The DSA Family Support Services(FSS) maintains and provides support to four groups to ensure continuous development for the parents/caregivers of persons with Down syndrome –

1. New parents (parents of newborns, toddlers and pre-school children)
2. Young parents (parents of young children/young teens)
3. Mature parents (parents of teenagers and young adults)
4. Siblings (of persons with Down syndrome).

We have served a total of over 100 families, with 279 parents/caregivers over the past year.

We conduct parent support group sharing sessions for the various groups. A total of 121 parents/caregivers participate in these sessions to enhance their knowledge and capability. The support group sessions provide a conducive platform for sharing and providing emotional and psycho-social support to parents/caregivers.

DADS SG (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome –Singapore) is an acronym created by a group of fathers in US who shared a very unique common bond i.e. they are all dads of children with Down syndrome.  These sessions link up dads who share common concerns and hopes for their children. This network of dads provides opportunities to exchange experiences, support one another, as well as be an effective catalyst for advocating the causes of persons with Down syndrome.

MOMs Only is a unique group of mothers who have children with Down syndrome. The Moms get together on a regular basis to share and exchange best practices and information on bringing up a child with Down syndrome.

We have organized talks’ workshops such as the Kinder Art workshops, Kindermusik workshops, presentation on the Hanen Programme, a Dental talk, a Speech Therapy training session, and an Oral-muscle therapy presentation by Mr. Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson from Talk Tools International USA.  A total of 158 parents/caregivers participated in the said activities. These educational parent workshops hosted by various professionals’ aim to empower parents/caregivers with skills and knowledge to provide best in class care to their children.

The FSS also provides other services which include information and referrals for respite care, residential care, medical concerns, information about schools, and relevant resources. Our outreach efforts have gone beyond Singapore. We regularly respond to queries and host visits from countries such as India, Vietnam, Korea, Bahrain, Indonesia, and Malaysia.