Preschools' Procedures in Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Preventing Withdrawal of Suspected Victims by Parents

53 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether there is a need to lay down detailed rules and procedures that must be followed before a preschool allows a victim of suspected child abuse to be withdrawn by the child's parent or guardian; and (b) whether the existing monitoring and whistle-blowing avenues are adequate to protect young children from domestic abuse.

54 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in ECDA's oversight and monitoring of preschools for signs of neglect and abuse in children, what measures are in place to ensure staff report suspected child abuse directly to the authorities regardless of internal escalation protocols; and (b) what additional training and support can be provided to ensure staff can confidently identify and act on early warning signs.

55 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether licensees must follow up or alert the authorities in suspected cases of child abuse under the ECDA Code of Practice on mandatory reporting of child abuse, when a child is subsequently or suddenly withdrawn from school, particularly in cases where there may have been concerns about the child’s well-being; and (b) whether training requirements are updated to ensure that staff are equipped to identify signs of abuse and are aware of their legal obligations to report such cases.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Regulations impose a duty on all educators and preschool staff to report suspected child abuse to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Signs of child abuse or neglect and the legal obligation to report to ECDA are covered in the training curriculum for all educators.

In 2021, the ECDC Code of Practice was updated to include additional operational guidelines and workflows to guide preschools on actions to take if there are suspicions that a child is being abused. Preschools are now required to use the Sector-Specific Screening Guide, a standardised assessment tool, to assess signs of abuse or neglect and report any child abuse concerns to ECDA within 24 hours. If there are concerns about sexual abuse, noticeable injuries or signs of immediate threat to the child's safety, preschools are required to consult the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) within two hours.

Since 2021, ECDA introduced protocols relating to the withdrawal or frequent absence from preschool. If a child with child abuse concerns has been regularly absent or is withdrawn from preschool without valid reasons, preschools are required to inform the social worker or the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) Child Protection Officer working with the child. If the child is not known to any social service agency or MSF's Child Protective Service (CPS), preschools must report the matter to ECDA, which will then assess whether a report to CPS is necessary.

Aside from preschools, frontline professionals in schools, healthcare institutions and social service agencies are also trained in the use of assessment tools to pick up safety concerns involving children and to intervene based on established protocols. Any member of public, including whistle-blowers, should call the 24-hour NAVH, make an online report via the MSF website or LifeSG app to report suspected child abuse, or call the Police if there is imminent danger to a child. Cases with child abuse and neglect concerns will be referred for support or intervention by relevant agencies, such as Family Service Centres, Child Protection Specialist Centres, based on the assessed risk and severity.

Megan's mother and the mother’s boyfriend were sentenced on 3 April 2025. The protocols outlined in this reply are the result of MSF's review of the case, aimed at identifying areas for improvement and systematically enhancing the overall child protection system. The Members may wish to refer to MSF's more detailed statement "Strengthening the Child Protection Ecosystem – Learning from the Past", published on its website on 8 April 2025.