Many people have a misunderstanding that the children living in the Small Group Homes are there because they have broken the law or have done something wrong. The Small Group Homes have been mistaken for a place of ‘punishment’ for these children.

In fact, for many years now, the Small Group Homes have been providing care for children with family crisis; for example, their parents are sick or imprisoned, they suffer a broken relationship with their parents, they might even have been abused and thus have to be away from the family temporarily. The Small Group Homes will, temporarily, provide care for the children in a home-like environment, such that the children can continue with their education and develop their potentials. The Small Group Homes also focus on the communications between the children and their parents, so as to better prepare them for reunion in the future.

The parents of the Small Group Homes are married couples. The father has a full time job outside the home and will be required to return to the Small Group Home in the evening to have dinner with the children. After dinner, he is expected to help the children with their school work and supervise them. During holidays, he is expected to take the children out for activities so as to broaden their horizons.

The mother will be working full time in the Small Group Home. Her main focus is to attend to the daily needs of the children and to care for them as they grow up. She will also be working with the child’s school, his/her social worker and the psychologist to cater to the needs of the children.

The Small Group Homes encourages regular contact between parents and their children. Through holiday home stays, daily phone calls and visits from parents, the child will feel that the love and care from parents have not diminished due to the separation. This stable communication will also help to alleviate the emotions brought on by the temporary family separation.