“My child has made me a better person.”
This seemed like a simple line yet it spoke so much. When I heard this from a caregiver of a child with special needs, I was touched, inspired, and grateful.
We serve our dependents everyday, pouring our time, effort, care and love into their lives to support them and make them better. How precious and humbling it is, to see it from a different perspective, that our dependents have made us better, just by their presence in our lives and our journey with them.
Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. In tough seasons of caregiving when we are struggling and exhausted, the mindset of gratitude and appreciation can make a difference in our personal wellness and relationships.
I can choose to remember the meltdowns, the mess, the mistakes, the cries and screams, the demands and chaos, or I can choose to remember the tray of toy food that my young children prepared and served up to me with big smiles, just as I finished whipping up a quick meal for them in the midst of a million other things I had to do.
Thank you caregivers for your resilience, for always choosing to seek and celebrate the good in the midst of everyday challenges.
– Rachel Fong, Program & research executive (CAREbuddy & CAREwell), and caregiver of two children
⛳ A Swing Towards New Experiences! ⛳
On 10 June, caregivers and their special needs dependents came together at Keppel Club for a morning of fun, focus, and first swings at CAREconnect: Parasport360 – Discover Golf!
On 20 June 2025, CaringSG held its June edition of the REAL TALK webinar series titled “You Are Not Alone,” a heartfelt and honest session for caregivers of children with special needs. Supported by SG Enable, the event created a compassionate space where real-life struggles were shared, emotions were validated, and hope was rekindled.
On 19 June 2025, CaringSG conducted our “How to Just Be There” training for 37 Mendaki staff, introducing the P.A.U.S.E.™ method — Prepare, Acknowledge, Understand, Sit with, Empathize — to equip participants with the mindset and tools to support individuals with special needs through presence, not pressure. Led by trainer Jansen Sng, the session was highly praised for its engaging approach, real-life relevance, and emotional impact.
Over six Sunday mornings, something special happened down at Changi Sailing Club. Through a joint effort between CaringSG and the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), caregivers and their special needs dependents came together to pick up a new skill—sailing—in a setting that was equal parts fun, inclusive, and empowering.
On 17 April 2025, CaringSG hosted a deeply meaningful Self-Care Workshop facilitated by Julia Chan—caregiver, certified mental wellness coach, and author of The Healing Journal: A Caregiver’s Path to Self-Care. With a nurturing approach shaped by her own lived experiences, Julia guided participants through practical tools to better care for themselves while supporting their loved ones.
A big part of the joy in caregiving for children comes from being made to see things from a fresh child-like perspective. Teaching autistic children requires one to go beyond that. Often, one has to tap on that perspective and the child’s interest to engage them in learning about our neurotypical world. This is the story of Eliz’s creative teaching journey inspired by her fostered child, Eugene.
