articles catalogue
Sandwiched Families: Too Many Ways to Make a “Sandwich”?
Conceptually, there is no one definition of a “sandwiched” family, ranging from those who live together or nearby, to different kinds of support or care provided to young and old. A reasonable estimate suggests there are more than 100,000 sandwiched households in Singapore. Perhaps valuing and supporting people in their caregiving journeys may be a more constructive way forward.
- 12 March 2026
How Society Can Help Men and Boys to Flourish
“We cannot succeed as a society if either men or women or both are demoralised and floundering in life.” Cultivate SG executive director Darius Lee spoke with Dr John Hui on a podcast published on 24 August 2025, on the “The State of the Family in Singapore - and What Men Can Do”. Here is an edited extract from the podcast.
- February 9 2026
“Unfiltered – The Family on Trial” Conference 2025 – Presentation of Findings from “Marriage, Parenthood and Success” Survey
Our researcher Daniel Lim shared the findings from Cultivate’s “Marriage, Parenthood and Success” Survey at Cultivate SG's second annual conference, "Unfiltered - The Family on Trial", on 17 November 2025. Cultivate SG commissioned Pureprofile to survey 2,019 Singapore residents aged 21 and above on how societal ideals of success influence family decisions. Key results show marriage and parenthood rank low as markers of personal success compared to career and financial achievements.
- January 9 2026
Fostering Hope: A Cultivate Commune (September) update
Fostering is a temporary care arrangement for children and young persons who need a safe environment. At our Commune on 27 September, Gracehaven Fostering and foster parents Joel and Rachel gave a glimpse of the joys and challenges of fostering.
- January 5 2026
More For You
Budget 2025 (Part 2 of 3): How Do Our Values Affect Fertility Rates?
In the second article of our three-part series on the Large Families Scheme announced in Budget 2025, we look at how our values shape attitudes towards fertility rates in today’s Singapore, including what some large families have taught us and the struggles they face.
- 3 March 2025
Budget 2025 (Part 1 of 3): From “Stop at Two” to Large Families Scheme
This is the first in a three-part series on the Large Families Scheme announced in Budget 2025. In this article, we take a quick trip through history, tracing Singapore’s family planning policies from the well-known “Stop At Two” campaign, to “Have Three or More, If You Can Afford It”, and finally to the Large Families Scheme announced recently.
- 25 February 2025
“Concerted Cultivation” on Steroids? How Singaporeans’ ‘kiasu’ parenting arises from our notions of success
In child-rearing styles, sociologist Annette Lareau observed that middle-class families engage in “concerted cultivation” to develop children through organised activities, while working-class and poor families use the “accomplishment of natural growth” where children are typically free to go out and play. As Singapore progressed from Third World to First, has our society adopted a “pressure-cooker” attitude towards child-raising?
- 11 February 2025