Every child deserves a loving home. But for some, this does not come naturally.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Fostering Scheme provides children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their natural parents with safe homes and a nurturing family environment.

Family-based care is important as children are better able to create personal bonds with a consistent caregiver in their foster families. Such bonds are crucial for the development of the child’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing, says Ms Tiffany Goh, a Senior Foster Care Officer (FCO) at MSF’s Children In Care Service.

Unlike adoption, foster care is a temporary arrangement to meet the care needs of a child, with an end goal of reuniting them with their biological family.

With the best interests of foster children in mind, MSF maintains a set of eligibility criteria for the selection of foster parents. This includes being married, having a household income of at least S$2,000 a month, experience with caring for children and a willingness to work with MSF for the child’s best interests.

Applicants go through a series of assessments, which include interviews and home visits by an assessor, as well as medical examinations.

Facilitating Foster Care

MSF’s FCOs are trained in social work or related fields, and are keenly aware of the impact of trauma on children. In supporting the placement of children in foster homes, they assess what is in the children’s best interest, taking into account a variety of factors including:

• The profile of the foster families,
• The foster parents’ capabilities to meet the needs of the child (including physical, psycho-social and spiritual needs), and
• Proximity of the child’s school to the foster parents’ home

New foster parents are required to go through training conducted by the Social Service Institute, and FCOs also provide support to foster parents through frequent phone calls and home visits.

According to Tiffany, difficult conversations with foster parents and children can stir up one’s emotions, and be emotionally overwhelming for FCOs too. In such situations, resilience and empathy are key.

“Working with people is at the heart of what we do, so dealing with our emotions is vital in managing ourselves in this line of work,” she said. FCOs have regular one-on-one meetings with their supervisors to reflect on being more effective and resilient social work practitioners.

A strong support system at work includes her supervisor and colleagues providing a listening ear “and tissues”, said Tiffany. She also practises good self-care by setting aside time for social activities and regular exercise.

“We often remind our foster parents that they cannot fill their child’s emotional jar if their own jar is empty – advice that we, too, have to practise to stay energised in our work.”