SINGAPORE – A safe haven for abused children set up about 120 years ago is building a new home and expanding its services for children and families suffering from trauma.
The Children’s Aid Society, which was set up in 1902 and is one of Singapore’s oldest charities, is planning to build Melrose Village in Clementi Road. It is targeted to be completed in 2026.
The village will consist of Melrose Home and a second Melrose Care centre.
Melrose Home provides a safe refuge for children and youth aged between six and 21 years to help them heal from the trauma of being abused or neglected by their loved ones.
The children’s home, Singapore’s oldest, moved from the Clementi Road building it had occupied for about 50 years to a temporary site in Boon Lay Avenue in 2019.
“There was an asbestos issue, which prompted us to move out as it’s not safe for housing children,” said the society’s executive director, Mr Alvin Goh.
Asbestos, which was once used in building materials, can cause serious health issues such as cancer. Its use has been banned in Singapore since the late 1980s.
