Expanded services at home for teen girls healing from abuse

Capacity for care at residential treatment facility doubles with move to new premises

- Syarafana Shafeeq

A centre for teenage girls from difficult backgrounds who are healing from trauma and abuse was officially launched at its new home on Sept 9.

HCSA Dayspring, a residential treatment centre, supports girls up to 18 years old who have survived different forms of abuse.

The centre, which previously operated from Turf Club Road, has now taken over the former St John's Home for Elderly Persons in Wan Tho Avenue near Potong Pasir.

After moving to its new home in June 2024, the centre expanded its services to include Small Group Care, a specialised care home model developed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development for those with moderate to high levels of needs.

This doubled its capacity for care, and the centre now serves up to 27 teenage girls at a time. Other than the girls in Small Group Care, Dayspring looks after girls in the Therapeutic Group Home section.

The girls from the Therapeutic Group Home present more clinical symptoms like active trauma, and their care may commonly involve medical professionals.

Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob, who attended the launch, recalled that her first visit to the organisation was in 2017, after she became president.

She said she has witnessed over the years how centres like Dayspring perform a much-needed service to support recovery and the rebuilding of lives.