MUIS strengthens safeguarding for children, youth and families

1. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) today announced three areas of action to strengthen the safeguarding of children and youth, at the aLIVE Service Learning (aSL) CARE-nival 2026 held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

2. The measures will strengthen safeguarding education for children, youth and parents; establish a common safeguarding framework across mosques; and extend safeguarding resources and support pathways to vulnerable families. Strengthening Safeguarding Education

3. First, MUIS will strengthen safeguarding education for children and youth through practical, age-appropriate guidance. Protective Behaviour learning inserts have been introduced for aLIVE students to help them recognise unsafe or inappropriate behaviour, know how to respond and report concerns to a trusted adult. Age-appropriate infographics will also be shared with students to reinforce these messages.

4. Parents will also be engaged through awareness resources and existing parent touchpoints. These resources will help parents to recognise warning signs, speak openly with their children about personal safety, navigate online risks and know where to report concerns or seek support.

5. The safeguarding education materials have been developed with inputs sought through the Islamic Education Workgroup (IEWG). Through the workgroup, teachers will also be trained to:

   • recognise safeguarding concerns,

   • respond appropriately to disclosures or incidents,

   • follow the relevant reporting and escalation procedures.

6. Other Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECPs) will be encouraged to adopt these resources and practices within their programmes. In addition, Learnislam.sg ↗ (opens in new tab) and IEWG members will be sharing posters on their respective social media platforms to further amplify outreach efforts.

7. Second, MUIS will develop a common safeguarding framework across mosques, setting out safeguarding principles, responsibilities of mosque personnel, and clear reporting and escalation protocols when concerns arise. This builds on existing governance and safeguarding measures already implemented across mosques, including the requirement for ARS-certified asatizah to conduct formal religious classes, registration requirements for external religious groups, CCTV coverage and access controls where appropriate, safeguarding training for educators and staff, supervised children's activities, and an existing incident management and reporting framework.

8. The framework will be rolled out progressively through the following initiatives:

   • Safeguarding awareness training for mosque staff and volunteers to strengthen their ability to recognise signs of abuse or neglect, respond appropriately to disclosures, maintain professional boundaries and understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

   • Clearer reporting and escalation protocols to standardise the documentation, reporting and timely escalation of safeguarding concerns, with clear roles and responsibilities across the organisation.

   • Enhanced monitoring of informal gatherings involving minors through a risk recognition approach to identify recurring mentoring or teaching activities, conduct appropriate checks where necessary, and intervene where there are concerns of unauthorised teaching or inappropriate boundary crossings.

   • Periodic safeguarding audits and spot checks, conducted with District Offices, to review physical safety measures such as visibility, lighting, CCTV coverage and signage, while reinforcing safeguarding practices across mosque premises.

9. Speaking at the event, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said: “We want our mosques to be places where our young people feel comfortable coming back - to pray, learn, meet friends, ask questions, contribute and grow. And they must also be places where our children and youths feel safe.”

Youth putting Islamic values into action

10. The announcement was made at the fourth edition of aLIVE Service Learning CARE-nival, which brought together more than 630 Youth 2 aLIVE students from 23 mosques and approximately 250 beneficiaries from organisations supporting individuals with added needs.

11. Anchored on the theme “Compass of Kindness”, the programme gives graduating Youth aLIVE 2 students the opportunity to put Islamic values into practice through service to the community.

12. This year's CARE-nival featured 14 student-designed game booths, alongside activities involving beneficiaries, caregivers and community partners. The programme reinforces the values of Gratitude, Graciousness and Giving, while developing leadership, empathy and a spirit of khidmah (service) among Muslim youth.

13. The programme is supported by community partners including MINDS, Club Rainbow, Rainbow Centre, APSN, Yayasan MENDAKI, Al-Muttaqin Mosque, SalamSG, Rahmatan Lil 'Alamin Foundation and the One Mosque Sector.