Programme providing free counselling on marriage, family issues expands to 11 centres

A programme to support the growing number of people seeking help for marriage and family problems has expanded to 11 centres since its launch in 2021.

- Theresa Tan

The Strengthening Families Programme@Family Service Centre (FAM@FSC), which provides free marriage, divorce and family counselling services, opened its newest centre in April.

It is run by PPIS, a non-profit group focused on community service which converted its As-Salaam Family Support Centre, which specialised in providing support services for divorcing and divorced couples and their children, to FAM@FSC (PPIS).

PPIS is the first Malay/Muslim organisation appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to run such a centre.

The number of cases handled by FAM@FSC centres rose from 9,000 in 2023 to 12,000 in 2024, an MSF spokeswoman told The Straits Times. The ministry funds the centres.

One reason for the increase is the expansion of the mandatory co-parenting programme, which helps parents to prioritise their children's well-being, such as working out co-parenting arrangements after a divorce.

Since July 1, 2024, all divorcing couples with children under 21 have had to attend the programme. They would not have had to do so prior to that if they filed for a divorce on the simplified track.

The simplified divorce track refers to cases where both parties agree on all issues related to the divorce and ancillary matters, such as child custody and maintenance.