Adopting a PRC child in Singapore

This is an entry about adopting a non-Singaporean child in Singapore.

• For an entry on adopting a Singaporean/ PR child in Singapore, refer here.
• For an entry on adopting a foreign (non-PRC) child, refer here.

The adoption process in Singapore primarily involves the MSF, the Family Justice Courts, and registered adoption agencies.

The adoption process for PRC (People's Republic of China) children is more stringent as there are requirements from both Singapore and China. This arrangement prevent's people from selling their babies under the pretense of adoption. As of 2019, only TOUCH Family Services Ltd (official website) and Fei Yue Community Services (official website) are registered with MSF to provide adoption for PRC children.

Prerequisites

Adoptive parents

To be eligible for child adoption, potential adopters have to fulfil the following requirements set by the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA).

Age	Citizenship	Marital status	Finances	Education level	Others
> 29 years old < 50 years old* > 21 years older than the adopted child *When adopting a special needs child, the age limit is 55 years old	At least one person in the couple should be the following: Singapore Citizen Singapore Permanent Resident	Married couples (male-female) No more than 2 past marriages* Max. 5 children in current household *The couple must be in the current marriage for >5 years	>US$10,000 (annual household income) >US$80,000 (net assets)	A-level certificate OR ITE certificate	Good mental and physical health No criminal records involving child abuse, sexual offences, and substance abuse

Reference letters

Potential adoptive parents must also obtain 3 reference letters from their children (only if they are above 18 years old) or teachers of their children.

Pre-adoption

TOUCH Family Services provides adoption for PRC children.

Training

Potential adoptive parents must undergo a minimum of 12 hours of training from a registered adoption centre.

Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB)

The pre-adoption briefing is the compulsory first-step for potential adoptive parents. Both spouses are encouraged to attend the briefing together.

Location	Duration	Fee (SGD)	Register	Notes
TOUCH Family Services Ltd Fei Yue Community Services	2.5 hours	$50 / person	Online registration	Available in English, Mandarin and Malay. This is a compulsory pre-adoption workshop.

Application fees

The agency will determine the adopters' eligibility and contact CCCWA. The agency will then submit the application to CCCWA.

	Amount Payable (USD)	Payable to
Application & Service Fee	$1,100	CCCWA
Translation Fee	$350	Bridge of Love Adoption Service (BLAS)

Documents required

The following are the documents needed for adopting a non-Singaporean child (in chronological order).

Letter of Support

For non-Singapore Citizens who want to adopt a foreign child, they must get approval from their home country. The Letter of Support is needed before the Home Study can commence.

Location	Registration	Notes
Respective embassies or High Commissions	Application form	This is compulsory for foreigners who want to adopt a foreign child in Singapore.

Home Study Report (HSR)

Potential adoptive parents must pass their HSR before applying for the Dependant's Pass.

	Fee(s) (SGD)	Register	Notes
Home Study Report	$1,500	TOUCH Family Services Ltd Fei Yue Community Services	The HSR is valid for 2 years and can only be used for 1 adopted child.

Dependant's pass

If the child is not a Singapore citizen in any form, the adoptive parents will have to apply for a Dependant's Pass. This should be done after the Home Study Report (HSR).

	Fee(s) (SGD)	Register	Duration
Dependant's pass	$360	Online registration	3 weeks (online registration)

Successful applicants need to put down a S$2,000 security deposit on the collection day. This will be refunded 2 months after the child is adopted.

Notice for Travelling to China for Adoption

The adoptive parents have to travel to China and bring the child to Singapore after completing the following:

Procedure	Fee(s)(USD)	Authority
Written adoption agreement	-	Social Welfare Institution
Register adoption	$820	Adoption Registration Centre (province/region/municipality of the child)
Apply for child's VISA	~$40	Singapore Mission

The adoptive parents will pay for the costs of the flight, accommodation and miscellaneous spending while in China.

Applying to the Family Justice Courts

The Family Justice Courts at Havelock Square in Singapore. Photo from The Straits Times.

Filing documents

Potential adopters can submit an application to the Family Courts personally or through a lawyer. A lawyer can help with the filing of necessary documents. The adoption forms can be assessed on the website (Family Justice Courts website).

GIA (Guardian In Adoption) Report

Potential adopters will then need to apply for the Director of Social Welfare to be their GIA. The GIA will decide if potential adopters are ready to adopt a child.

These are the documents required to receive a GIA:

Documents	Fee(s)(SGD)	Deliver & deposit	Notes
Date of Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB) Originating summons of adoption (Form) Adoption statement (Form) Affidavit in support (Form) Consent for adoption by the relevant parties NRIC of the potential adopters Marriage certificate of potential adopters Birth certificate of the child that they want to adopt	$250 per application	Child Welfare, Child Protective Service (10th floor) MSF Drop Box, MSF Building Level 1	The cheque should be made payable to ‘AG/MSF’. The documents have to be sealed in an envelope.

Potential adopters will then be interviewed by a Child Welfare Officer (CWO) (appointed by the GIA) from MSF. There will also be a home visit. The responses collected will be used to prepare an affidavit. The adopters have to submit the affidavit to the Family Courts no later than 2 weeks after receiving it. The Family Courts will assess the adoption application based on these findings.

Adoption Order

It is compulsory for the adopter and/or their lawyer to attend the hearings. If the Family Courts grants the Adoption Order, they will inform the Registry of Births & Deaths and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to issue a new birth certificate for the child, which the adopters will be informed to collect.

If the Court dismisses the application, the child will have to be returned to the original family.

Post-adoption

Disclosure workshop

Adoptive parents can attend a Disclosure Workshop which will guide them in breaking the news to their adopted children. This workshop is available at TOUCH Family Services Ltd and Fei Yue Community Services.

Location	Duration	Fee (SGD)	Register	Notes
TOUCH Family Services Ltd Fei Yue Community Services	2.5 hours	$50 / person	Online registration	This is an optional post-adoption workshop.

Post Placement Reports (PPR)

Adoptive parents must submit post-placement reports through the adoption agency. They need to complete 6 post-placement reports throughout 5 years. The reports should be submitted at the following intervals - the 6th month, the 1st year, and the 5th year - upon successful adoption registration in China.