Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships

Focal Areas 1 - 6
Media Releases & Speeches
AFAM in the Media
Upcoming Events

Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships

The Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships (AFAM) was formed in August 2021 to galvanise the whole of society in partnership with families, community, corporations and ground-up initiatives, to support families at different life stages who face different issues.

The AFAM is led by Minister of State for Social and Family Development, Sun Xueling, and starts off with six focal areas (FA):

We welcome like-minded individuals and community organisations to work with us to co-create and implement solutions to strengthen marriages and families, laying the foundation for a resilient nation. If you are interested, write to us at MSF_AFA@msf.gov.sg.

Focal Area 1: 'FAM Connections'

Focal Area 1 'FAM Connections' focuses on outreach efforts to families through and with Community Partners. This includes:

Raising awareness and expanding effectiveness through outreach programmes that support marriages and families, by partnering grassroots, corporates, community organisations and individuals.

Mr Ishak Ismail is married with two children and has been with the Families for Life (FFL) Council since 1 Aug 2015. He was appointed Chairman of Families for Life Council from 1 Feb 2020. Mr Ishak volunteers to reach out to families under the Advisory Council for Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD).

Useful Websites
For more tips and resources for families and parents, visit:

Focal Area 2: Support for Young Couples

Focal Area 2 'Support for Young Couples' focuses on supporting soon-to-wed couples and newlyweds through:

Raising awareness and adoption of MSF’s marriage preparation and enrichment programmes.
Engaging couples on intimate topics like fertility health.

Ms Lynn Er is a mother of two young kids. She sits on the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) Board as the Honorary Treasurer. Ms Lynn Er is also the former Chairperson and Advisor of the Young Women’s Leadership Connection (YWLC). The group’s vision is to empower young women in Singapore to drive positive impact within their communities and to be the women leaders of tomorrow.

Useful Websites
For more tips and resources for newlyweds and soon-to-wed couples, visit:

Focal Area 3: Parenting Together

Focal Area 3 'Parenting Together' focuses on supporting parents through:

Identifying key trends and challenges faced in parent-child and grandparent-grandchild relationships
Shaping parenting values to prioritise the social and emotional well-being of children through sharing sessions by experts
Raising parental awareness of the availability of evidence-based parenting programmes and community resources

Dr Mathew Mathews is married with three sons and currently serves on the Families for Life Council, National Council of Social Service (NCSS) Voluntary Capability Fund Panel. He sits on the boards of One People.sg and National Volunteer and Philanthropic Centre (NVPC) actively participates in over a dozen family-related research projects. Dr Mathews hopes to identify existing gaps and areas for enhancement in support for parents with children across all ages and to re-orientate public views about parenting that prioritise the social and emotional well-being of children.

For more tips and resources on parenting, visit:

Focal Area 4: Support for Single Parents

Focal Area 4 ‘Support for Single Parents’ focuses on supporting single-parent families to care for their children and raise their families by:

Partnering the community and supporting ground-up initiatives to enable single parents to work, care for and raise their families
Reviewing gaps in current social support services for single parents and strengthening the support rendered

Ms Susan Ng is an active community volunteer and a member of MOE’s COMPASS Advisory Council (COMmunity and PArents in Support of Schools), a District Councillor with the Central Singapore CDC, and part of IMDA’s Media Literacy Council and the Singapore Kindness Movement Council. Professionally, Ms Susan Ng is a media veteran with over 40 years of broadcasting experience. She produces and presents programmes covering an array of topics, from family and parenting matters to social and community issues. She also received numerous awards for her social contributions, including the Public Service Medal (PBM) (2020), Friend of MSF Award (2019) and the inaugural Community Chest Enabler Award (2018) in recognition of 33 years of voluntary service.

With more than 25 years of experience working in both the public and medical fields of social work, Dr Vincent Ng bears an extensive knowledge and expertise in social service, which drives his passion to create a better future for the disadvantaged. As CEO of AMKFSC Community Services, Dr Ng has transformed the organisation into a multi-service agency that enhances and enriches the lives of children, youths, families and seniors in need through a holistic range of services across multiple touchpoints in Singapore. Dr Ng also contributes his insights as a social work leader by serving on various boards and committees.

Useful Websites
For more information on marriage and divorce support programs for couples and families, visit:

Resource website for single parents:

HCSA Community Services

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Focal Area 5: Support for Families with Early Risks

Focal Area 5 ‘Support for Families with Early Risks’ focuses on building capability and strengths in the community, supporting and uplifting marriages and families facing greater challenges by:

Collaborating with stakeholders and engaging the community to strengthen support for families showing early signs of stress
Increasing awareness on building healthy and respectful relationships
Providing support for families going through challenging life transitions (e.g. incarceration) and/or with strained relationships (e.g. family violence)

Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim serves as President of the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS), an organisation dedicated to inspiring women and strengthening families. PPIS plays an important role in supporting families with early risks. PPIS runs 16 centres for women, families, and children - including nine early childhood education and student care centres, two Family Service Centres, a Divorce Support Specialist Agency, a fostering agency, centres for young marriages and stepfamilies, as well as a halfway house for women in the pipeline. Ms Hazlina also serves as a Director at the Singapore Business Federation Foundation as well as Yayasan MENDAKI and several other national committees.

For more information on marriage and divorce support programmes for couples and families, visit:

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FA6: Faith and Families

Religious organisations are key stakeholders in strengthening marriages and families in Singapore. FA6 aims to organise cross sharing of experiences by religious organisations on their efforts to strengthen marriages and families.
To participate in the sharing sessions, religious organisations can register their interest here.