Understanding The Fostering Process In Singapore

Understanding The Fostering Process In Singapore

Being a parent is the most fulfilling role you can play! After all, the parent-child relationship is a unique bond that lays a crucial foundation for the child’s future. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, not every child is able to experience a parent’s love. Thankfully, the fostering process in Singapore can open the doors of equal opportunity for these children.

What is foster care?

Foster care, adoption, and legal guardianship – despite certain similarities, each term encompasses different things. Unlike the latter two processes, fostering is a temporary arrangement. It aims to provide a foster child under the age of 18 with a stable family life by having the child move into their foster parents’ home.

Whatever reasons that may contribute to the child being in foster care, the goal of the fostering programme is to reunite the child with their natural parents. As such, foster parents are not legal parents or guardians of their foster child. They only assume the responsibilities of caring for the child, but they do not have custody or legal parental rights over the child.

This is in stark contrast to adoption or legal guardianship. In the former’s case, adoptive parents can assume the rights of the child’s birth parents through adoption, thereby becoming the legal parents of the child in the eyes of the law.

Conversely, a legal guardian is entrusted by the law to have custody of the child. This person need not be the birth parent of the child. Despite this, they still have the power to make decisions on behalf of the child, as a natural parent would.

What are the eligibility criteria to become a foster parent?

Every child deserves a safe and caring home! If you feel the same way, you should consider fostering a child in Singapore. Let us share the specific criteria you need to fulfil to become a foster parent:

1. You must be a Singapore resident;

    

2. You must be married and at least 25 years old;

    

3. You must be medically fit to take care of the child;

    

4. You must have a per capita income of at least $700 and a minimum monthly household income of $2000;

    

5. You must provide the child with a safe and secure home environment;

    

6. You should have at least a secondary school education;

    

7. You should exhibit strong parenting skills and/or have prior experience caring for and living with children;

    

8. You need to be open to working with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and its associated partners for the child’s best interest.

What is the application process like?

At PPIS Oasis, we are one of several fostering agencies appointed by MSF. If you fulfil the aforementioned criteria, we strongly encourage you to become a foster parent through our initiative. Interested families and individuals are welcome to reach out to us to join our team of foster parents today!

After indicating your interest in becoming a foster parent, your application will generally take around three days to be processed. Subsequently, you will receive a phone call from the MSF Fostering Scheme division to confirm that you met all the relevant criteria. After the call, your application will be assessed to determine your suitability for the role.

If you are suited to be a foster parent, MSF or an appointed agency, like PPIS Oasis, will schedule a face-to-face interview with you to get to know you better. The interview will typically be conducted at your home. This way, the assessor can inspect your home to determine if it is safe for the child. Additionally, you have to undergo a basic medical screening to ensure that you are physically fit to care for the foster child.

What happens afterwards?

Once the interview is completed and your medical report is submitted, your application will be presented to a panel at MSF for a final assessment. This process usually takes around two to three months. Afterwards, you will be informed of the outcome. If your application is approved, congratulations! You are now a foster parent.

While you cannot choose your foster child, you can indicate your preferred age and gender in the application form. We will do our best to pair you with a suitable foster child. But if you have no preference, our assessors will pair you with a child whom you are best suited to care for based on your experience, comfort level, and the assessment of your home.

It is a child’s blessing to receive parental love. And you can provide a child with this simple bliss by fostering a child in Singapore. Of course, we understand that some might be feeling a little apprehensive about taking on this commitment. After all, it takes a village to raise a child. However, rest assured that you will be provided with the help you need to become a foster parent.

Before being placed with a foster child, you will undergo a training and induction programme to prepare you for the role. A foster care officer will also be in regular contact with you to provide guidance and support. Additionally, you will receive a monthly allowance to cover the child’s needs, as well as childcare and medical subsidies.

At PPIS Oasis, we strive to provide our foster children with a safe and stable home for them to thrive! Our team aims to facilitate this by helping foster families develop a healing and healthy relationship with their foster children. If you are interested to learn more about the fostering scheme and the volunteering opportunities available to you, do not hesitate to contact us today or visit us at www.ppis.sg/oasis to learn more about our services!