Children in Care: Foster Children and Foster Parents

Singapore's out-of-home care sector provides care for vulnerable children and young persons (CYPs) who have been abused, neglected or abandoned, and are in need of care and protection. These CYPs are placed in alternative care arrangements such as foster care or residential care. Out-of-home care (OHC) is usually a temporary arrangement, until it is safe for the children and young persons to return home to their families.

MSF began our efforts to transform the OHC sector in 2013, and moved towards placing more children in family-based care instead of in residential care. Under the Fostering Scheme, vulnerable CYPs are cared for in foster families, who provide them with a safe and nurturing home environment. The proportion of children cared for by foster families has grown from about 29% in 2013 to 51% in 2021. MSF stepped up the recruitment of foster families and more than doubled the number of foster families from 2013 to 2021, allowing us to place more vulnerable children in foster care. MSF is still looking for more families to step forward as foster parents and hopes to continue increasing the pool of foster families so that more children can benefit from a home-based environment.

Number of CYPs in Foster Care, as at 31 Dec of the Specified Year

Number of Foster Families, as at 31 Dec of the Specified Year

Dataset (CSV): https://data.gov.sg/dataset/foster-children-and-foster-parents

Source: Ministry of Social and Family Development

Last updated on Feb 2022