'Children give you such capacity for love': S'pore's Families for Life movement lays out 3 new priorities, including tackling low TFR

Families for Life (FFL), a movement led by the Families for Life Council, will be introducing three new priorities for its 2026 to 2028 term.

These include expanding its definition of "family" beyond the nuclear unit, encouraging families to contribute to their communities, as well as spotlighting the "joys of parenthood". These will be rolled out progressively.

The movement brings together individuals, families and organisations to celebrate families and deepen relationships, with the goal of building what is described as a "Singapore Made for Families".

The pivots were announced by Keith Magnus, the newly appointed FFL Council Chairman, who was speaking to the media regarding the National Family Festival and the Families for Life Council.

"Strong families build a strong Singapore," he said, adding that families shape values and produce individuals who are both self-reliant and community-minded.

These refer to people who can stand on their own feet while still caring for those around them, Magnus explained.

He added that over time, this could produce a society where people of different racial, religious and national backgrounds still share a common thread of care and belonging.

"If we can achieve that, then we have a nation with a soul, a nation with a spirit. When we are strengthening families, we are not strengthening just private households. We are strengthening what is a critical part of Singapore's infrastructure."

Widening the definition of "family"

The first shift involves broadening the FFL's conception of what a family looks like: Moving beyond the traditional parents-and-children model to include grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family members.

According to Magnus, as Singapore's families grow smaller — with many households having only one or two children — the extended family network becomes an increasingly important source of support.

For example, older family members have much to contribute — they offer a sense of stability, accumulated wisdom and care that younger generations can draw on.

Turning families outward

The second pivot is about "turning families outward", and encourages families to look beyond their own households and support one another through different life stages and challenges.

"As we build strong families, if every day of our lives we are only focused on our own families, then we risk being a selfish society. And when we have a selfish society, we don't have a cohesive one," said Magnus.

He added that social cohesion does not begin with grand speeches, but in everyday moments such as noticing a neighbour in need, or reaching out to someone experiencing loneliness.

Joy of parenting

The third pivot addresses Singapore's low birth rate by shifting the conversation toward the positive experiences of raising children.

It was previously announced that the country's total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 0.87 in 2025.

Magnus acknowledged ongoing policy efforts in this area, including The Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

He also noted that surveys have pointed to cost of living and personal sacrifice as the primary reasons married couples cite for not having children.

While he acknowledged these worries and anxieties, he noted that they tend to give way to something larger.

"There is unspeakable joy when one becomes a parent — the first time you see your child, when your child reaches out to you in a crowd not because they need to, but because they want to," said Magnus.

"If we can reclaim that bit of joy, that would be powerful."

"Children give you such capacity for love that all of a sudden, it doesn't quite matter, at least in my case, if I had to adjust my life somewhat to make room so that I could love them effectively," he said.

"So some of these issues that some of us think about when having kids: Will my life change? Will the self sacrifices or the sacrifices that I have to make, are they too heavy? Some of that washes away with this notion called joy and love. And adjustments are made.

And that is really what we want to remind ourselves: That it is rather joyful to have kids and to be a parent."

National Family Festival 2026

The three pivots come as the FFL Council also announced the return of the National Family Festival (NFF), running from May 30 to Jun. 28, 2026.

The theme for the festival this year is "Family Begins with Me", which centres on the idea that strong families are built through "consistent, everyday actions".

These include having meals together, being there for each other and making time for the people who matter.

NFF, which brings together more than 240 community partners, 165 corporate partners and 1,700 volunteers, will open with the NFF Family Carnival at Singapore Expo from May 30 to 31, held in conjunction with Sport Singapore's FunFam SportFest.

One highlight is a "100 Dinners" video exhibition by local filmmaker Royston Tan, featuring 100 families in Singapore sharing meals at home.

The carnival will be followed by a month-long line-up of events by corporates, community organisations and government agencies across the island, including sports challenges, craft activities, digital well-being activities and workshops.