Adopting a Child

[kpinsg]

Hi Everybody,

My wife and I are looking into the possibility of adopting a child while we work here in Singapore. Has any expat done this before? What is the process? How long does it take? How much is charged by the baby hunting agencies ... etc.

As we are new here, we appreciate you sharing your experience.

[beenhere10years]

Of course many expats have done this, I know a few families who have adopted -- some more than twice. I know SACAC can help with the adoption process and also private adoptions can be arranged through medical doctors. For every adoption there is a different procedure. This might be a good place to start:

http://www.sacac.com/cp/adoption.htm

Good luck!

[kpinsg]

Thanks beenhere10years, I will check that out.

[kpinsg]

After some brief research, here is what I got so far. (For those who are considering such option.)

Basically, what one needs to do is to go through a Home Study which is prescribed by the government. It will take approximately 5-7 weeks, and cost S$900. After passing the study, one will need to find a "baby-hunt" (I don't like the phrase very much) agency to locate a baby ready for adoption.

It is quite surprising to me that there seems to be no non-profit organization here in Singapore to do the "baby-hunt" process. All the agencies are private. (I hope I am wrong. If you know of any non-profit one, please kindly enlighten me.) From my unlimited knowledge, it will cost around S$20k-30k.

After that, it will be the legal procedures of adoption.

Good news: if you are willing to adopt a child from say Malaysia or Indonesia, there is virtually no waiting list. You can locate one quite fast. (It could be days, or weeks.)

Bad news: the cost for the private agency fee could be very high for some people.

I also found a non-profit agency (Touch Community Service) which conducts seminars on adoption for those who are considering the option.

Side notes: some agency provide a so called "money back guarentee" service. Say if you want to adopt a healthy baby, and the baby turn out to be with special physical need, you can ask for "money back." (Personally I am deeply troubled by this. How about the baby, you return it??) Some also provide a "flexi-payment" scheme: you pay in several installments.

[k1w1]

I agree - that is nasty. I read a case not so long ago about someone who did this in Indonesia: an expat family adopted a boy had him for FOUR years and then "returned" him, saying it wasn't working out. Just horrific.

There is a really famous story here about a couple who adopted a little boy (it has been on TV not long ago), and they found out when he was a year old or so, that he had AIDS. They were horrified at the option to return him. I think that most parents find the idea of that abhorent and anti-human. But yes, it does exist...

Best of luck to you both!

[EdithC]

Touch Community also does adoption for kids from China.

Yearly, they also organised a get together party for both parents and kids.

Fei Yue is the other agency that does home study report.

[kitkat2006]

Hello! Not sure if you are still looking for info but I went through the whole process last July. I'm now the proud mother to a divine little 11mth old boy. It was challenging at times - morally gut wrenching - but at the end of it I'm totally in rapture. No regrets.

I can chat to you about my experience if you wish.

[Quasimodo]

Hi Everybody,

My wife and I are looking into the possibility of adopting a child while we work here in Singapore. Has any expat done this before? What is the process? How long does it take? How much is charged by the baby hunting agencies ... etc.

As we are new here, we appreciate you sharing your experience.

What a tasteless description.

[gardawg9]

Has any US citizen on an EP adopted while residing in Singapore? Where do we start?