Supporting Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) With Caregiving Responsibilities: A Response to MP Wan Ling’s Recommendations
On 13 Jan 2026, labour MP Yeo Wan Ling made six recommendations in Parliament to support migrant domestic workers (MDWs) with caregiving responsibilities and strengthen the caregiving infrastructure in Singapore. They are:
Better training for MDWs, including the expansion of the Caregivers’ Training Grant to include advanced home care, as well as language training;
Raising professional standards for employment agencies especially for households with complex care needs;
Implementing affordable primary healthcare for MDWs;
Making mental health screening and counselling part of a national MDW support framework;
Creating regulated, part-time care pathways; and
Reviewing levy and subsidy eligibility to reflect real dependency, not just age.
HOME supports these recommendations.
HOME sees many MDWs who are deployed to households with caregiving needs who do not receive comprehensive training that takes into account evolving care needs. Without proper training, they encounter difficulties in managing the care recipients’ unique needs, ranging from behavioural issues to medical care requirements. Insufficient training can lead to heightened fatigue and stress and potential risks to both the care recipient and the caregiver. Some MDWs also find it difficult to communicate with their care recipients in a common language, heightening stress and frustration for both parties. In the long run, it should be mandatory for employers to hire only MDWs who have been certified as having the required skills and language proficiencies.
Agencies should also play an active role in ensuring that MDWs are matched to suitable households. Previously, HOME and AWARE have recommended the use of a standard care matrix to match trained and certified MDWs to households according to their care needs. HOME supports Ms Yeo’s call for care assessors to be placed within employment agencies to ensure that matching is done professionally.
We agree with the need for a primary healthcare plan for the MDW population. Currently, outpatient costs are borne by the employer, causing some MDWs to be denied medical treatment, or have these costs passed down to them. MDWs spend much time caring for our residents and loved ones; it is only right that they are given basic healthcare rights.
For far too long, we have ignored the mental health of MDWs. Caregiving is demanding, both physically and mentally. HOME agrees that more resources should be available to address the mental health needs of MDWs, including dedicated mental health helplines and subsidised counselling services.
HOME welcomes the implementation of affordable alternative care options for households, to ease the burden and dependency of care work on MDWs. These would offer options for families who require an alternative care solution when MDWs have rest days. Families can access support for their loved ones, and MDWs gain much-needed rest and recuperation.
Additionally, HOME reiterates its call for the implementation of a separate work pass system that clearly distinguishes caregiving from domestic work. Such a framework would provide greater role clarity, reduce the risk of overwork, and further professionalise the caregiving sector, while more accurately recognising the fundamental distinction between housework and care work. MDWs should also be covered by the Employment Act, which sets out fundamental labour rights, such as limits on working hours, overtime pay, and annual leave.
Published 21 January 2026