We are thankful to meet a few of our partners in the past few weeks. It is always encouraging to meet like-minded people who are passionate about supporting vulnerable children and youth. The work is challenging, but it doesn’t stop them - their love, compassion, wisdom and perseverance continue to make a difference to the lives of these children, youth and even their families. Their work is often behind the scenes, coordinating between various stakeholders, counselling and providing practical care and support, preparing and executing outreach events to advocate and recruit more foster parents/volunteers, being the voice for the vulnerable… the list continues. Each case, each individual is unique, never to assume the same. So let’s not forget to express our gratitude and extend encouragement to them!

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 spe...

  15 May 2022 - We just completed a private screening of a film of fostering in China with Care for Children ! We partnered The Salvation Army Singapore for this. It was amazing to hear foster children in China share how their lives have been changed through fostering. We are humbled and amazed by the impactful work of Robert Glover and how there is over a million children in foster care now instead of orphanages because of his obedience to God! If there is anyone who was at the event today and didn’t have time to indicate your interest either in helping grow family based care and fostering overseas (there are more than 8 million kids in orphanages internationally) or help fostering in Singapore (open to foster or befriend kids/families), please PM us! *Special thanks to Salvation Army friends who mobilised their congregations and staff to make this happen in less than 14 days! You guys rock! *And deep appreciation to HFG-SG members who volunteered today and helped to spread the w...

  16 Oct 2021 - HFG intro tea, in partnership with The Salvation Army Singapore . HFG foster parents Audrie Siew and Khor Chune Keat shared about their journey in fostering and how they saw how God used their family as a channel of healing and restoration. <Audrie and Chune Keat’s sharing> Audrie and Chune Keat shared that their family was a normal and imperfect one with teens. Audrie first had a calling to help vulnerable children. She worked in the out of home care area, before finally starting the foster when she went for her further studies. Her family had already heard a lot about fostering so they were open. Audrie shared that the current theme of fostering for them was “Healing and Restoration”. Through fostering, her family had over time learnt to become the “green pasture” and “still water” where the children could be restored. She shared how foster children often had traumatic histories. When her foster children, Jodie and Vicki (not their real names) arrived, the...

  From fostering intro session with The Salvation Army Singapore  on 26 June 2021. Ps Too & Joyce have been foster parents for over 7 yrs & hv fostered 5 kids. They r currently fostering 3 kids & hv 3 grown up children of their own. When their first foster child was 3 years old, they decided to take on a 9 year old foster child with special needs from a Children’s home nicknamed Cinderella. Ps Too & Joyce shared that 2 yrs after taking care of Cinderella without too much trouble, she went home for extended home leave for 5 days with her natural family for the first time. She came back a very different girl. She started behaving aggressively, was easily triggered, had nightmares and would scream and tantrum. She also started acting violent towards herself and the family. Her behaviour became so erratic that the family struggled to cope. They even had the police show up because of all her constant screaming. Thankfully, MSF arranged for Cinderella to have bi-week...

  Sharing by Michael and Irene on 26 September 2020, with The Salvation Army Singapore (Gracehaven Fostering). Michael and Irene decided to foster as newlyweds as they love children and were willing to open their home to children in need. They met while on overseas mission trips helping children who were less fortunate. The couple first heard about fostering at a roadshow in Nex Shopping centre in May 2016. For a good 6 months, they pondered & prayed about the decision before finally signing up. They initially opted to take only 1 child at a time. But when they saw the great need (we hv another 600 children who still need foster families), they took in a 2nd child who was in need of placement. One thing led to another, and now they are concurrently fostering 4 children! The couple agree that while each child came with their own set of challenges, this has also helped them to grow in their parenting skills. They were able to discuss and work together to help each child settle in...

  By Joyce (HFG Foster parent, in partnership with The Salvation Army) We started to have foster children since 2016, post cancer remission after hearing of the alarming number of children in need. Over the years, we’ve had 4 foster children, and currently having 2 foster children both with special needs. My husband and I wake up every morning feeling very blessed with these wonderful children, their love and respect for us is so pure and beautiful. Of course, that was not the case initially - each child’s trauma manifested in their behaviours in different ways and I consider it a miracle to see how much they have grown and overcame. I would say the youngest member of our family is the most amazing miracle yet. Our foster daughter has been with us for 3 years. When we finally agreed to take her in, we had to accept that it will take a long while to see changes, given the very tough and seemingly unchangeable bad behaviour. We knew the need to persevere and just love her uncondition...

