New child protection unit to flag potential abuse in young children earlier after Megan Khung case: MSF

In the aftermath of the Megan Khung case, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has set up a new unit that helps child protection officers act earlier.

The four-year-old Singaporean girl died in 2020 after more than a year of abuse at the hands of her mother and her boyfriend.

A subsequent review found instances of "lack of clear communication" among agencies, and two breaches of protocol by police officers involved in the case.

Megan's case would have been flagged 3 times

The new unit, SAFER (Sensemaking Alerts for Frontline Engagement and Response), is part of MSF's efforts to strengthen the child protection ecosystem in Singapore following the case.

It applies to children under seven years old where there are child protection concerns.

Launched in June 2026, the unit comes on the back of recommendations by a review panel, and provides frontline professionals with more information to allow them to better assess whether to render support earlier.

Had SAFER been implemented, Megan's case would have been flagged for review at least three times, up to five months before her death, MSF said.

These instances would have been:

• Between Mar. 19 and Apr. 9, 2019, upon the sighting of Megan's injuries and the preschool's report to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH)
• Between Sep. 5 and Sep. 17, 2019, when Megan stopped attending preschool and was subsequently withdrawn
• In January 2020, when Megan's grandmother made a police report

So how does it work?

Speaking to the media about the new unit, Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Mr Goh Pei Ming said SAFER comprises professionals who have child protection experience.

These professionals will assess relevant information from different agencies, including arrest records for drug offences, sexual offences, police reports, preschool attendance, and household information.

They can then flag potential child safety concerns with child protection officers, who can in turn quickly follow up with the child if needed.

Upon receiving an alert from SAFER, officers can conduct risk-screening and information gathering within a target of three working days.

If there are concerns, the case will be escalated for triage. Actions include increasing support if risks have become more serious, or reviewing safety plans regarding new family developments.

In the event of immediate safety concerns, the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team will be deployed promptly to provide support on-site, MSF said.

"Every case of child abuse is one case too many," Goh said.

"The sooner concerns are identified and acted on, the better the chances of keeping our children safe and supporting our families."

SAFER allowed for faster intervention in 70 cases

According to MSF, child protection faces two key gaps presently.

Firstly, risks are only detected after harm occurs; and secondly, escalating risks for known cases may not be identified in time due to fragmented information.

SAFER fills these gaps by flagging potentially destabilising forces in a household so that preventive action can be taken.

For example, if a main breadwinner has been incarcerated.

In the first two months of operations, SAFER allowed MSF and its partners to intervene more promptly in 70 cases.

The system discovered one case that was referred for early support, escalated another for statutory intervention, and identified 68 cases that needed a review of safety plans and the strengthening of existing support.

Follows MSF's steps to strengthen child protection ecosystem

SAFER's implementation follows MSF's commitment in parliament in November 2025 to set up a social services coordination centre.

According to the media release, this is part of follow-up actions taken to strengthen the child protection ecosystem following recommendations from a review panel appointed by MSF in May 2025.

As previously reported, the sentencing for Megan's case took place on Apr. 3, 2025.

MSF has largely implemented the review panel's recommendations, including the designation of Child Protection Case Management agencies, the launch of the Protection Practitioners Care Fund, and the establishment of the Triage Assessment Panel.

The remaining measures will be fully implemented in 2027.

MSF further noted that the public has a part to play in looking out for children and families who may be struggling.

Members of the public can report suspected abuse through the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline at 1800-777-0000.