Our vision is to see every vulnerable child in Singapore placed in a loving, caring and safe Christian family environment.
WHO IS 100 HOMES?
100 Homes partners Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) appointed agencies – lead partner Gracehaven Fostering, Boys’ Town Fostering Services and Epworth Foster Care to provide an end-to-end holistic support to churches and families interested in fostering.
Additionally, we also partner Sanctuary Care, a community respite care service by Boys’ Town. They help low-income families with poor or no social support systems by providing them short term respite care (up to 90 days) while they work towards resolving the crisis at hand.
100 Homes is here to journey with you from the moment you are considering to foster, right through your journey even after you are assigned a foster child. We work closely with Home for Good Singapore, a local fostering network of Christian families to provide community, prayer and fellowship so that you are never alone on your fostering journey.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.” Psalm 68:5-6
WHAT IS FOSTERING?
Due to reasons such as abuse and neglect, some children are unable to remain with their natural families and they are in critical need of an alternative home that is safe and stable.
Fostering is a temporary care arrangement where a foster family takes care of a vulnerable child in need. It ensures that the child will have his or her daily needs met and more importantly, it provides him or her with a loving and caring family environment and a hope for a better future.
The children who need foster care start from as young as newborns and go up to 18 years old.
The duration of foster care can range from a few months to a few years and varies from child to child depending on his or her family situation.
The end goal of fostering is to reunite the children with their natural families, when it is most suitable.
Watch real life stories of families who have opened their homes to a foster child.
WHY IS FOSTERING IMPORTANT?
There are more than 1000 vulnerable children in Singapore separated from their natural families. We thank God that about 600 of them have found foster families to care for them.
Yet, there are still about 600 more who are left living in institutions where they will grow up without the love and support of a family.
There are also about 600 churches in Singapore.
If every church has at least one family who would willing to open their hearts and homes to receive a foster child, the church of Singapore would have provided a safe, stable and loving environment to all the children in need.
WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO BE A FOSTER FAMILY?
Here are some initial questions to help you to assess if you and your family are ready to foster a child:
- Are we ready to commit to love the foster child just like own family member and give him or her hope for a better future?
- Are we willing to work with the foster agencies and other professionals for the child’s best interest?
- Are we mentally prepared for the child to return to his or her natural family in time to come?
There is also criteria checklist which can be found here.
The criteria serves as a guide and all applications will be assessed by MSF approved agencies on a case-by-case basis.
WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO BE A RESPITE CARER WITH SANCTUARY CARE?
Similar to foster parents, a respite carer should share a love for children and have a desire to provide them with a safe and happy family environment.
The respite carer should be open to supporting weekly access and providing updates to both the agency and natural family so that the children remain in contact with their families despite being apart.
Respite caring is voluntary and carers will undergo an assessment process including home assessments and interviews. The eligibility criteria for a respite carer can be found here.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU SUPPORT?
Come alongside the foster children and families
There are many volunteer opportunities available. You could be a respite carer, a befriender or mentor, provide tuition, organise playdates and outings or offer transport services just to name a few.
Refer to our FAQ page for more details on each role including the requirements and frequency. Alternatively, share your interest below and we would be glad to share with you the latest roles available.
Pray for the children, families and state of fostering in Singapore
Pray for the children, their families, foster parents, social workers and the rest of the fostering community.
Join us for a Love Singapore Fostering Prayer session every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 12pm – 1pm. Drop us a note with your contact details below and we will send you the zoom meeting details.
INTERESTED TO FIND OUT MORE?
You can visit our FAQ page for more information. We also encourage you to fill up the form below or email us at 100homes@heartbeatproject.sg so that we may get know you and your needs better. In accordance with the PDPA, your information will be kept confidential and used for these purposes only.