The Home Study Report (HSR) will be renamed Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) after the ACA 2022 is effected. It is a comprehensive assessment that looks into the circumstances surrounding the adoption as well as your suitability to adopt. It assesses
you and your family’s readiness to adopt a child.
The assessment is conducted by professional social service staff from Social Service Agencies (SSAs) appointed by MSF.
You must obtain a favourable HSR before you can identify a child to adopt. The HSR fees are set at $2,000 for applicants.
You may apply for an HSR with any of the following MSF-appointed agencies via the following links:
You must not have an unrelated child under your care before obtaining a favourable HSR. You may only have an unrelated child under your care after you have been issued with a favourable HSR (for Singaporean children) and an In-Principle Approval (IPA)
for a Dependant’s Pass to adopt a foreign child.
Before the new Adoption of Children Act (ACA) 2022 takes effect:
- Applicants issued with a favourable Home Study Report (HSR) are required to submit an adoption application within the validity period of the HSR. If the HSR expires, they will need to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria under the ACA 2022
and obtain an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) to adopt.
Under the new ACA 2022:
- All applicants must undergo an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) conducted by adoption agencies that are authorised by MSF
- Applicants must have resided in Singapore for a continuous period of at least one year immediately preceding the application for an ASA, and be habitually resident in Singapore
- All applicants are required to undergo a Pre-Adoption Briefing and a briefing on disclosure of adoptive status before making an application for an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA).
- Only Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, and foreigners adopting with Singaporean spouses can adopt in Singapore by default
Waiver of Home Study
Applications for HSR waivers have closed as of 16 April 2023. If you wish to proceed with the adoption, you may apply for an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) with one of MSF's authorised adoption agencies.
Before the new Adoption of Children Act (ACA) 2022 takes effect:
- If you have been issued with a HSR waiver, you must (a) obtain a Dependant’s Pass (if the child is not a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident) and (b) submit an application to Court before the ACA 2022 takes effect. Otherwise, the new requirements
under the ACA 2022 will apply i.e. you will need to undergo an Adoption Suitability Assessment
Under the new ACA 2022:
- All applications to the Court after the ACA 2022 takes effect will require a valid HSR or an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA). The ASA is a new requirement under the ACA 2022. HSR waivers will not be valid after the ACA 2022 takes effect.