MSF introduces Triage Assessment Panel to review child protection cases

From May. 1, a Triage Assessment Panel (TAP) will be established to review child protection cases where child protection agencies have differing views on how they should be handled.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced the latest update on Apr. 30, about six months after the release of a report looking into the abuse and death of four-year-old Megan Khung in 2020.

While the review panel found that were appropriate actions taken then by the agencies involved in some instances, it also noted “a lack of clear understanding and communication" among them.

MSF will also be limiting the handling of child abuse cases to a specific selection of Child Protection Case Management (CPCM) agencies from May. 1.

The changes follow Minister for Social Service Integration Desmond Lee's parliamentary response in November 2025, as well as recommendations made in the review panel's report in October 2025, which have been progressively implemented and will be completed by end-2026.

Role of the TAP

From May 2026, the TAP will serve as an independent body to review triage decisions and determining the appropriate agency to manage cases where CPCM agencies differ in their professional assessments.

TAP will make the final decision when CPCM agencies that disagree with the initial triage decision of a case make an appeal.

The implementation of the panel is to "allow more effective and decisive intervention in child abuse cases," said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming.

A triage decision will be made within six working days with clear rationale communicated to the agencies involved.

The timeline is aimed at preventing prolonged uncertainty and delays to the families' access to services and interventions.

Who will be in the TAP?

The panel will have four members, and the composition for each meeting will vary based on relevant expertise.

It will be co-chaired by an MSF representative from a Professional Services Group and an appointed independent representative from the sector.

It will also consist of two independent sector panellists.

Members will be practising professionals who work with families or have expertise in child protection, and are uninvolved in reviewed cases.

Designated case management agencies

From May. 1, child protection cases will be handled solely by agencies that have been selected as Child Protection Case Management (CPCM) agencies.

This ensures that cases continue to be handled by professionals and agencies with "specialised expertise and dedicated resources," MSF said.

The review panel into Megan Khung's case had highlighted that the complexities of child abuse cases require "professionals with the right competencies and experience, who are sited in agencies equipped with the systems and processes, to manage such cases".

Like in most case management processes, managing child protection cases is a collaborative process that typically includes information gathering, safety and risk assessments, and developing safety plans to keep a child safe, said MSF.

As such, the ministry will stipulate the competencies and training required of CPCM agencies.

A list of CPCM agencies will be made available on MSF's website on Mar. 1, and will be updated periodically.

Meanwhile, non-CPCM agencies continue to have an important role within the child protection ecosystem, MSF emphasised.

They will collaborate with CPCM agencies to support families in areas of safety and child well-being, such as in childcare, parenting and caregiving support.

Both types of agencies will need to work in close coordination, with CPCM agencies leading as case managers, said MSF.