Fostering in Singapore

• Provision of case management and counselling to foster children and parents, thereby promoting placement sustainability and stability 

• Trauma Informed Practice – Usage of trauma informed principles by trained social workers to help foster children deal with their emotions and help foster parents understand foster children’s behaviors better 

Platform for foster parents to network and share experiences with other foster parents facilitated by social work professionals.

Platform for foster children to share their experiences with other foster children and also for professionals to impart skills to help them cope/ manage their emotions.

• Fostering is a temporary care arrangement for children and young persons who need a safe, secure and loving home environment. These vulnerable children are fostered due to some of these reasons – abandonment, neglect and abused.

• As foster parents, you will:
  1. Provide a safe, stable and loving home to your foster child
  2. Provide positive experiences of living in a family e.g. Partaking in family activities, festivals, outings, helping with school work, meal times and other activities of daily living
  3. Help the foster child reunite with their natural family- this will be facilitated by professionals
  4. Work with professionals in matters related to your foster child

• To be a foster parent, you have to meet the following criteria:
  1. Be married and apply together as a couple
  2. Be at least 25 years old
  3. Be financially stable and medically fit to care for children
  4. Commit to provide a child-safe home environment. This includes refraining from the use of physical punishment such as caning or hitting. For foster parents caring for children below the age of 13, a child-safe environment includes having window grilles on all windows.

• As foster parents, you will be getting: 
  • Monthly allowance for child’s expenses 
  • Childcare subsidies 
  • Childcare leave (subject to employer’s approval) 
  • 24-hour telephone support by professional 
  • Social Worker to offer therapeutic counselling and case management support 

This Webinar was held on 18 July 2020 and featured speakers from PERGAS and Office of the Mufti. This webinar comprised of participants who were foster parents, interested applicants and other industry professionals. This webinar was well-received as it touched on fostering and what Islam says about fostering.

Do check out snippets of the webinar via our Youtube channel.

• Be a volunteer with us at PPIS Oasis! You can meet foster children and provide support in many different ways.

• To be a volunteer, you have to meet the following criteria:
  1. 18 years and above (21 years and above for transport minders)
  2. Enjoys interacting with children

• There are many different volunteering opportunities available:
  1. Befriending
     • To serve as a role model and a friend to foster children who require social and emotional support
  2. Tutoring/Reading
     • Provide tutoring services to foster children who needs help with their studies (English, Math, Science, Mother Tongue)
     • Provide reading services to young children to improve their literacy skills
  3. Events
     • Help in events such as foster family day and foster children’s outings
     • Various roles available including child-minding, ushering, logistics etc
  4. Volunteer Transport Minding
     • To ferry foster children for access and other appointments

Sign up at: tinyurl.com/VolunteerwithPPISOasis. If you are interested to know more, you can contact Aisyah at 89491329 or email at nuraisyah.mdnizam@ppis.sg.

Fostering in Singapore is a temporary care arrangement for children and young persons who need a safe, secure and loving home environment. While the foster children will remain the legal children of their natural parents, the end goal of fostering is to reunite foster children with their natural family.

There are many reasons as to why children need foster care in Singapore. Some reasons include abuse, neglect and abandonment.

There are various support and benefits for foster parents in Singapore. This includes monthly fostering allowances, medical benefits, respite care and childcare leave. Foster parents will also have access to training programmes and support groups to enhance their caregiving skills, and receive regular support from social workers.

The duration of foster care can range from a few months to a few years, and varies from child to child depending on the foster child’s natural family situation. As the foster children will remain the legal children of their natural parents, they will be reunited with their natural family at the end of the fostering process.

The fostering process in Singapore starts with the foster parents’ application through any of the accredited fostering agencies. Applicants need to be at least 25 years old, Singapore citizens or permanent residents, have attained at least Secondary School Education, and have a minimum household income of $2000 and per capita income of $700. Applicants will go through a series of interviews, and the process will take up to 3 months.