Megan Khung’s death: Social workers say clearer agency roles will help in child abuse cases

SINGAPORE - Community and social workers often grapple with the weight of their decisions in child protection work, while managing heavy caseloads.

Factors like strained resources and differing risk assessments between agencies can add to their anxiety, on top of having to make judgment calls in difficult situations, social workers told The Straits Times on Oct 24.

They said the

recommendations put out by a review panel on Oct 23

– such as clearly defining the roles of the agencies managing child abuse cases and setting up an appeals system – could provide stronger support for front-line workers.

The review panel was convened to look at the child protection system after the

death of four-year-old Megan Khung

, who was abused by her mother and the woman’s boyfriend.

It found that there were lapses at multiple points across the system, and a lack of coordination between agencies. One of its seven recommendations was to ensure child abuse cases are mainly managed by child protection case management agencies, like the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Child Protective Service (CPS).

Other groups, like community and social service agencies, should focus on detecting and reporting cases as they interact with children and encounter suspected abuse.

Another key recommendation is to set up an appeals mechanism to address differing views on the risk level of a case between agencies.

Social workers told ST that these moves would be useful if effectively implemented.

Ms Han Yah Yee, chief executive at Montfort Care, said greater clarity of roles between child protection case management agencies and other agencies on the ground will help ensure children in need receive the right level of support.

Having an appeals system will also help better assess decisions on cases when no agreement is reached, she added.

Mr Daniel Lopez, from the Society Against Family Violence Singapore, said that some fear making a mistake in escalating cases and adding stress to the system.

Not all agencies have equal authority, and some staff may feel apprehensive about challenging the judgment of those in higher positions, he added.

The panel’s recommendations could lead to higher caseloads for the main agencies handling child protection, and MSF was advised to allocate adequate resources to these agencies. The average caseload for child protection officers dipped from 40 cases per officer between 2018 and 2022 to around 35 in 2025.

Mr Lopez said the demand for workers managing family violence cases outpaces that of the supply, and staff are often handed high-risk cases relatively quickly. Adequate support from managers and supervisors is important, he added.

Ms Han said resources should be channelled to hiring more social workers and paying them right, as well as investing in their development.

Ms Cindy Tay, the director of Children’s Aid Society, said the caseload of staff in this field must remain manageable so that they can respond to each case with competence and confidence.

She said: “Without the corresponding investment in manpower and capacity, the conditions necessary for effective practice, workforce retention and service quality cannot be sustained.”

She added: “Learning and development cannot thrive in an environment of chronic stress and overload.”

Jurong Central MP Xie Yao Quan, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Social and Family Development, said in an Instagram post on Oct 23 that the panel’s report provides answers to many questions raised by sector professionals after MSF’s initial statement on Megan’s case in April.

MSF’s earlier statement had said that Beyond Social Services (BSS), the agency running Megan’s pre-school, did not escalate the case to CPS. The report later found that BSS had called CPS, but the CPS officer did not register the call in its logs. The case was thus not escalated to the supervisor on duty.

The report raised other findings, like the failure of the police to appropriately follow up on Megan’s case after they were unable to contact the girl’s mother.

Mr Xie said: “The report points to a confluence of factors across the system, rather than a single dominant factor, that led to the failure to prevent Megan’s tragic death.

“And, crucially, the report suggests a way forward for the sector and the system.”

Mr Lopez said social workers on the ground were upset by MSF’s first statement on BSS’ role.

With MSF issuing an apology on Oct 23, he said that while some are satisfied with the accountability shown, others feel that the case also highlighted a power imbalance, with less respect and care for staff on the ground.

Mr Xie told ST the report has surfaced many important aspects of the child protection ecosystem that need to be considered and worked on. The GPC will file questions on the report, for the next parliamentary sitting in November.

“The GPC intends for our questions to cover the ground comprehensively. Because this is what the case deserves,” he said.

Clarification note: This story has been updated with a change in designation for Mr Daniel Lopez.