How to Become a Foster Parent in Singapore: Step-by-Step

Most people who want to foster in Singapore have no idea where to actually start. The MSF website tells you the eligibility criteria. The agency websites tell you fostering changes lives. Neither tells you what happens in the 10 to 14 weeks between submitting your application and receiving an approval decision — or what the social worker is actually looking for when she sits in your living room for three hours.

Here is an honest walkthrough of the process.

Who Is Eligible

In July 2024, MSF made a significant policy change: the minimum household income and educational qualification requirements were removed. What remains is a relatively short list of core criteria.

You must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident residing in Singapore. You must be at least 25 years old. Married couples apply together as a unit. Singles may be considered, but only in specific and rare circumstances — the system strongly prefers a dual-parent environment. All household members, including any existing children, domestic helpers, and tenants, must be assessed as part of the application.

Foreign nationals such as Employment Pass holders can technically apply, but in practice they are expected to demonstrate that they can commit to staying in Singapore for at least three continuous years, since placement stability is a core MSF concern.

One firm requirement that catches people off-guard: no physical punishment. Applicants must commit in writing to not caning or hitting the child in their care, regardless of cultural norms around discipline.

Step 1: Apply Through the SG Cares Portal

Since August 2024, all foster parent applications are submitted through the SG Cares Volunteer Portal at go.gov.sg. You will need Singpass login for both the primary applicant and the co-applicant if you are applying as a couple.

Documents you will need to upload include your NRIC, recent bank statements (income is no longer a bar, but financial stability is still assessed), and educational certificates if you have them. You will also indicate your preferences at this stage — the age range and gender of children you feel you could care for, and whether you are open to children with special or medical needs.

Your application is then routed to one of the five MSF-appointed Fostering Agencies (FCAs) for initial review. If you have a preference for a specific agency based on its religious affiliation or specialisation, you can note this.

Step 2: Information Session

Before the formal assessment begins, you will be invited to an information session run by your assigned agency. This is different from a sales pitch — it is a substantive briefing on what fostering involves, the children in the system, the likely placement challenges, and the ongoing relationship with your Foster Care Worker.

Attending this session is mandatory. It also gives you an early sense of the agency's culture and whether it feels like a good fit.

Step 3: The Home Development Assessment

The HDA is the centrepiece of the application. It is conducted by a social worker from your FCA and typically involves multiple sessions — often two to three separate interviews spanning two to three months in total.

The assessment covers several domains. Your personal history: how you were raised, how you were disciplined, what challenges you faced as a child and how you navigated them. Your relationship: how you and your partner handle disagreement and stress, what your support network looks like, whether extended family members are supportive of fostering. Your motivations: why you want to foster, how you understand the difference between fostering and adoption, and critically — how you feel about a child eventually returning to their birth family.

All household members will be interviewed, including children. The social worker wants to know that everyone in the home, not just the primary applicants, is genuinely on board.

A criminal record check against police force records is conducted. All applicants undergo a medical screening to ensure there are no health conditions that would impair consistent caregiving.

Step 4: Home Safety Inspection

A physical inspection of your home is part of the HDA process. Inspectors are looking at space, hygiene, and specific safety features. The most commonly cited requirement: window grilles must be fitted on all windows if you are applying to care for children under 13. This is a hard requirement, not a discretionary one.

Other checks include locked or secured medicine cabinets, safe storage of sharp objects, no exposed wiring, and that the child will have a dedicated bed and personal space — even if sharing a room with a same-sex sibling.

Step 5: MSF Fostering Panel Approval

After the assessment is complete, your FCA social worker prepares a comprehensive report and submits it to the MSF Fostering Panel, which makes the final approval decision. MSF, not the agency, has ultimate authority over who is approved.

Step 6: Pre-Service Training

Approval is not the end of the preparation. Before a child is placed with you, you must complete mandatory pre-service training covering trauma-informed care, attachment theory, managing grief and loss, navigating birth family access visits, and cultural sensitivity. This is delivered by the Social Service Institute (SSI) or the agencies themselves.

Only after training is complete are you eligible for matching.

What the Timeline Looks Like

From initial application submission to first placement, most families should expect four to six months. The assessment phase alone typically takes two to three months. Training adds another few weeks. Matching — finding the right child for your household — adds additional time depending on the pool of children who need placement.

The full process — including what questions to expect in the HDA, how to prepare your home before inspection, and what the Letter of Identity actually authorises you to do — is covered in detail in the Singapore Foster Care Guide.

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