The words we use say a lot about how we really think and feel. Words can either hurt or heal. The conscious and consistent use of positive adoption language conveys our values and affirms birth parents, adopted children and adoptive parents in the conviction that adoption is a valid way to build a family. Therefore, it is important to use…
Eligible adoptive mothers, including those who are self-employed, are entitled to 12 weeks of paid adoption leave to bond with and care for their adopted infants. Eligibility As the mother of an adopted child, you are entitled to adoption leave if you meet the following criteria: Your adopted child is below the age of 12 months at the point of…
While most parents do not get to choose their children, the Lims could have done so before adopting each of their four children. But they chose not to choose. They told the agent: Let us adopt any baby who needs a home. “We couldn’t bear the thought of any child being abandoned a second time just because we chose someone…
When you announce you’re pregnant, people usually react with excitement and want to know the details: When? Do you know the gender? What’s the name? But when you tell them you’re going to adopt, the reaction can be quite different. While the majority are thrilled – sometimes to the point of instant tears – there are some who react differently… with…
Foreigners who meet the requirements can legalize their adoptions in Singapore. They need to obtain a HSR in Singapore to be able to adopt a non-Singaporean child. Letters of support from the Embassy are needed for you to apply for a HSR. Your country must support and recognize the adoption. Basically, once foreign adoption is completed in Singapore, your country…
Can a single person adopt a child in Singapore? Yes, singles go through the same child adoption process as couples. But the HSR processing time for singles can be longer than that for couples. However, if you fulfill all the requirements, you should be able to obtain the HSR and adopt. Once the HSR is approved, there should be no…
Singaporean couples can adopt babies from Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia. If you are adopting a Singaporean child, there is no need to do a Home Study report. But Singaporean child is hard to come by, that’s why most Singaporean couples adopt a child from another country. The followings summarize the adoption steps for Singaporean couples: how to adopt a foreign child:
#1: Sign up for the compulsory Pre-adoption briefing workshop
If you have any uncertainty about adopting, this workshop will help you to better understand what to expect in an adoption, your responsibilities as adoptive parents and the needs of an adopted child. It also gives you an understanding on the procedures and timeline of the adoption process, so you can make a plan for your adoption journey, so that it suits your work and family commitments.
Pre-adoption Briefing is a 2.5 hour workshop that is conducted by any of 4 family service centers accredited by MSF. You can register for a workshop at the following website:
Sign up via this link: https://app.adoption.gov.sg/WorkshopPARegistration.aspx
Once you have attended the workshop and have decided to proceed, you are ready for the next step.
#2: Apply for Home Study
Home Study is a compulsory study required by MSF (Ministry of Social and Family Development). They are carried out by one of the accredited agencies of your choice:
– Touch Family Services
– Lutheran Community Care
– Fei Yue Community Services
– Apkim Centre for Social Services
Each agency has their own waiting period according to the amount of cases they have on hand. You should call each agency to ask if they are having a long queue. So far, our customers who did their HSRs with Lutheran Community Care seem to have the shortest waiting time.
You can submit your online application via this link: https://app.adoption.gov.sg/ApplyForHomeStudy.aspx
#4: Submit hardcopy documents to agency
There is a checklist of documents you will need to prepare at the end of the form. Print out the checklist and be sure to get them ready. Once ready, submit the hardcopy of all the documents to the agency, and await your first interview. There is a long list of documents that you have to submit, and having the complete set of documents during your first submission will significantly reduce the processing time, as most redundant time is spent going back and forth for the missing documents.
#5: Start of Home Study
The Home Study is done over a period of about five weeks from the day the first interview starts. The first interview is typically an office interview with someone from the agency. It will usually take an entire day so do keep the day free.
There’s a payment of $1,500 and this amount may vary according to the agency.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said that it will consider if the relevant law on adoption should be amended, following a landmark decision by the High Court on Monday (17 December) to allow a gay Singaporean man to adopt his biological son. “MSF respects the Court’s decision. We will study the grounds of decision carefully, and consider…
SINGAPORE — Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee reiterated the Government’s policy against the formation of same-sex family units, saying it may be harder in future for gay couples seeking to adopt a child to “argue that they did not intentionally set out” to violate this policy. This is particularly so now that a landmark judgment has been published by the High Court earlier…
This woman was adopted at birth and wrote a plea in our magazine asking readers to help find her biological mother and her long-lost niece reached out to us. 06 Jan 2017 by Yanni Tan PHOTOGRAPH: Hayati Jantan In Simply Her’s June 2006 issue, Hayati Jantan, a Chinese woman who was adopted as a two-week-old baby to a Malay couple…