be leaders in their own rights, positively guide them to realise their potential despite of all the wrongs they have committed in the past. That is certainly some words of wisdom.

Hopefully, some of us can do that also in our community, with a good intent, come together to want to bless our nation and other parts of the world with good tools to engage and develop youths.

Shared the joy with my colleagues of receiving an award for gd practices at the symposium for family violence last thurs despite being relatively a new worker. Even though there is much room for improvement in terms of internal processes, it certainly gives me the motivation to continue to work hard and give my best in my work, to be a true professional in due time. It is timely as well when we will be having 20th anniversary celebration next year. It is a good conference for me, at least I have a better understanding of the various agencies that are involved in advocating for child protection in our local context. Got in touch with my social work roots when I saw some familar faces be it my lecturers and peers who are still in the field. It is a tedious process to protect children who are being harmed, the courts and police has to play their part in ensuring the safety and coming in to prosecute against those perpetrators who have inflicted the harm. The school and community has a part to play as well.

I was alarmed by the article on sunday when it was reported that the teenage gal has committed suicide upon hearing the news that she has to go to juvenile court for a theft case that she has committed. It is such a tragedy that our youth would think of doing that at such a young age. It is a case for further pondering, are our youths built with the right kind of resilience and emotional stability to weather the storms that come their ways? I often thought of this, in my work with the youths, there is just this natural tendency for them to get whatever they want without bearing much thought to the process in this 'instant fix' and fast-paced society. They do not seem to cope well if they do not get what they want or learn well to understand that life is not always smooth-sailing; there are difficult times to go through, it is alright to fail and make mistakes. It is 'normal' and acceptable.

all set for tmw

tink that heath ledger's interpretation of the joker is the best so far. he portrayed the character as someone who has schiozphrenia, dillusioned w ppl n society, not outrightly 'evil' but has a point to make abt society, his violence serves as a means to achieve his purposes, its not abt the money. Heard that the movie has broken e 500 million mark. Liked it so much that I watched twice. hope he will get the oscar

Taken from The Straits Times Online

May 10, 2008

CARE AND PROTECTION ORDERS
Child Care Court to ease trauma for abused and neglected kids
By Selina Lum

THE number of abused and neglected children brought to the courts for Care and Protection Orders (CPO) has been rising steadily over the past decade.

The number stood at 114 last year, compared to just 18 in 1996.

In CPO cases, the courts can order that the child be left at home with close supervision by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), or a relative may be appointed to care for the child. If the situation warrants it, the child may be placed in foster care or a home.
In one-third of the 114 cases last year, the abusers were the children's mothers, with fathers accounting for about one-fifth of the cases. One in four was abused by both parents.

Many of these parents were not earning any income or had various health, psychiatric, drug abuse and family problems. About a quarter had criminal records.

Now, to allow the courts to deal in depth with such cases, a specialised Child Care Court will be set up to hear CPO cases. Hearings will be held every Friday.

The court will be assisted by an in-house psychologist and social workers and will work closely with MCYS.

The process will be made more child-friendly and informal, and the timetable for cases will be driven by what is right for each child.

The Child Care Court will also hear Beyond Parental Control cases.

These two types of cases will be segregated and managed differently from criminal offences committed by juvenile offenders.

Dr Joseph Ozawa, senior deputy director of the Family and Juvenile Justice Centre, said the thinking behind the initiative is to draw as much of a line as possible between abused children and juvenile delinquents.

Some children may feel intimidated by the court's atmosphere or feel they are in court because they have done something wrong. 'One of the key things we are trying to do is to tell them that they are in a different court,' said Dr Ozawa.

He cited his experience in Australia: In a court building, to distinguish between the two types of children, one lift meant for wrongdoers was labelled 'crime', while the other for victims of abuse was labelled 'care'.

Counsellor Gracia Goh of Sunbeam Place, which is run by the Singapore Children's Society, welcomed the move. She said that for some children, the process of going to court can be intimidating and 'very trying'.

Ms Goh said it was not surprising that one-third of the abusers were mothers. 'It's stereotypical to think that abusers are fathers. Mothers are the ones who do the daily caregiving. They are the ones who face the strain.'

The problem is not confined to lower-income or single-parent families, she said. There are cases where the child's parents hold master's degrees or are well-respected in their fields.

But because their children do not meet their expectations, these parents 'react in extreme ways' by confining the kids, using physical violence or inflicting emotional abuse.

start of a journey..

it has been a good first week for me. All of a sudden and very quickly, i left ssc and started work on monday. The bible character that I can relate to is Moses when he left Egypt and spent his next 40yrs in the wilderness before God called him to lead the israelites once again.

