DEVELOPMENT OF CARA MOBILE APP FOR CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES OR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM TO REPORT MISSING PERSONS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 57

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 24 SEPTEMBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Miss Rachel Ong

MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question No. 232

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is involved with Dementia Singapore in the development of the CARA mobile application (CARA); (b) if so, whether CARA allows for caregivers of children with autism or persons with special needs to report missing persons; and (c) if no, whether the Ministry will consider including this feature in the future.

Answer

1.        The CARA app is co-developed by Dementia Singapore, the Agency for Integrated Care and the National Council of Social Services. It is linked to DementiaHub.SG website and provides digital resources tailored for caregivers of persons living with dementia, including a feature for caregivers to report their missing loved ones.   

2.        On the other hand, caregivers of children with autism or persons with special needs can apply for a Developmental Disability Registry (DDR) Identity Card.  If a person with autism or special needs goes missing, their caregiver should make a police report. The DDR card bears contact information of the caregivers and their supporting social service agencies to help facilitate the return of the missing person.

3.        The CARA app and DDR Identity Card were designed to meet the distinct needs of their respective target groups.