Acknowledging collective failure without being paralysed by it

Still, the magnitude of this reconstruction should not be underestimated. It will mean asking hard questions about how far society should go to intervene in family life, and when the duty to protect outweighs deference to family authority.

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The answer is not straightforward. We believe family is the foundational unit of society, yet, when a family becomes the source of harm and cannot keep a child safe, society cannot turn a blind eye.

Policy trends suggest the direction is shifting.

Over the years, Singapore has moved towards putting the child first, expanding parental support and improving access to preschool so that no child is left behind because of his or her family’s socioeconomic circumstances.

More recently, we have improved foster care support and increased the number of foster families in recognition that every child has a right to grow up in a loving and secure home that cherishes and nurtures them.

But the burden still falls squarely on front-line social and community workers, who must develop greater sensitivity to red flags and early warning signs, and hone dexterity to manage complex cases and ethical dilemmas without resorting to knee-jerk reactions or catastrophising.