Circle of Care (CoC) was convened by Care Corner Singapore in 2013, with support from Lien Foundation & Quantedge Foundation. As a pioneer in early childhood development and social work in Singapore, CoC is committed to ongoing professional development and the sharing of knowledge and expertise, so that we can serve our children better as a sector and community.

Our Consultancy and Professional Development teams are set up to support capability building and upskilling of fellow professionals in the Early Childhood, Education and Social Service sectors.

In 2021, our Consultancy team was appointed as the official training consultant for KidSTART Singapore Ltd, which oversees the scale-up of the KidSTART programme nationwide. Our Professional Development team provides training for early childhood educators and leaders in preschools through Learn & Share sessions and the development of communities of practice.

Enhancing capabilities of early childhood, education and social service professionals through training and capability building platforms

Systems leadership to pioneer child-centric, preventive developmental practice in the sector and foster interdisciplinary collaboration

Advocacy through sharing of best practices and successful implementation of preventive developmental work in local preschool settings

Ways We Support

Consultancy
Consultancy

As the official consultant to KidSTART Singapore Ltd, CoC supports the successful implementation and scale-up of KidSTART which is implemented through KidSTART-appointed service agencies (KSAs). KidSTART is a national programme that seeks to provide upstream support to children aged 0-6 years old from low-income families.

Our consultants at Circle of Care (CoC) provide practical knowledge and tools on topics such as implementation science, working in a preschool-based model, child-centric practice and risk management through platforms such as team training and group supervision sessions.

Professional Development

Circle of Care (CoC) provides professional development for educators in partner preschools on key topics in early childhood such as:

  • Executive Function-based life skills adapted from ‘Mind In The Making’ (Refer to FAQ)
  • Supporting children’s Learning and Development (SLD)

We journey with educators to develop Communities of Practice (CoP) to build and deepen their capabilities. Theories are applied in actual preschool settings and woven into routine practice.

FAQs

  • Training sessions to enhance KidSTART practitioners’ capabilities through knowledge sharing and framing of practice
  • Group supervision sessions for Team Leads and Child Enabling Executives to apply knowledge acquired in training sessions and deepen capabilities
  • Implementation coaching sessions to support KidSTART-appointed service agencies (KSA) in their initial phase of implementation, and to support Team Leads in leading the scale-ups in their respective agencies
  • Implementation review of operational barriers and enablers experienced by KSAs
  • Resource development e.g. formulated guides and resources for KidSTART practitioners, in collaboration with KidSTART Singapore Ltd

Executive function refers to the mental processes that enable us to manage our thoughts, actions and emotions to achieve goals. It involves:

  • Cognitive flexibility to adjust to changes and consider other perspectives
  • Working memory to retain and manipulate pieces of information
  • Inhibitory control to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses

Higher executive function skills have been linked to success in school and in life. It has been shown to be even more important than IQ for future success. While science tells us that developing these essential executive function-based life skills are critical in the preschool years, they can be developed throughout life: it’s never too late!

Reference: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/

‘Mind in the Making’ is a research-based framework by Ellen Galinsky which outlines 7 essential life skills based on Executive Functions that every child needs to thrive. It shows what adults can do to strengthen children’s Executive Function skills.

The 7 life skills are:

  1. Focus and self-control
  2. Perspective Taking
  3. Communicating
  4. Taking on Challenges
  5. Making Connections
  6. Critical Thinking
  7. Self-Directed, Engaged Learning

Reference: https://www.mindinthemaking.org/life-skills

‘Supporting Learning and Development’ is a programme developed to build preschool educators’ capabilities in supporting children’s learning and development. It introduces educators to CoC’s healthy child assessment framework and how they can support the learning and development of young children. Educators are then able to identify needs of a child, plan learning goals and identify strategies to achieve these individualised goals.

Quotes

I have gained a greater appreciation of the intersection between early childhood and social work. Thanks for the good opportunity for us to learn more about the roles of CEEs in child-centric practice.

M, Participant, Care Corner KidSTART

The case study and group discussions and group sharing were very useful. The sharing of implementation strategies by the trainer is very practical, applicable and useful. Thank you for sharing that!

K, Participant, KidSTART @ Fei Yue

Being a part of the CoC consultancy team providing consultancy support to KidSTART has been a tremendously enriching experience for myself. This opportunity has allowed me to be stretched as I consider how I might apply my learnings and practice wisdom of a social worker and leader into the learning and development of others.

Beyond this, the opportunity to shape early childhood social work (ECSW) practice amongst many practitioners and in this developing field of ECSW practice in Singapore has been a ‘dream come through’ for the CoC team. We found ourselves being even more convicted and confident in the work we do through this process.

Zoeleen, Trainer and Senior Consultant, Circle of Care

The sessions by CoC were very engaging for our teachers. The knowledge base of Executive Function and Life Skills promoted a better understanding of children’s development and how it can be supported in the classroom. Our teachers found this knowledge very helpful and some of them were keen to read up more on their own.

MOE Kindergarten @ Riverside

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