Pre-schools now report all child abuse directly to anti-violence hotline, no longer via ECDA: MSF

SINGAPORE – Pre-schools will now be required to report all cases of child abuse or suspected abuse directly to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH), in an updated protocol which took effect on March 5.

Previously, based on the type and severity of abuse, pre-schools either notified NAVH – a 24-hour hotline to report family violence – or the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), the regulatory body for the early childhood sector.

Pre-schools were informed of the change in February, a Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokeswoman told The Straits Times on April 30.

The update comes after a review panel report on four-year-old Megan Khung’s case, which examined the series of events leading up to her death at the hands of her mother and her mother’s ex-boyfriend. 

Released in October 2025, the review found multiple lapses across agencies. One recommendation was for MSF to review ECDA’s role in assessing reports of child abuse.

The panel felt that ECDA licensing officers are not trained child protection specialists, and may not have the expertise to guide pre-schools in managing cases in the interim.

Under the new protocol, pre-schools that discover or suspect that one of their children has been sexually abused have to make a report to NAVH within two hours of spotting such abuse.

Pre-schools are also expected to look out for other types of abuse, such as physical violence, using a tool called the Sector-Specific Screening Guide.

For example, if the guide shows a “red” outcome – indicating an immediate threat to the child’s safety or noticeable injuries – the pre-school must also report the case to NAVH within two hours.

If the outcome is “yellow”, which generally refers to cases where the child is at risk of harm, they must report it to NAVH within 24 hours.

They also have to keep ECDA notified, said MSF.

More calls to national helpline

Overall, the number of calls to NAVH has risen since its launch in 2021, alongside a growing share of calls related to child abuse.

In 2024, the national helpline received 11,100 calls, up from 8,400 calls in 2021. Child abuse and neglect accounted for about 40 per cent of calls in 2024, up from 26 per cent in 2021.

MSF has since implemented several recommendations from the review panel’s report in 2026, such as setting up a new fund to support professionals involved in protection work.

Since its launch in February, about 30 applications have been submitted for the Protection Practitioners Care Fund. It allows social service agencies to organise well-being initiatives and provide wellness leave for staff.

On April 30, MSF announced that from May 1, only designated child protection case management (CPCM) agencies, such as family service centres, child protection specialist centres and children’s homes, will be allowed to manage child abuse cases.

Organisations not on this list but that interact regularly with children, such as pre-schools and youth outreach services, will continue to support families in other areas.

PCF Sparkletots Preschool’s chief operating officer Marini Khamis said the new designation of CPCM agencies provides clearer avenues for educators to seek guidance or escalate concerns.

“With clearer roles across agencies and mechanisms to facilitate timely decision-making, we are better assured that cases can be assessed and acted on without unnecessary delays,” said Ms Khamis.

Beyond Social Services president Alvin Yapp said there will be greater clarity of roles for the different agencies that work with a child and his family.

Beyond, which ran the pre-school that Megan attended, is not a CPCM agency, but it can still work with CPCM agencies to support the child’s well-being in other ways, such as offering childminding, meals or emergency financial aid to their families. 

Impart, a charity that supports youth facing adversity, regularly encounters cases with child protection concerns. All its staff are trained to detect and report such cases to NAVH, said its executive director Narasimman Tivasiha Mani.

Mr Narasimman said community agencies like Impart still play an important role, such as providing emotional support for abused youth as they go through the child protection system.

He said: “The 82 agencies are ‘specialised soldiers’, and the child needs a village. Our role is to ensure the village is ready to love and care for the child.”