Child adoption in Singapore

Child adoption in Singapore comes under the aegis of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

The Ministry stresses that adopting a child is a long term commitment and responsibility. Although it can be a highly rewarding, enriching and fulfilling experience for both parent and child, it is also very challenging.

The MSF urges prospective adopters to consider their decision carefully as the commitment will change one's life, the adopted child's life and one's family life.

Legal implications of adoption

Before one decides to adopt, one should understand its legal implications.

Adoption is a legal process, governed by the Adoption of Children Act (ACA), Chapter 4.

The Family Court of Singapore is the authority that decides on adoption applications.

When an adoption order is passed by the court, the child’s legal ties with the biological parents will be severed and the adoptive parents will assume all rights, obligations and responsibilities in the care and education of the child. This is in accordance with Section 7(i) of the ACA which states:

"all rights, duties, obligations and liabilities of the parent or parents, guardian or guardians of the adopted child, in relation to the future custody, maintenance and education of the adopted child, including all rights to appoint a guardian or to consent or give notice of dissent to marriage shall be extinguished, and all such rights, duties, obligations and liabilities shall vest in and be exercisable by and enforceable against the adopter as though the adopted child was a child born to the adopter in lawful wedlock, and in respect of the same matters and in respect of the liability of a child to maintain its parents the adopted child shall stand to the adopter exclusively in the position of a child born to the adopter in lawful wedlock."

Adoption criteria

Parent eligibility

Residency Status

Both spouses must be residents of Singapore to adopt, i.e. they must be Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, or holders of an Employment Pass, Dependant's Pass or any other pass which the Family Court deems as qualifying them to be residents of Singapore. This is in accordance with Section 4(6) of the Adoption of Children Act (ACA).

Age

Both spouses must be at least 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the child to be adopted.

If either spouse is under 25 years old and/or less than 21 years older than the child, the adoption may be allowed if both spouses and the child are related by blood, or if there are other special circumstances justifying the adoption. This is in accordance with Section 4(2) a(i)(ii) of the ACA.

Maximum age gap between adopter and child

Both spouses should not be more than 50 years older than the child. As an adoptive parent, one is responsible for providing education and protecting the welfare of one's adopted child until it is independent. One must ensure that one has the physical and financial means to see the child through this journey.

Marital status

Single males are not allowed to adopt a girl, unless there are special circumstances to justify the adoption. This is in accordance with Section 4(3) of the ACA. If one is married and intends to adopt alone, one must obtain the consent of one's spouse. This is in accordance with Section 4(5) of the ACA.

Home Study Report

If you wish to adopt a foreign child or a child from MSF, you are required to apply for a Home Study Report.

Pre-adoption briefing

You and your spouse should attend a compulsory pre-adoption briefing (PAB) before you apply for a home study or begin the legal proceedings on adoption. For more information, refer to pre-adoption briefing.

Endorsement from one's home country (for non-Singapore Citizens who would like to adopt a foreign child)

Applicants must obtain endorsement from their home country through their embassy or High Commission. Their country must support and recognise the adoption.

They will need to submit the following letter of support, duly completed and endorsed by the relevant authority of your country before commencing home study in Singapore. Download:

Letter of support (updated on 22 Sep 2015)

Adoption endorsement for European Union nationals

Singapore adoption orders made on or after 3 January 2014 will not be recognised automatically in these countries:

• England
• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• British nationals will not be able to adopt a child in Singapore. Please visit Gov.UK[1],[2] for more information.
• All other nationals of the European Union: before identifying a child in Singapore and starting on your adoption application, you have to submit a completed and endorsed letter of support.

Download the Letter of Support for EU nationals (PDF) issued on 1 Feb 2014:[]

Adoption of second and subsequent child

Before you consider adopting another child, you are strongly encouraged to make sure that your first adopted child has adjusted and bonded well with your family and the environment. Introducing another new member to your family too soon can cause confusion and uncertainty for your child. You may also have to deal with sibling rivalry issues.

