PPIS appointed to run third fostering agency in Singapore
Danial (not his real name) with his foster parents Asiah Binte Mohamed Salleh (R) and Ashraf Koh Bin Abdullah (C) at the MSF Fostering Service’s roadshow, May 10, 2017. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY
SINGAPORE — The Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS) has been appointed to run a new fostering agency, which will be operational by the third quarter of this year, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Wednesday (May 10).
This comes half a year after the MSF announced that there would be a third such agency, on the back of efforts to promote family-based care of vulnerable children.
PPIS is expected to provide fostering services for between 75 and 100 children, starting at the end of the lower range first.
Its president Rahayu Mohamad said its services will be open to all, regardless of race or religion, and it hopes to attract between 10 and 20 new foster parents.
It also hopes to spread awareness to, and attract more, Malay-Muslims to become foster parents.
The fostering agency will be co-located at PPIS’ Chai Chee centre and will commence on Aug 1, but Mdm Rahayu said there are plans for a stand-alone centre in future.
She added that while the foray into foster care is something new to the non-profit organisation, “the work that we’ll do (is not new)”.
“When we deal with our single parents, our divorced parents ... we come across experiences that are similar to what some of the children experience,” she said.
The PPIS runs three core community services: Family services, student care and early childhood education. In 2009, it was appointed by the National Council of Social Services as a centre of specialisation working with Malay-Muslim families.
In response to TODAY’s queries, MSF director (Children in Care Services and Rehabilitation and Protection Group) Audrie Siew said that PPIS was selected based on the evaluation criteria.
“MSF invited the social sector to submit bids ... (and) evaluated the proposals based on key criteria such as experience and skills in working with vulnerable children and families, capability in outreach to potential foster parents and track record,” she said.
Singapore’s first two fostering agencies — MCYC Community Services Society and Boys’ Town — were appointed in 2015, and provide fostering services for over 150 vulnerable children.
Then, last November, during the Fostering 60 Celebration Party, Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin announced that the third fostering agency would be set up.
As of Dec 31, there were around 430 children in foster care, up from some 240 at the end of 2013.
There are also about 420 foster parents now — a 73 per cent increase from 2013 — and the MSF is targeting 500 parents by 2020.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Mother’s Day Fostering Roadshow, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Social and Family Development) Faishal Ibrahim said that with three fostering agencies now, he is “confident that we can engage more foster parents and children”.
He added: “We’d like to have more parents take foster kids, in particular infants below (the age of) two, children above 10 as well as children with special needs.”
On Wednesday, the first day of the roadshow, seven people signed up to be foster parents — something that heartened Assoc Prof Faishal.
