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Opening Remarks by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Mr Goh Pei Ming at Fostering Open House 2025

Type: Official Speeches: Goh Pei Ming

Topic(s): Children & Families, Rehabilitation, Residential & Shelter Support

Published on 23 August 2025

Chairman and Members of the Committee on Fostering
Partners from Fostering Agencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

  1. Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Fostering Open House 2025. I’m heartened to see all of you here today. A warm welcome to our existing foster families and volunteers, as well as those who are exploring fostering.

Transforming Lives Through Fostering

  1. All of us are here as we share the same belief that every child deserves to grow up in a loving environment that nurtures and develops them. More so, for the children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Our foster parents play a critical role in providing a safe and stable home environment for these children.
  2. Beyond welcoming children into their homes and attending to their daily needs, our foster parents have opened their hearts to give these children the opportunity to experience love, security, and the emotional support they need to heal, and to grow. This impact goes beyond the child, touching the families and volunteers who open their lives to them, and inspires all of us. With each child who thrives, our communities and our society become stronger, more resilient, and compassionate.
  3. I’d like to share one story from Pauline, who is here with us today.
    • Pauline entered foster care at the age of 16 in 2018. She was cared for by Mdm Irene Leow and Mr Jason Gwee, who supported her in pursuing her studies and her creative expressions.
    • At first, it wasn’t easy for Irene and Jason to build a relationship with Pauline, as she was afraid of forming connections with strangers at the start. But through their patience, understanding and consistent support, Pauline gradually grew and rebuilt her confidence. She found a family and a home with them, and was able to heal and to dream again.
    • Today, Pauline is a confident young adult, well-loved by her family and peers. She is currently pursuing a degree in accounting and is an active dancer in her free time. I hope their sharing later will inspire more people to join us in this journey.
  4. To all our foster families and volunteers here today, thank you for stepping forward and opening your hearts and homes. Your commitment to making a lasting difference in young lives is truly inspiring. Being a foster parent can be challenging. It can be difficult. But the rewards when you see a child grow up, become more confident, regain a sense  of worth, be seen, be valued, and to make progress, I think that journey, that process, that reward, is immeasurable.

Families Fostering Teenagers Get More Support

  1. Today, I’d like to talk about fostering teenagers. Children who have experienced trauma often have higher social and emotional needs. This can be even more pronounced for teenagers, who are going through a more complex and formative stage of life.
  2. We want to increase the number of foster families caring for teens. As of December 2024, about 130 teenagers aged 13 and above were in foster care. Yet, there are more than twice as many in residential care, in our homes. Studies have consistently shown that children placed in family-based care experience better developmental, emotional, and educational outcomes.
  3. So we want to do more. Currently, MSF provides a monthly fostering allowance to all foster parents. The allowance is intended to help defray the out-of-pocket costs of caring for a foster child. We recognise that the cost of caring for teenagers is often higher than for younger children, from food, to expenses on transportation, telecommunications, and recreational activities.
  4. To help with these additional expenses, I am glad to announce that MSF will increase the monthly allowance for foster parents caring for teenagers aged 13 and above. This will take effect from October this year. Foster parents caring for teenagers in October will receive the enhanced fostering allowance in the subsequent month.
  5. The monthly allowance will be increased from $1,100 to $1,300. For those caring for teenagers with special or medical needs, the monthly allowance will be increased from $1,500 to $1,800 – to cover the additional costs of therapy, intervention and transport.
  6. Beyond financial support, we are also partnering our appointed Fostering Agencies to strengthen casework support for foster parents caring for teenagers. During these crucial adolescent years, our teenagers experience significant physical, emotional and social changes. These range from forming their personal identity to developing greater independence in their decision-making. Teenagers in foster care often face a range of complex developmental and emotional challenges, as they navigate peer relationships, academic pressures, and social influences, or just “adulting”. Many also need time and consistent support to build trust with adults, especially if they have experienced trauma or disrupted care in the past. To ensure our support remains relevant, Foster Care Workers will undergo additional training focused on youth case management. This will enable them to address youth-related issues more effectively, and provide stronger, more tailored support to foster parents.
  7. We will also encourage foster parents caring for teenagers to attend youth-related courses, to equip them with the knowledge and skills to better understand and respond to the needs of the teenagers in their care. These courses cover topics such as youth mental well-being, strategies for managing challenging behaviours such as vaping, and guidance on navigating online risks. The goal is to provide foster families with the guidance and tools they need to provide a safe and supportive home where children can grow, heal, and thrive.

Expanded Eligibility Criteria to Encourage More Families to Step Forward

  1. I’m encouraged that more families have stepped forward to foster over the years. In 2024, we had about 630 foster families. This is more than double the number that we had a decade ago. We hope that even more families will come forward to provide children with safe and nurturing home environments.
  2. To widen our pool of eligible foster parents, we have, since July 2024, expanded our eligibility criteria by removing the minimum household income and educational requirements for fostering applicants. Our experience has shown that the ability to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home is not determined by income or academic qualifications alone.
  3. We will continue to holistically assess those applying to be foster parents to ensure they provide the care, safety and stability that foster children need. For those assessed to be suitable, we will provide comprehensive support – including structured training, fostering allowances, and guidance in fostering, to help them succeed in their fostering journey.

Conclusion

  1. This is the Year of Celebrating Social Service Professionals. Among our foster families and volunteers, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all our colleagues from the Fostering Agencies. It is through our collective efforts that we able to give more children and youth in need of care and protection the love they deserve, and the opportunity to flourish.
  2. To everyone who took the time to be here today, thank you for joining us. I encourage you to visit the various booths, connect with our Fostering Agencies, and hear firsthand from our foster parents about their journeys. Through fostering, we have seen ordinary people open their hearts to do extraordinary things that transform the lives of children and youth. I hope you will be inspired join us in this deeply meaningful journey.
  3. I wish everyone a bright day ahead. Thank you very much.