Foster Care: How Do I Become a Foster Parent in Singapore?

According to the latest reported statistics, there were 596 foster families in Singapore in 2022 and as of December 2022, there were 540 children in foster care.

What is foster care, and what does fostering entail? Read this article to learn more.

What is Foster Care?

Foster care is a temporary care arrangement between a foster parent and a foster child under the age of 18. It aims to provide the child a stable family life, by having the child move into the foster parents’ home.

The goal of foster care is to eventually reunite the child with their natural parents once their birth parents are assessed to be able to resume care for them. To do so, foster parents are expected to encourage and facilitate meetings between the child and their natural parents, during the period of foster care.

In Singapore, the fostering scheme is administered and falls under the purview of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

Why Might Children be Placed Under Foster Care?

Children may be under foster care for the following reasons:

• They have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
• Their parents are unable to care for them due to:
  • Imprisonment;
  • Physical or mental illness; or
  • Death of one or both parents.

What is the Difference Between Foster Care and Adoption?

Foster care is a temporary arrangement and foster parents do not become the legal parents of their foster child. Instead, the child’s natural parents remain their legal parents. Foster parents do not have legal, parental rights over the child either.

On the other hand, adoption is a legal process where an adoptive parent assumes the rights of the child’s natural parents. The adoptive parents become the legal parents of the child.

Adoption is the only process that permanently severs the relationship between the natural parents and their child and, simultaneously replaces it with a relationship between the adoptive parents and the child.

What is the Difference Between Foster Care and Legal Guardianship?

A legal guardian, who may be a natural parent or a non-parent, is a person entrusted by a court order to have custody over the child. The legal guardian would have the power to make decisions on behalf of the child.

On the other hand, foster parents do not have custody over their foster child. Foster parents only assume the responsibilities in caring for the child (see below), as they would for their own children.

Hence, unlike legal guardians, foster parents do not have the legal right to make decisions on behalf of the child.

What is the Eligibility Criteria to Become a Foster Parent in Singapore?

There are several guidelines to becoming a foster parent:

1. You must be a Singapore resident.
2. You must be at least 25 years old and married.
3. You must be medically fit to care for children and are willing to undergo medical screening.
4. You must be financial stable (i.e., you must also have a minimum monthly household income of S$2,000 and a per capita income of at least S$700. Those who are retired can be financially assessed based on non-work sources of income and savings).
5. You are committed to providing a child-safe home environment for the foster child – this would include refraining from the use of physical punishment (e.g., caning or hitting). For foster parents caring for children below the age of 13, this would also include having window grilles on all windows.

To help determine your eligibility, you can try the eligibility checklist here.

Do note that expatriates and foreigners can also apply to be foster parents. However, to minimise disruption to a child’s stay with the foster family as much as possible, expatriates/ foreigners who apply to be a foster parent should be committed to remain in Singapore for the next 3 years.

Can LGBT/transgender couples apply to be foster parents?

Homosexual couples

Currently, homosexual couples cannot apply to be foster parents as same-sex marriages are currently not legally recognised in Singapore.

Transgender couples

If you have undergone a sex re-assignment procedure, your new gender reflected on your identity card must be the opposite gender of your partner at the time of solemnisation.

For example, if the gender on your updated identity card states “female”, the gender on your partner’s identity card must state “male”. Only then will your marriage be deemed valid, and you and your spouse can apply to be foster parents.

Becoming a Foster Parent

The application process

1) Submit your application

First, you will need to create an SG Cares account here, and then follow the user guide to complete your application in SG Cares.

You will be contacted by MSF within 3 working days of receiving your application.

2) Assessment by MSF or an MSF-appointed agency

If you meet the criteria, an interview will be conducted by MSF or an MSF-appointed agency.

Besides interviewing you and your spouse, the appointed assessor will speak to all household members, including your domestic helper and tenant(s) (if any), to ensure that everyone in the household is open and supportive of fostering.

Assessors will also conduct a visit to your home to check for home safety features, such as the installation of window grilles (if you would like to care for a child below 13 years old).

You will also have to undergo a basic medical screening to ensure that you and your spouse are physically fit to care for the foster child.

3)  Outcome

After the assessments are completed, your application will be evaluated by MSF and you will be informed of the outcome. The process typically takes around 3 months, from application to outcome.

4)  Training Sessions

Once your application has been approved, you and your spouse will officially become foster parents.

