WHEN the baby cries, Wati (not her real name) picks him up and comforts him.

She then makes some milk for the one-year-old boy and feeds him from a bottle.

It is a tender, motherly routine. Except that Wati is not the tot's mother.

Wati is eight years old.

With help from her brother, nine-year-old Ali (not his real name), Wati takes care of her two younger siblings, a one-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl.

The four children are left to themselves throughout the day because both parents have to work, in a desperate bid to keep up with mounting bills. We are not identifying the family as the children are minors.

This has been going on for months. The children mostly fend for themselves on weekdays. And the two older kids are frequently absent from school.

Liza, the 28-year-old mother, said she got pregnant too young, at 19, and because of pride, was unwilling to get help early.

Her plight is typical of problems faced by some families. It is an issue that was raised in Parliament yesterday.

Liza's family is in a dilemma because their combined income of about $4,000 rules them out for financial aid.

She is an administrative assistant, and her 29-year-old husband is a deliveryman.

Usually, only families with a monthly income of less than $450 per person can get aid.

They are in debt because Liza quit her job four years ago to look after her kids and her husband's pay wasn't enough to meet the monthly instalment for their HDB flat.

They can't turn to their parents to look after the children because of "personal conflicts".
To complicate matters, it appears that Liza's husband hits her.

Neighbours who alerted The New Paper to the family's plight said they have heard loud arguments and Liza screaming for help.

Liza herself declined to comment on this.

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