You will be required to do a second home study report on your current circumstances. The report assesses how ready you are to parent another child and will take into account the welfare of your first adopted child, parent-child bonding and your current family circumstances. You may have to wait for at least nine months from the date you adopted your first child (as indicated in the Adoption Order) before you can register for the second report.

Child eligibility

Age

The child to be adopted must be below 21 years of age.This is in accordance with Section 3(2) of the Adoption of Children Act.

Residency status

The child must be a resident of Singapore (i.e. a Singapore Citizen, Singapore Permanent Resident or Dependant's Pass holder). A child is not regarded as a resident if the child is residing in Singapore on a visit pass, a student’s pass or a special pass. This is in accordance with Section 4(7)(a)(b) of the Adoption of Child Act.

To apply for a Dependant's Pass for a foreign child, please refer to Apply for Dependant's Pass.

Additional Criteria for children from the Peoples Republic of China

For more information, please refer to How to adopt a child from the People's Republic of China.

Adoption of child from China

Applicants are required to meet criteria set by the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) to adopt a PRC child.

For more information, applicants may wish to refer to the Adoption Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Child from social welfare institution

Applicants are required to meet the following requirements:

Marital Status

Both spouses must be a couple of one male and one female with a stable marital relationship. Both spouses should not have more than 2 ex-marriages. If either spouse had a previous marriage, the length of the spouse's current marriage must have reached 5 years.

Age

Applicants should be at least 30 years old and under 50 years old.

For adoption of children with special needs, prospective adopters must be at least 30 years old and under 55 years old.

Finances

Applicants should be financially stable. Their annual household income per capita (i.e total annual income of family divided by the number of family members) must be at least US$10,000. The value of net assets of their family should be at least US$80,000.

Health

Applicants should be physically and mentally healthy.

Nationality

At least one of the spouses must be a Singapore Citizen. The other should be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Family size

The applicant's family should not have more than 5 children.

Qualifications

Applicants must have received education of at least senior high school (equivalent to GCE ‘A’ Level) or vocational skills training (equivalent to a National ITE Certificate).

Criminal record

Applicants must not have any criminal record for offences such as child abuse, sexual offences, violent offences, and drug or alcohol abuse among others.

Training and reference letters

Both spouses are required to:

• undergo at least 12 hours of training from an accredited agency on adoption
• provide at least 3 reference letters from adult children (18 years old and above) from their marriage or teachers of their young children

Stepchild

Applicants are required to meet the following requirements:

Nationality

At least one of the spouses must be a Singapore Citizen. The other should be a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident or an Employment Pass holder.

Consent from natural parents

Applicants obtain consent from the natural parents giving up the child for adoption. If the natural parent(s) is/are deceased or missing, you must produce the death certificate(s) or make an application to the Chinese court to declare that the natural parent(s) is/are deceased.

Approval from provincial government

Applicants are to inform the biological parents of the child to seek the approval of the Civil Affairs Department of their local provincial government for the adoption.

Related child

Applicants are required to meet the following requirements:

Nationality

At least one of the spouses must be a Singapore Citizen. The other should be a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident or an Employment Pass Holder.

Consent from natural parents

Applicants must obtain consent from the natural parents giving up the child for adoption. If the natural parent(s) is/are deceased or missing, applicants must produce the death certificate(s) or make an application to the Chinese court to declare that the natural parent(s) is/are deceased.

Relationship

The child to be adopted must belong to a collateral relative by blood of the same generation and up to three degrees of kinship, such as a niece or nephew whose parent is a sibling or cousin of the applicant.

Approval from provincial government

Applicants are to inform the biological parents of the child to seek the approval of the Civil Affairs Department of their local provincial government for the adoption

See also

• Same-sex parenting in Singapore
• Child adoption by same-sex couples in Singapore
• High Court allows gay father to adopt surrogate son, December 2018

References

• "Adoption", Ministry of Social and Family Development website[3].
• Public consultation on the adoption of children in Singapore, Ministry of Social and Family Development, 22 February 2021 to 21 March 2021[4].

Acknowledgements

This article was written by Roy Tan.