Chairman and Members of the Committee on Fostering
Our Partners from Fostering Agencies and Children’s Homes
Our Foster Families and Volunteers
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
1. A very good morning to all.
2. I am glad to see so many of you who are keen to learn more about the important role of fostering. Your presence is a testament to our community’s growing awareness and support for fostering.
Important Role of Foster Parents as Pillar of Support
3. Every child deserves a safe and stable family environment to grow and to thrive in. For children who have experienced abuse or neglect, the need for trusted adults in their lives is even more crucial. Foster parents play a critical role in providing refuge and love, allowing our foster children to reach their full potential.
4. Let me express my deepest gratitude to all our foster parents. You are not just caregivers; you are mentors and role models. Above all, you are a pillar of support and beacon of light for these children in need of care and protection. This is why we have dedicated 2024 as the Year of Celebrating Volunteers. We appreciate and celebrate volunteers like you, our foster parents, who tirelessly contribute your time and effort to build a better world for our children.
Encouraging More Couples to Step Forward
5. Fostering, like every parenting journey, is not an easy task. However, many foster families have shared that it is a deeply rewarding and meaningful experience.
6. I am encouraged to see more couples stepping forward to become foster parents. In 2023, MSF had 614 registered foster families. I hope that many more families will step forward to offer hope and support for our children.
7. Later, our foster parents will also be sharing their inspiring stories. Mr Goh Jio Young and Mdm Tay Jin Li, and Mr Abdul Malik Bin Mohd Musthapa and Mdm Nur Khairina Bte Amri. These two couples have dedicated years of their lives to fostering children and have provided them a nurturing environment to grow up in. I thank them for supporting our foster children.
8. We will also hear from one of our former foster youth, Hunter. Hunter, who is 21 years old, has recently completed his National Service and is waiting to enter university later this month. Hunter has been in the care of his foster parents since he was an infant and still lives with them today. Hunter’s foster family played a pivotal role in shaping his values and molding him into the young man he is now. I Iook forward to hearing more from Hunter later.
Supporting Out-Of-Care Youths in their Transition to Independent Living
9. Even as we bring more foster parents onboard, reunifying these children with their families remains the key priority for MSF.
10. However, reunification may not be possible for a small number of youths residing with foster families and in Children’s Homes. For example, their parents may be deceased, mentally incapacitated, or in long-term incarceration. These youths may face challenges in navigating life after leaving the care of foster families and Children’s Homes. Faced with the pressure to support themselves financially after leaving foster care or Children’s Homes, these youths may choose to work at the expense of completing their studies and undermine their potential employment potential.
Aftercare Enhanced to Better Support Youths Leaving Foster Care or Children’s Homes
11. MSF recognises that youths making the transition from out-of-home care into independent living, need additional support to secure housing, complete their education, and gain meaningful employment. I am therefore very happy to announce that, with effect from 1 July 2024, MSF has enhanced the aftercare support for youths aged 17 to 21, for whom reunification with their family is not possible.
12. The enhanced aftercare support provides our youths with casework support as well as financial assistance to ease them into independent living.
13. MSF will provide financial support to these youths through ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) while they study, undergo training or internships, or serve National Service. The financial support will be tailored to each youth’s needs to cover basic living and housing expenses while they pursue higher education. With this additional support, we hope that our youths can better focus on their studies or training, without having to worry about meeting their essential needs. ComCare support and subsidies for disability services will also be provided to youths with disabilities who continue to live with their previous foster parents, even after they have left out-of-home care.
14. For a start, three Children’s Homes: namely Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, Melrose Home and the Singapore Boys’ Hostel, will offer the enhanced aftercare support, while the rest of our partners will be progressively onboarded over the next two years.
15. A youth who will benefit from the enhanced aftercare support is Ben (not his real name). Ben was a resident of Melrose Home. Melrose Home has been supporting Ben with casework, housing support, and pocket money while he pursued his ITE studies under the Melrose Independent Living Programme. Ben is now serving National Service and is keen to further his studies. With the enhanced aftercare support, Ben will be able to receive ComCare SMTA financial assistance in addition to casework support, until the completion of his first university degree. We wish Ben all the best.
Conclusion
16. MSF is committed to improving the lives of children in-care. We want to support these youths to fulfill their aspirations, maximise their potential and progress in life. They are hopeful about their future and want to pursue their dreams and make progress. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and I am heartened by the collaborative efforts of our partners in supporting our children.
17. To our Fostering Agencies and Children’s Homes, you have played an instrumental role in improving the lives of these children. Thank you for your unwavering dedication as well as partnership with MSF to ensure that every child receives the care and support they deserve.
18. To our partners, TOUCH Community Services, Focus on the Family Singapore, and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, thank you for your invaluable partnership and for supporting us with your presence at today’s Fostering Open House.
19. For everyone keen to learn more about fostering, I believe you will find the panel discussion and first-hand sharing by our foster parents and former foster youth most insightful. I urge you to sign up as foster parents. You do not need to be extraordinary, or a superhero to foster and make a difference in the lives of young ones. You just need to open your hearts and homes to make a difference, to bring hope and joy to these children, and I know there are many more big-hearted couples out there, ready to embrace this very meaningful mission.
20. So I urge everyone, partners, foster parents, potential foster parents: let’s all work together to create a brighter future for our children. Thank you and I wish you an eventful session ahead.