I soon realised that the most important thing that will keep me in this job for long will be the lives of these children who directly or indirectly committed some crimes and have to be based at the home. If not, their familes seem to be dysfunctional for various reasons and they have to be here as well. No longer I have the luxury of pay rise, even if it is so, it is little and not guaranteed thing. HR and training funds paled in comparison with I had at govt stat board.

Yet, I also realise that money is not all that matter at times and this job teaches me that, to be content and rejoices in living a simple life, gives me a lot of freedom and space to build upon my strengths as well. Was reminded of the passage in John 10, about the good and bad shepherd. A good shepherd is one who stays the course, not give up easily and take care of the sheeps well. On sunday night, I was unsure, fearful and reali contemplating whether it was a good move after all. These fears and doubts persisted on mon as well. But I guess God and His word continually assure me that I am in the right place, ya, seems like it at the unfold of events and circumstances leading to where I am now.

I started to realise how important my role is, pretty much like a shepherd, friend and elder brother to these 'ah di's..hey I can do my part to meet their needs, serve and hopefully integrate them back into society some time later. I began to see that the work can be veri xiong, fighting fires, efforts can be veri intangible but the satisfaction perhaps will come when they are discharged on the final day :) I look forward to that and believe that my passion and knowledge for sports and as a Christ follower can value-add to these youths who need someone to guide them in the right track as far as possible. Can envision myself coaching the soccer team to great heights to win the inter-home teen games challenge next year!

Despite not much of pay and HR welfare, this job is not without its tangible blessings as well, I walk to work every day. Saves transport to 1/4 of the previous expenses. Think I just need to top up once my ezlink card $50 once a month!

There is a cook based in-house, staff can get free lunch and/or dinner by putting their lunch boxes in the kitchen. Saves huge costs by doing that. No more subway, $10-lunch at suntec, restaurants. Saves by 1/4 as well. $120 the max I give, the amt I will spend on food monthly
will need the money for my driving lessons, soccer coaching course, future mission work and other expenses along the way.

And I believe that God answered my prayers of wanting to contribute to tertiary ministry. Heard from swee leong that Genacts' Alive programme is coming to Graceheaven, perhaps in May! Just amazing how His hand has been in this job opening, first week along, timely two workers are leaving and I am expected to take up cases soon. Will be fast and furious, got the chance to go kk hospital to attend case conference, mtg doctor/psychologist/medical social worker/case manager all at one go to discuss my boy's case. Went to juvenile court today also, got a taste of the judge's no-nonsense and harsh words used against the youths as reported in the newspapers. I guess it is much needed considering the trouble that the youngsters get into. Some words of deterrence used is important.

I pray that the Lord will use me greatly as His vessel to touch the lives of these youths : )

closure and new chapter

it has been a faith-filled journey for me this couple of weeks, if not months since the start of Jan. I have got to give my time for the conference and the website roadshow, got to handover all my work yet at the same time looking around for my next job. Much energy is used up and there isnt time to think of other things.

Thankfully, the Lord is with me in this and I have received much strength and peace as I go through this. Together with bros n sis, their encouragement and support. It is very much needed and appreciated. The struggle of venturing out of my comfort zone and doing something that I am more suitable at, is not an easy one especially being accustomed to what I am very familar with. Yet, at the same time, know that I will not like my work much if I were to stay on and having to deal with all the negativity and office politics. It will not be beneficial for my soul and in keeping a clear conscience in the long run.

Thank God, He opened a door for me, there is this opening at Graceheaven (just stone throws away from my house! blessed, can save my transport costs) as a youth worker/case manager. There will be about 20-30 juvenile deliquent youths under my care which I have to 'follow-up', rehab till they are finally discharged from the home. I have eyed this job since I graduated but to no avail. The door was closed then. It happened as well that this job opening was not available just last week, the director offered me another position which is adminstrative in nature. I had already gone for a couple of interviews in sports-related jobs and even applied for moe but did not get PE. It is timely and seemed to me that the Lord has prepared me for this final outcome. Still there is the lingering question of whether I can fit well in this job especially I have not been in touch with my social work theories for close to two years since graduation. Definitely, will trust in His guidance and it will be His ministry literally as I do not think I can do well without His partnership : )

Hope to get the other aspects of my life right as well in the coming months, with all the on-going transitions, this is such a good opportunity to grow, re-build my foundations in Christ again..laying them well and thrive from there. Encouraged by our people also who consolidated our strength and unity as each discovers and pursues one step closer to what he or she wants to do, it will be a tough but yet enjoyable journey ahead.