Supporting families through marriage, parenthood and early childhood

Focus Area 1

Headed by Associate Professor Muhammad Faisal Ibrahim, Minister of State for Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, this focus area aims to provide a continuum of care and support for Malay/Muslim couples and their families in the areas of marriage, parenting and early childhood development.

The following community programmes (below) are available for couples and families in the various M³@Towns!

Bersamamu

Supporting Muslim couples prior to solemnisation and throughout their first two years of marriage

To inspire strong and stable Muslim marriages, this ground-up initiative by Kadi and Naib Kadi (marriage solemniser) with oversight from the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) supports couples in their journey prior to their solemnisation and throughout their first two years of marriage. Couples begin their pre-marriage journey with a face-to-face meeting with their selected Kadi or Naib Kadi prior to their solemnisation ceremony. The couples are provided with pastoral support and a safe space to discuss sensitive topics with their Kadi and Naib Kadi and encouraged to attend marriage preparation programmes such as Cinta Abadi. They are also provided with post-solemnisation support through other programmes, such as Project Arif and Families for Life marriage and parenting programmes.

Since August 2023, the Bersamamu programme has been enhanced to include 9 female Asatizah (Islamic Religious teachers) to provide specialised support to women and a safe space for them to share their issues on marriage and family support.

About 30,000 couples have benefited from the Bersamamu programme as of August 2024.

Click here to find out more about the Muslim Marriage Process.

Cinta Abadi Marriage Programmes

Equipping soon-to-wed and newly-wed Muslim couples with essential skills for marriage

Cinta Abadi Marriage Preparation – For soon-to-wed and newly-wed couples, this programme covers important topics such as effective communication and conflict management, building emotional connection, finances and family planning. This programme is supported by MSF, Muis, and ROMM and is conducted by MSF-appointed service providers.

Cinta Abadi Marriage Enrichment – This programme supports married couples in nurturing a strong relationship and navigating transitions in marriage and parenthood.  

Click here to find out more about Cinta Abadi.

Marital First Responder Training

Building community capability for strong marriages

The community plays an important role in supporting strong marriages and family life. The Marital First Responder Training (MFR) is one way in which MSF partners community stakeholders to build the capability of volunteers to provide basic marriage advice and support. The first M³ MFR run was piloted at M³@Nee Soon in March 2019, made possible with support from MAECs, mosques and MENDAKI. To date, more than 400 Malay/Muslim community partners, including Asatizah and Kadi/Naib Kadi, have been trained under the programme.  

Project ARIF (Achieving Resilient & Inspiring Families)

Providing a comprehensive assistance for newlywed Malay/Muslim couples in enhancing maternal and child health outcomes

Piloted in 2020, and supported. by Temasek Foundation, Project ARIF facilitates newlywed Malay/Muslim couples in receiving holistic support in matters related to their marriage, pregnancy, or even financial and social support from Kadi/Naib Kadi (marriage solemnisers), and KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) social workers and medical professionals. Couples who sign up with Project ARIF can also access a range of programme and services such as Lactation Education, Health and Meet, Parenting Support Groups and Couples’ Programmes to guide them through their marriage, pre-natal, post-natal and parenting journey. Since its launch, Project ARIF has benefitted more than 3000 couples.

Click here to find out more about Project ARIF.

KelasMateMatika (KMM)

Empowering parents to support Malay/Muslim children’s education, beginning with Maths.

At KelasMateMatika, parent and child engage in play to observe and interpret the world around them through the lens of basic numeracy. KMM helps both parent and child to develop confidence in learning together and nurture curiosity in their daily life. More than 10,000 parents and children have benefitted from KMM as of December 2023.

Click here to find out more about KMM.

Preschool Outreach Programme

Championing the importance of pre-school education

Through the Preschool Outreach programme, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works with preschool outreach agencies and community partners to promote the importance of preschool education, and to help families from low-income households to enrol their children into preschool.