Supporting Families Through Marriage, Parenthood & Early Childhood

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 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.

To strengthen support for couples and families, ROMM will enhance the Bersamamu ecosystem through several initiatives from June 2026. These include:

• Additional face-to-face sessions post-solemnisation for selected couples who may benefit from closer guidance and support;

• The deployment of Family Development Officers at four lead mosques namely Al-Falah Mosque, Al-Khair Mosque, Darul Ghufran Mosque, and An-Nur Mosque to provide more accessible support and referrals for couples and families; and

• The integration of ARIF (Achieving Resilient & Inspiring Families) as a permanent component of the Bersamamu ecosystem.

These enhancements aim to broaden the continuum of care from marriage to parenthood, ensuring that couples receive timely support at key milestones in their family journey and are equipped with the resources needed to build strong and resilient marriages.

More than 36,000 couples have benefited from the Bersamamu programme since its launch in 2019.

Click here ↗ (opens in new tab) to find out more about the Muslim Marriage Process.

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

Piloted in 2020, and supported by Temasek Foundation, 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 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, ARIF has benefitted more than 5000 couples.

From June 2026, ARIF joins AMP Singapore as a permanent component of the expanded Bersamamu ecosystem. Together, they will collaborate closely with Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), ROMM, MUIS, KKH, mosques across Singapore and other key partners to curate a suite of programmes and services for Muslim couples at every stage of their journey. These may include marriage enrichment workshops, family planning and parenting support, financial literacy programmes as well as counselling and mental wellness services — all designed to strengthen marriages and build resilient Muslim families within the community.

Click here ↗ (opens in new tab) to find out more about ARIF.

Empower parents, with children aged 16 and below, to play an active role in supporting their children’s learning journey and strengthen the home learning environment.

The programme will consist of

• RSL Parenting Festival

• RSL Maths Explorer

• RSL Language Explorer

RSL Parenting Festival

The RSL Parenting Festival will support parents in nurturing their children’s learning and development at home. Through practical and play-based learning tips, parents will gain confidence and access to interactive workshops, hands-on activities and supportive tools and resources — all in one place.

RSL Maths Explorer

RSL Maths Explorer previously known as KelasMateMatika (KMM), empowers parents to support our children’s learning journey, beginning with Maths. Designed for parents with preschool children aged 4 to 6 years old, the programme encourages bonding and discovering the fun world of numbers, colours, shapes and sizes—guided by qualified facilitators.

RSL Maths Explorer has proven effective in helping our pre-school children prepare for Primary 1. Studies have shown 9 in 10 children who attended the programme do not need Learning Support Programme for Mathematics (LSM) at Primary 1.

RSL Maths Explorer is a flagship programme under Focus Area 1 by M³ – MENDAKI, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council (MESRA).

RSL Language Explorer

RSL Language Explorer is a reading programme that supports parents in building their child’s early language skills through meaningful reading experiences. 

Through interactive parent-child workshops, monthly book delivery subscriptions, and simple monthly challenges, parents will learn practical strategies to make reading more enjoyable, engaging, and part of everyday routines at home. 

The programme is designed for families with children aged 0 to 6 years old. It aims to help parents feel more confident in supporting their child’s language development, while nurturing a love for books and building positive reading habits from an early age. 

RSL Kit

RSL Kit will also be available to help families navigate available resources, understand developmental milestones and access timely assistance from MENDAKI and our partners. The RSL Kit will contain several resources to guide parents at different stages of their children’s development.

Click here ↗ (opens in new tab) to find out more about RSL.

KidSTART is a non-profit organisation specialising in supporting families in early childhood development.
We empower lower-income families from pregnancy to age six, providing antenatal care and personalised one-on-one postnatal support to give children a good start in life. Our specialist team partners the government, hospitals, and the community to uplift families in creating a nurturing home environment for their child’s learning and development.

 We invite you to join KidSTART if you are:

• A pregnant mother or have a Singapore Citizen child aged 6 and below; and

• Your gross monthly household income is $2,500 and below, or per capita income is $650 and below. 

Find out more about KidSTART here ↗ (opens in new tab). If you wish to sign-up as a KidSTART family, you may do so through the following link ↗ (opens in new tab).