SINGAPORE: A "collective failure" of the system led to the death of four-year-old Megan Khung, said the Singapore Children's Society on Wednesday (Apr 9).

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Tuesday that the social service agency's report did not fully describe the severity of Megan's injuries, leading to "inadequate interventions" before her death.

Megan died in February 2020. She was abused by her mother Foo Li Ping, 29, with her then-boyfriend Wong Shi Xiang, 38, for months before the latter inflicted a fatal punch on the girl.

Social service agency BSS runs the Healthy Start Child Development Centre, the preschool that Megan had been attending. 

A staff member spotted Megan's injuries in March 2019, and the girl was withdrawn from preschool in September that year. She was killed in February 2020, but her death was only discovered five months later.

On Tuesday, MSF and BSS detailed the actions they took from when Megan's injuries were seen until shortly before her death.

It was also revealed on Tuesday that a police report had been made the month before she died.

The Singapore Children's Society said in its statement on Wednesday that while there might have been "shortcomings" in terms of how the preschool centre had surfaced the abuse concern, Megan's preschool teachers had been "very quick to pick up" on the physical signs of abuse when it first started.

The centre and its parent agency had tried on "multiple times" to raise their concerns to the relevant agencies, including the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and a Child Protection Specialist Centre (CPSC), to seek their advice on managing the case. 

"It was a collective failure of the system at that time that had led to the unfortunate demise of Megan," said the charity.

In its press release on Tuesday, MSF made public its learnings from child abuse deaths over the last decade.

But the Singapore Children's Society said that in its opinion, "the enhancements described still do not sufficiently address the support that the preschool sector needs".

The charity said that the preschool environment is one where kids are visible to the community outside of their families from a young age. 

"Unequivocally, our preschool educators are at a vantage position to keep an eye on the well-being of children, and to spot suspected signs of abuse and neglect," it said.

But it added that preschool educators' primary training and duty is to teach and nurture.

"The additional responsibility of protecting our children from abuse is something that they shoulder by virtue of their position," said the Singapore Children's Society.

"It is therefore imperative for preschool educators to be supported to rise to this child protection role, including knowing how to manage suspected abuse concerns and escalate them appropriately."

The Singapore Children’s Society operates more than 10 service centres islandwide, offering services in four categories: Vulnerable children and youth, children and youth services, family services, and research and advocacy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The charity made two recommendations: Mandatory child protection training for preschool educators and the appointment of child safety officers for each preschool centre.

It suggested that all preschool educators and their management, whether pre-service or in-service, to receive basic training in child protection and attend refresher courses periodically.

"This would bolster their confidence in recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse and in knowing the appropriate strategies to deploy if they encounter suspected cases," it said.

"To our knowledge, not all early childhood education institutes have in place a strong training curriculum on child protection for pre-service educators."

The charity added that ECDA’s continuing professional development courses for in-service educators are "limited".

The charity said the training would help to address the occupational challenges that preschool educators encounter. 

"They sometimes face stresses or dilemmas that may deter them from flagging suspected abuse. 

"They may be unsure of what kinds of behaviours constitute child abuse, or feel worried about the repercussions on themselves or on their centre if they consult or make a report to the authorities.

"It can also be unnerving to deal with negative reactions from parents and the general public," the Singapore Children's Society said. 

The charity also urged ECDA to appoint child safety officers who "take ownership of, and are proficient" in managing child protection concerns within each preschool centre.

These officers can be educators who step up to receive dedicated and specialised training in child protection. 

This includes the knowledge on how to utilise the sector-specific screening guide - a screening tool rolled out by MSF in phases since 2016 to guide professionals in handling child abuse concerns. 

"However, the availability of the tool does not necessarily mean that it is effectively disseminated and utilised in the sector," it added.

A survey conducted by the charity in 2017 on child protection found that 27.1 per cent of the 336 respondents were aware of the screening guide. 

"Our inference was that, as the tool was newly rolled out, it would take some time to raise awareness of it."

It is now conducting a follow-up survey to find out how this knowledge might have changed since then.

These officers can also be trained in trauma-informed practice and be equipped to provide psychological first aid for children who are abused, said the Singapore Children's Society.

They should be independent from the role of centre leaders and serve as "closer touchpoints" for preschool educators to consult with and seek guidance from.

Child Safety Officers can also benefit from establishing partnerships with the Child Protective Service and social service agencies in the community.

"It is the nuanced cases, for example, when injuries are noticed from perceived excessive discipline, that are tricky to handle and require better skilled child protection workers to carefully navigate relationships, while keeping the best interests of children at heart," said the Singapore Children's Society.

It suggested formal support structures can be implemented for these agencies to be tapped for guidance in the monitoring of "more ambiguous concerns" of suspected abuse.

This would also ensure that preschool educators' concerns would be "appropriately right-sited" by experts in child protection.

CNA has contacted MSF for its response to the Singapore Children's Society statement and its recommendations.

"Let us take concrete steps towards creating a stronger ecosystem that prioritises the safety and well-being of the youngest in our society," said the charity.

"Let us also recognise our collective responsibility in this because every child deserves our protection from harm."