Debated in Parliament on 10 Jan 2022.
Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of the lack of data on parental alienation due to the lack of a specific definition or classification of parental alienation (a) whether the Ministry tracks how widespread this issue is; (b) if so, how; and (c) what are the avenues for parents who feel that they are victims of parental alienation to seek assistance.
MSF does not track the incidence or prevalence of parental alienation due to the lack of a specific definition or classification.
Parents who believe that they are victims of parental alienation are encouraged to seek counselling or mediation to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable solution. If such methods fail, parents may consider legal recourse. If there is an existing Court order on child access, they may seek legal advice on available options if the order has been breached. If there is no existing Court order, they may apply for interim child access.
In either case, the Court may also order the child to attend the Supervised Exchange or Supervised Visitation Programme at an appointed Strengthening Families Programme @ Family Service Centre, or FAM@FSC. The programme facilitates families to work towards independent child access through effective co-parenting.
Parents who require support can approach the FAM@FSCs or the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies. These agencies provide counselling services and programmes for divorcing and divorced families, including programmes on co-parenting, in the best interests of their children.
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