The Ministry of Social and Family Development (Abbreviation: MSF;Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial dan Keluarga; Chinese: 社会及家庭发展部) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore focusing on nurturing resilient individuals, strong families and a caring society in Singapore.
MSF was formed on 1 November 2012, after it was announced on 31 July 2012 that the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports would be restructured. Several portfolios, including youth and sports development, charity governance and REACH, the Government's feedback unit, were taken over by two other new Ministries - Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Communications and Information.[1]
In June 2018, the Save The Children organisation's End Of Childhood report ranked Singapore as the best country for children to grow up in. Its ranking methodology is based on eight indicators - under-five mortality rate, child stunting, out-of-school children and youth, child labour, child marriage, adolescent birth rate, child homicide rate and population displaced by conflict.[2][3]
Priorities and goals[]
One of MSF's immediate priorities was to re-examine public policies to help get Singaporeans to marry and have their first child earlier. In addition, MSF would work on strengthening the social safety net to better help those in need, especially those who are at risk.[4]