Business Unit Careers

Shamiah Abd Razak Bafadha

I am more at NFC because my growth is supported through progressive ideas.

As a Speech and Language Therapist at NFC, I have received unstinting support in the development of my professional skills. The company gives me the autonomy to manage my own cases according to their specific circumstances, and this flexibility is very helpful in the kind of work I do. I use my expertise to facilitate children’s learning at My First Skool beyond standard intervention programmes. I support children in their capacity to communicate and connect with others in order to achieve their potential. Improving a child’s ability to express himself or comprehend others, positively impacts his quality of life, and is a deeply rewarding process for me.

Innovation is the ability to move with the times and is therefore essential for any endeavour that aims to last. NFC has always led the way in the arena, and its new in-house therapy team (of which I am a part of) is a forward-looking endeavour that raises awareness of our expertise in providing learning intervention to children with learning and developmental needs. Being a part of this effort has allowed me to move from a clinical hospital setting to better serve children in the community. It has been a thoroughly fulfilling experience.

One of my more memorable cases at NFC involved a child who had been flagged by her teachers for unclear speech and behavioural issues. After a considerable time of rapport-building, the child started to open up and showed enjoyment in her speech therapy sessions. We worked on her speech goals and she made quick progress. She developed an entirely different personality and became loud and confident, interacting easily and freely with her classmates, and even took on leadership roles in school.

Her parents were very grateful for the change in their daughter and were quite amazed at the exceptional skills of their child’s ‘teacher’ in facilitating this change. I happily explained that therapy only succeeded because we explicitly targeted the child’s speech issues. Therapy is about customising learning to meet each individual’s needs so that the root of the problem is addressed.

Sarah Gan

I am more at NFC because I am doing what I love.

Since joining NFC, I have been given the opportunity of developing my skills through on-the-job training. This has enabled me to tap on training funds to upgrade my skills and knowledge. On top of that, I was given the liberty of selecting suitable courses to address my specific learning needs, such as virtual Speech Language Therapy workshops and webinars. Within the therapy team, case discussions and topic presentations have also equipped me with effective understanding of other disciplines and how to better support the children in their various needs.

All these training opportunities have supported my professional growth and given me invaluable knowledge that has empowered me to assess and manage children under the Development Support and Learning Support programme.

Sabah-zia Mohamed Suhaimi Abdullah

I am more at NFC because I can move with the times.

Innovation is critical in the wheel of transformation. I strongly believe that the industry we are in forms the backbone of our nation and in this aspect the childcare sector is ever-evolving and where the thrust of innovation is critical. Being open to change reflects adaptability and creativity in what we do.

NFC has always been at the forefront of innovation and has continuously explored ways to allow us to do better with less. One of our proudest moments is being the first company in the early childhood sector to have a centralised call centre. I have had the privilege of being one of the pioneers of this initiative. From our early days as a tiny team, we are now a fully-staffed department of 66. Every facet of the NFC family, from new initiatives to tried and tested methods, works in harmony to provide the ultimate childcare experience to both children and parents alike.

Ruth Chia

I am more at NFC because I know I matter.

I have been leading and growing the social support unit in the Child Support Services Department and that has given me much satisfaction as I have a great team to work with. The joy I receive is derived from reaching out and helping the less fortunate. This motivates me to always find ways to do more and I am grateful that NFC has provided me with such an opportunity to serve.

Beyond work, NFC extends a variety of special leave to help us achieve work-life balance through. Childcare Leave, Family Care Leave and Well-Being Leave. This benefit reflects NFC’s belief in nurturing the holistic well-being of all staff. Knowing that the company understands the challenges we face in our day to day work and recognises the need to nurture us from time to time makes me feel very fortunate to belong to such a caring company.

Rita Lim

I am more at NFC because my personal welfare is always emphasised.

I first joined NFC as an English teacher in 2009 because I was drawn to its mission of making quality childcare services accessible to working families. Never did I think that I would one day be doing research management! Although I was a little apprehensive at first, I was given plenty of support and guidance as the project went along. The empowerment given to me as well as my bosses’ feedback and guidance have also been very helpful.

As a working mother of three preschool-aged children, NFC’s family-friendly policies have helped me maintain good work-life balance. In fact, during the circuit breaker, my boss was concerned that I was pushing myself too hard and encouraged me to take some days off to spend time with my children.

I believe that the best way to give back to society is to build the next generation by giving children a high-quality education. NFC has allowed me to do just that.

Meera Krishnan

I am more at NFC because it supports my heart of service.

NFC has provided me with a wonderful arena to connect with the community and serve them. This enriches my professional skills through vital ground experience while allowing me to work with management teams and external partners. Being with NFC has been an exciting journey for me, starting with very challenging centres that gave me excellent areas for learning. These challenges have built my confidence as a Child Enabling Executive (CEE) to face realities that impact our society and empower one to navigate through them. Children are the focus and my work revolves around their development, safety and well-being. I act as a catalyst to bridge partnerships between centres, families, external and internal stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes in the lives of children and their families.

Let me share about a particularly memorable case I worked on: the child had inconsistent attendance, exhibited a gloomy disposition and was not socialising with her peers. Coming from a single-parent household with a mother who was struggling financially and emotionally further compounded the issue. By working together with the child’s teachers, I was able to identify the child’s learning disabilities and effect the correct developmental support to help her. As a result of these efforts, the child adjusted well and looked forward to going to school every day. This change in the child’s behaviour and routine also enabled the mother to secure stable employment, thereby further improving the family’s circumstances.

As a CEE at NFC, I have been fortunate to attend a wide variety of training opportunities in areas such as mentoring, social work supervision, risk assessment, and child development stages. These topics are important to my work and contribute to my professional growth, complementing my work in the field.

Evelyn Chan

I am more at NFC because my work is always validated.

In my current role at NFC, I work on ways to engage parents. This was especially important during the Covid-19 pandemic because we had to find new ways to do so. Circumstances around us have changed, but the needs of children and parents remain the same. My team members and I explored means of implementing virtual training, professional development programmes and different systems to ensure that we could continue to support the children and their families, even more so during these uncertain times.

NFC is supportive of my professional developmental needs and I have been fortunate to attend training in areas that I am interested in. As a result, my clinical skills sets have grown and deepened, and I am currently pursuing a certificate programme in Sensory Integration with the support of the company. I am also privileged to work with exceptional colleagues in the therapy team at NFC; finding satisfaction in what I do makes work a joy.

Diana Phua

I am more at NFC because new initiatives are eagerly embraced.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of always being prepared for the unexpected.

I am particularly proud of how NFC has implemented a hybrid work model where HQ staff can work flexibly from home and the office during this period. The company also redesigned the workspace in the office to include additional meeting rooms and new pods to provide conducive spaces for online calls and collaborations, if required. I am appreciative of the efforts that NFC has put in to keep us safe.

With the support of a company that emphasises innovation, my team and I have been agile in finding the best ways to connect with families and children during the pandemic. This comes from being adaptable, knowing how to introduce new ways of doing things in order to meet the same goals. It comes from being surrounded by continuous learning opportunities, of having benefited from professional training and sharing sessions that involve colleagues from different professions. The exchange of ideas, sharing of experiences, current practices, as well as case studies, add to my knowledge of intervention and make me a better professional.