Satisfaction in Singapore's early childhood intervention program: a dual perspective study

Abstract

This paper is designed to evaluate the stakeholders’ satisfaction of Singapore’s Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) programs for at-risk children with autism, ADHD, or preterm birth. Via the lens of multi-stakeholders, the essay studies the satisfaction level of the involved stakeholders, including two groups: (1) parents of children with developmental delays aged 0-6; and (2) clinicians who are involved in Singapore’s intervention program. An in-depth interview and focus group discussion were conducted with 33 parents and 27 clinicians, a total of 60 participants, to share their experience with the early childhood development programs and identify the challenges they faced, as well as their satisfaction level. We use a grounded theory approach to study the codes with high frequency. By examining the different perspectives from stakeholders, this paper designs a holistic framework to examine various challenges that lead to stakeholders’ low satisfaction level with the ECI system. To address these challenges, the study provides recommendations to government agencies, targeting structural, financial, and relational factors, aiming to initiate holistic change of the program and focus on the support of at-risk children at the early stage and their long-term development.