Early childhood is a critical period that shapes long-term outcomes and well-being, yet many parents struggle to balance caregiving with work and other responsibilities. Strengthening caregiver support and equipping parents with the right tools to build positive parent–child relationships is increasingly recognised as a key strategy in promoting children’s overall well-being and development.

To understand more about sensitive caregiving and its role in children’s development, researchers from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS, A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National Institute of Education (NIE) and other international institutes began recruiting subjects for their large-scale study on 25 May 2026. They want to examine how strengthening caregiving behaviours can improve young children’s emotional, cognitive and physical health outcomes.

Asst Prof Evelyn Law, Assoc Prof Anne Rifkin‑Graboi, and Dr Christy Jiang, seated second, third, and fourth from left, and members of the LOVING team.

The LOVING (Learning about Our behaviour is Valuable for Increasing Nurturing relationships and health Growth) study is Singapore’s largest, parenting-focused, three-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 624 families with young children from median- to lower-income households. The study focuses on enhancing parental sensitivity, which is a key factor linked to children’s behavioural regulation and social and cognitive development. In addition, there is also some evidence that sensitive parenting is linked to a decrease in obesity risk.

“Through the LOVING study, we want to better understand how supporting modern parents in building responsive relationships with their children can make a real difference to their emotional well-being, learning and physical health,” said lead researcher of the LOVING study, Associate Professor Anne Rifkin‐Graboi from the Departments of Psychological Medicine & Paediatrics, NUS Medicine.

“Childhood emotional-behavioural difficulties and early obesity are rising concerns in Singapore, particularly among lower-income families. The LOVING study takes a preventive, upstream approach, focusing on caregivers rather than children, with the goal of improving developmental outcomes early in life. By examining strong local evidence, we hope to guide how programmes and policies can better support families in Singapore,” she added.

LOVING arms

Parents from the earlier stages who participated in the VIPP-SD-SingH and CARE-SD programmes shared feedback through surveys and interviews. Many of them said the sessions helped them to better understand their own behaviour and their child’s needs. They reported positive changes in their children’s behaviour and emotional well-being.

Sarah Lee and her two sons, Asher and Judah Voon. Sarah and Asher (six years old) participated in the VIPP-SD programme’s developmental phase.

Sarah Lee, a participant in the developmental phase of the VIPP-SD programme, said, “Before the programme, my husband and I would feel stressed out whenever Asher threw tantrums. We weren’t entirely sure how to handle his big emotions when they surfaced and would end up getting frustrated when he couldn’t calm down.”

“Through the programme, I learnt several helpful tips on building a stronger emotional connection with my son, such as taking the time to play with him and hugging him regularly,” added Sarah. “By doing so, I realised that Asher is more likely to turn to me when he is having a difficult time, and this helps me to understand the reasons behind his challenging behaviour. I also learnt practical ways in which I can manage particularly difficult behaviour, such as giving him space to cool down and ensuring that we end on a positive note by acknowledging what he is going through is hard for him.”

Another participant in the developmental phase of the CARE-SD programme, Nurin Qaisara, said, “Each session deepened my understanding of my child and what I can do as a parent to stay calm and support his needs. Over time, I saw a real difference—Ali became less distressed, and I learnt how to be more patient and responsive. I also appreciated the guidance from the team, which made it easier to apply what I learnt at home.”

Nurin Qaisara and her husband, Alif, along with their two children, Ali and Aisha. Nurin and Ali (four years old) participated in the CARE-SD programme’s developmental phase.

The “NeuroEducation for Parents” programme was similarly well received by parents from the earlier stages. The participants shared that it was easy for them to follow through, and many found the topics on emotions and social development especially helpful. Most parents watched the videos once or twice and tended to spend more time on the main content videos, suggesting strong interest in the material compared to quiz‐based segments.

“The findings from the LOVING study could help shape how Singapore approaches early childhood development and prevention. If these programmes are shown to be effective via rigorous research, we hope they could be scaled to reach a wider range of families in the future, including those not typically targeted by public health interventions. Combined with a cost-effectiveness analysis, the study provides a strong evidence base for policymaking. Beyond Singapore, the study will contribute valuable insights to global research on how caregiving influences children’s brain development, behaviour, and long-term health,” added Assoc Prof Rifkin-Graboi.

LOVING is currently recruiting.
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