Fostering Tea Session June 2023 (Audrie & Chune Keat)


We are happy to partner Gracehaven Fostering (The Salvation Army Singapore (TSA)) for our intro tea this morning! So blessed that we could have City Harvest Church host this round at Suntec City!

Our very own ED, Kuan Ying, introduced HFG and also inspired with her own story of how she wanted to ensure her foster son did not feel that she would abandon him.
We were so blessed that @Audrie Siew, one of our HFG Core Leaders as well as the Executive Director of Children and Youth Group in The Salvation Army, and her husband, Chune Keat could share about their journey in fostering.
She shared that foster parents enter the lives of children at their darkest seasons when healing is most needed. Liliac, one of her foster girls, said that she told her there was no need to study for PSLE as she did not see any hope or future.
She shared how just providing a safe and caring environment really can give hope and rebuild lives! Ellie, one of her foster girls, came to them unable to read or spell even simple words like “CAT” or “DOG” just 2 weeks before her P2 final exam. Ellie one day was crying and told Audrie that she had never passed a single exam or test in her life. Audrie and her family was so saddened that Ellie’s future looked so bleak and rallied to help Ellie rebuild her future and learn to read. Amazingly, within 2 months, Ellie went from Level 1 to Level 8 of the ladybird series and went on to pass all her exams within 6 months!! This was a joint effort of Ellie herself, Audrie and Chune Keat’s family, school and her fostering agency, Epworth!
She encouraged everyone that fostering may look difficult but actually it may be easier than we think it to be. There are many things that most families are able to give! One example was everyone in the room could definitely help children like Ellie to read!
Chune Keat added that fostering has also grown their own children who saw firsthand the needs of vulnerable children and rose up to help.
Going on to talk about the need for supporting vulnerable kids when they return to their own families after foster care, Audrie further talked a about the Befrienders for Families (BFF) programme, which was codeveloped by HFG and TSA. She gave examples of how Ellie’s parent was very stressed and worried that she could and her church group rose up to help with needs such as sending regular groceries and providing a listening ear. BFF is recruiting volunteers to support such reunifying children and their families.
Thank you, Audrie and Chune Keat and friends from The Salvation Army and City Harvest Church for today! ❤️ If anyone is open to foster a vulnerable child or befriend and support a family when a child reunifies, please do PM us!






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