You and your spouse will be required to attend the mandatory foundation and intermediate training courses to equip you with the skills that will help you better support the foster child.

5) Placement of Child with Foster Family

If a suitable match between your family and a child in need of foster care is found, you will be contacted by MSF and provided with key information regarding the child’s background and needs. You can then discuss with your family and decide whether you are able to care for the child.

What Support is Available for Foster Parents?

Financial support

You may receive financial assistance from MSF to defray the costs of supporting a foster child. These include:

• Fostering Allowance: A monthly allowance of $1,100 is provided for every foster child under your care. For a foster child with special needs, the allowance is $1,500 a month. The allowance can go towards the expenses of caring for the foster child, such as for food, clothing, education, tuition, transport.
• Childcare Subsidies: After subsidies and Infant Care/Child Care Subsidies and Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA), foster parents can pay a flat monthly co-payment of:a. $200 for full-day infant care and childcare
  b. $150 for half-day infant care and childcareThis applies generally to Anchor Operator and Partner Operator run childcare centres.
• Student Care Subsidies – A flat, monthly co-payment of $80 at MSF-registered student care centres. The fostering allowance is sized to cover the co-payment.
• Medical Subsidies – Healthcare subsidies cover medical treatment at public healthcare institutions (polyclinics, public hospitals and public specialty centres). Foster children also receive subsidies at participating CHAS General Practitioners and dental clinics.

Support from a Foster Care Worker

Every foster parent will have a foster care work attached to them to provide guidance and support. The officer will maintain contact with you and your foster child through regular phone calls and home visits.

Where needed, other professionals such as psychologists, counsellors, medical and educational professionals, may also be brought in to support the child.

Training Courses by Social Service Institute

As mentioned earlier, new foster parents are required to complete foundation and intermediate training courses, designed to equip them with basic knowledge and skills, such as understanding the role of a foster parent and the trauma that foster children may have gone through. The curriculum for the foundation training course include:

• Foster Care in Context
• Bonding and Attachment
• Grief and Loss
• Abuse and Trauma
• Identity and Birth Family Contact (Access)
• Managing Challenging Situations
• Teamwork
• Managing Closure

Besides the foundation and intermediate training courses, there are also specialised courses such as Positive Parenting Programme and elective courses that foster parents can sign up for. Elective courses teach additional skills in areas such as parenting teenagers, working with birth parents and achieving cyber-wellness.

Do note that these trainings are usually held on Saturday mornings.

Emergency Hotline

In case of emergency, foster parents can obtain immediate support via an emergency hotline that is available 24/7.

Support Groups

Some foster parents have set-up support groups which provide an avenue for fellow foster parents to share their experiences and best practices with one another, as well as offer emotional support and encouragement.

Respite Care

Foster parents who are unable to care for their foster child for brief periods of time (e.g. when on overseas trips) may request for respite care from another foster parent during that period.

Are foster parents entitled to childcare leave?

Foster parents enjoy childcare leave benefits, just as birth parents do under the Child Development Co-Savings Act and Employment Act. Foster parents who work can utilise the leave to care for their foster child, for example to take them to a doctor when they are ill.

Ending the Foster Care Arrangement

For how long can I be the child’s foster parent?

Your duration as a foster parent will vary depending on your foster child. This is because the ultimate aim is for foster children to return to their birth families once the families are assessed to be able to resume care for them.

When the relevant agencies have assessed the stability of the child’s natural family’s situation and deem it suitable for the child to return to and develop in, you will have to be committed and prepared to facilitate reintegration for the child to return home to their birth parents.

Can I remain in contact with my foster child?

As long as the natural family is agreeable to it, you may be able to remain in contact with your foster child. The method of contact varies from case to case.

Face-to-face meet-ups or phone calls are possible, depending on the arrangement between the foster parents and natural parents.

Can I adopt my foster child?

Generally, you are not allowed to adopt your foster child. However, there have been instances where foster parents have legally adopted the foster child.

For example, where the foster child is abused after being returned to his/her natural parents, or the child’s parents cannot be found, foster parents may be able to adopt their foster child if this is in the child’s best interests.

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While fostering is a temporary care arrangement, it nevertheless plays an important role in providing children in need with a safe and stable family environment. This can go a long way in ensuring these children are able to grow healthily and fulfil their potential.

If you are interested in learning more about fostering, visit MSF’s website here for more information.