Inspirational sharing by Robin Lim & Linda Foo who have fostered a total of 20 kids (from 5 days old to 14 years), caring for them for periods ranging from a month to 13 years!!!! In 2003, their then-16 yo son brought home a friend who had family problems and needed a place to stay. Instead of turning their son's friend away, the couple stepped out in faith and in obedience to God, and allowed him to stayed with them for several months. After that God led them to help a church friend who was going through marital and financial problems to care for 2 young children for 6 months. This served as preparation and started them on their journey to fostering. They felt God lead them to open up their home to children who needed a place to stay temporarily, and signed up with MSF. Robin stressed that, in the ministry of fostering, the "heart"-ware was most important aspect. He highlighted the following 7 attributes we should work towards: 1) Have largeness of heart and a reser...

Joint HFG Intro tea with The Salvation Army Singapore on 21 Sept 2019. The following is a summary of their sharing. Kian Seng and Carol’s hearts were moved a few times until they had no doubt fostering is God’s will for them. Carol is a homemaker and Kian Seng works as a teacher. Kian Seng’s first encounter with a foster child was with a 17 year old student in their school. They later met a sister from China and were touched and encouraged that she was fostering children in Singapore. It struck them that she was a foreigner but still willing to take care of children in need outside of their country. But when a foster parent from church asked them if they were interested to foster and at that time the answer was still a clear cut NO as they had 3 young children! God had other plans for them! A 6 year old boy, Terry, came to church with his grandmother. He had behaviour issues and would roll on the floor during church services! Terry's mother had abandoned him. At K2, he is unable t...

Fostering tea session with Gracehaven Fostering on 8 June 2019. The group was treated to an amazing story by Jason & Irene Gwee who are relatively new Christians, but whose journey in surrendering their lives and obeying God allowed them to experience Him fully. Doing good deeds to earn merit was deeply ingrained in Jason & Irene as part of the religion they grew up in, but God was to show them His grace in unexpected ways. After searching for “God” for many years, they came to know the Lord 5 yrs ago. The Gwees considered the biblical mandate of caring for “orphans and widows” as young Christians but were not sure if it was God’s calling for them. The impossible passport: By faith, the Gwees booked a family holiday (including P) in Malaysia. But getting a passport for P proved impossible. P's mother had been uncontactable for 3 years. While an application could be made for an expired or lost passport, ICA informed the couple that this couldn’t be done in P’s case because...

Joint HFG Intro Tea on 23 March 2019 with The Salvation Army Singapore and Petra Church . Here is a summary of the sharing: “Fatherless, orphans, destitute, children…” These were the words that touched HFG foster parent, Audrie Siew as she felt God’s deep love and heart for vulnerable children. This led her to finally reapplying to be a foster parent, even though she had previously withdrawn her fostering application many years before out of fear. She now has 2 bouncy foster girls, Ellie and Kelly (not their real names), 10 and 12 years old respectively. Audrie shared more about her journey with Ellie, her 1st foster girl. She shared how Ellie had come illiterate at the end of P2 and her heart broke because Ellie’s future seemed so bleak. Her family committed themselves to helping Ellie and prayed fervently! Amazingly, Ellie not only learned to read within 2 months but went on to pass her exams for the 1st time in her life in less than 6 months. Audrie was amazed at how Ellie’s life w...

30 October 2018 - Incredible turnout of 500 people from 80 churches for “Our Father’s Heart for the Homeless” symposium at St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore! God is certainly calling out His people for this important ministry!! So blessed for Vivienne Ng to have the opportunity share about Fostering & HFG-SG, alongside folks from The Last Resort, Homeless Hearts of Singapore, The Salvation Army Singapore, ACS Oldham Hall and Elijah 7000! This is what Vivienne Ng feels God is leading Christians in Singapore to do in terms of radical hospitality and fostering .

9 September 2018 - Vi sharing about fostering at The Salvation Army Singapore , MSF’s newest Fostering Agency!! She quoted the urgent entreaty by their founder, William Booth: “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight While little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’lll fight While there is a drunkard left, While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, While there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!” & “ God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible ." This was followed by Marcus Moo’s sermon on Joseph who was asked by God to “foster” Jesus (Matt 1:19-25). Joseph was given authority from God, he showed tenacity, he recognized Jesus’ destiny and he did his duty . Likewise, we are also given a Divine Care and Protection Order by God to nurture the destinies of children who need care, and we...