Preschool attended by Megan Khung to shut down after nearly 20 years
The preschool that four-year-old Megan Khung last attended before her death will shut down at the end of this year.
Beyond Social Services (BSS), the charity that runs the preschool, announced its closure in a press release dated 14 Oct, citing declining enrolment.
Source: Google Maps
Preschool had just 14 children enrolled in 2024
The Healthy Start Child Development Centre (HSCDC) at Bukit Merah View had just 14 children enrolled in 2024, BSS said.
This had gradually declined from more than 50 children in 2018.
Referrals had also tapered off as families relocated due to housing redevelopment, BSS added.
Source: Google Maps
More affordable & accessible preschools now available to families: BSS
BSS said the early childhood landscape in Bukit Merah and across Singapore had “changed significantly”.
While HSCDC used to serve families needing more affordable and accessible preschools, more options are now available to them, it added.
However, the problem of irregular preschool attendance persists — which is a “family-level barrier” that cannot purely be solved by a centre-based model like HSCDC.
According to a 2024 Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) report, only 26% of families under ComLink+ — a scheme launched in 2023 for low-income families with children — achieved an average monthly attendance rate of 75% or higher.
This is despite 85% of these families enrolling all their children aged three to six in preschools, BSS noted.
HSCDC offered affordable education for low-income families
HSCDC was set up after a community survey in Henderson and Bukit Merah showed that children from 104 children from low-income households were at risk due to challenging circumstances.
These included inadequate childcare, parents in jail, or leaving school early.
HSCDC offered these families early childhood education and nutrition at only a nominal fee, with no child ever turned away because of an inability to meet school fees.
Source: Google Maps
It had a capacity for nine infants and 54 children, and helped children from hundreds of families over nearly two decades, BSS said.
Preschool contacted various agencies after Megan Khung disappeared
Megan was one of the children enrolled at HSCDC from May 2017 until 5 Sept 2019, after which she never returned, according to a report by an independent review panel on her case.
Her mother emailed HSCDC on 17 Sept 2019 to withdraw her from the preschool.
As teachers had observed bruises on Megan’s body on 19 Mar 2019, BSS were concerned for her safety, especially since her mother had become uncontactable and they did not know where the girl was.
Source: @simonboyyyyyyy on Instagram
MSF said HSCDC report was not adequate
For weeks after Megan’s disappearance, BSS contacted various agencies, including the Child Protective Service (CPS), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), and the police.
However, in a statement in April this year, MSF said HSCDC’s report “did not fully describe the severity” of Megan’s injuries, resulting in “inadequate interventions” by the relevant agencies.
The full picture was revealed in the independent review panel’s report released last month, which noted that BSS had called CPS twice, but the calls were not logged. BSS had also called and emailed ECDA.
CPS and ECDA had also said that Megan’s grandmother should make a police report, when it is actually not necessary for a family member to make a police report.
No intention to point fingers at BSS: Desmond Lee
In Parliament on Wednesday (5 Nov), Mr Cai Yinzhou, an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, brought up the initial media reporting on Megan’s case, saying that it “pinned the blame” on BSS.
In response, Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said there was no intention to “point fingers”.
Source: MDDI Singapore on YouTube
However, an apology was extended to BSS, as well as the other relevant agencies, “to the extent that there was a misunderstanding that there was finger-pointing”, added Mr Lee, who is also Education Minister.
He also maintained:
It was not the intention, but if that was perceived, we have apologised as well.
BSS not saying goodbye to children & families
Dr Mary George, Chairman of HSCDC’s Management Committee, said HSCDC is not “saying goodbye” to the children or their families when it closes.
BSS will reinvest its resources into community-rooted support to complement existing preschool services, it said.
It has already begun engaging HSCDC’s parents and caregivers to co-create the next phase of its work, in order to find “solutions that are sustainable and can benefit more families”.
A “focused pilot” involving about ten families will begin in early 2026, BSS added.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and @simonboyyyyyyy on Instagram.Â
