It was a cozy joint-intro tea session yesterday morning with Boys’ Town Fostering Services. All who attended were encouraged! A beautiful and very natural and heartfelt sharing by foster parents Alan and Eliz, who have been on this fostering journey since 2016! Here’s a few parts of their sharing: “Eliz carrying foster child (FC) in her sling while singing in the choir! He was so calm that nobody knew he was at the choir” “FC was in the hospital for a few months since birth…he smiled for the first time when they brought him home” “FC is our teacher, he teaches us how to teach him” “Eliz always places herself in FC’s natural mother’s shoes, and that helped in their first meeting at the hospital, and just small little details e.g. getting Alan to bring FC to natural mum, that reduces any potential tension when a mother meets another mother.” “Allan shared a few times about their conviction of the importance of reintegration.” More details from the sharing will be released. Watch this spa...

HFG Chit Chat Corner – Educational Journey for Foster Children with Special Needs. In February, a few foster parents within the HFG community had an informal chat with veteran foster parent, Linda, who is currently fostering two youth with special needs. She has fostered and provided respite care to many foster children over the years. Here’s some highlights from our chat which we hope will encourage others who are on similar journeys. 1) Build Strong Bond First Linda and her husband, Robin, started their fostering journey since 2003. Upon the arrival of Adam* and John* into their home, they decided to focus on building strong bonds with the boys. Both came to their families when they were babies. She feels that it is important for foster parents to show affection and love to their foster children. 2) Trust in God After Adam was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay, the professionals recommended for him to be enrolled in a special education (SPED) school. When asked if she had an...

Sharing at fostering intro session, in partnership with Boys' Town, on 29 May 2021. Joyce and Land decided to foster despite juggling with their busy schedules as full-time IT project managers and as parents to their only son. The couple first heard about fostering from an employee from the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2014 and were shocked to find out about the unfortunate experiences that children face in an affluent country like Singapore. They were initially apprehensive as both of them were working full-time and had very busy schedules. The couple pondered for a while and thought “if we can make a difference with just 1 child, it would be good enough” . With that thought of making a difference with one child at a time, Joyce and Land opted to only take 1 child. Howe ver, when a second child was placed with them through an emergency placement, they decided to take her in. One thing led to another, and they are now fostering 3 children (2 males aged 12 and 11 yea...

  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...

On 30 May 2020, HFG-SG organised our first ever "Online" fostering intro session, together with Epworth Foster Care The Filipino couple (Land and Joyce Palmero) came to know about fostering 6 yrs ago through a church mate. Having pictured Singapore as a perfect country before coming over, they were shocked to hear that there were children in Singapore who did not have safe homes and that there was such a pressing need for more foster parents. They struggled in deciding whether to foster as both were v busy at work. However, they were inspired by something one of the foster parents mentioned in a fostering tea session, "What you can give, you give”. Upon reflection, they were convicted by God to give these vulnerable children a safe and loving home just as much as they had been blessed abundantly in their lives by Him. The couple have fostered 4 children so far, with some of them having special needs such as Global Development Delay (GDD) and ADHD. There were challenges a...

HFG foster parents, Mark Lim and Sue Lim held a special training session for HFG foster parents last Saturday in Agape Baptist Church . Mark and Sue are trainers for special needs and have a heart for children with special needs. It was such a blessing! Joyce Too Yip and her husband, Teh Hsin Too are foster parents who attended and were greatly blessed. You can read Joyce's account below: <We can see her pain now!> My husband and I have been struggling with parenting one of our foster child who was diagnosed with Global Development Delay. Although she is 13, she is unable to do basic things confidently such as daily brushing of her teeth, getting the correct change when buying food, reading time and distinguishing between AM and PM. She also has trouble managing her emotions. Her occasional outbursts which involve crying, screaming and shouting on top of her lungs at home, in school or at public places has demoralised her and affected her ability to make friends. Fostering...

Joint intro session with Epworth Foster Care on 16 Feb 2019. Seow Kian Yong (SKY) and Yan Shan have no children and initially considered adoption. However, they had some apprehensions and later explored fostering. They took in their first foster child 3 years ago. Dan (not his real name) was in P4. At first SKY & Yan Shan didn’t want to foster him, given his behavioral issues. However, that Sunday Service, the message was focused on love and the couple changed their mind and decided to give it a go. Dan had been staying in KK hospital (KKH) for a few weeks due to his family situation. When Sky and Yan shan went to KKH to pick him up, he cried, threatened to run away, threw a fit and insisted on staying at KKH. It took the Child Protection Officer (CPO) some time to calm him down. They later found out that Dan thought he was being adopted and would never be able to see his family again. Eventually, he followed SKY & Yan Shan home. It turned out to be a very challenging first exp...

On 17 Nov 2018, Alan & Eliz shared about their journey fostering a 6 month old baby who is now an energetic 2 yr 8 mth old. What made this placement special was that it made this couple both first-time foster parents and first-time parents as well, since they had no children of their own. Not only did they have to cope with caring for a baby for the first time, they also had to manage the medical issues that came with this child being a premature baby. Nonetheless, the couple shared that the first time they met their foster child, it felt right that they should care for this child. He was warmly welcomed by their extended family, including Elizabeth’s mother. In God’s perfect timing and provision, her mother had just asked Elizabeth for a new babysitting job, totally unaware that the couple has just decided to start fostering . Her mother now cares for the child when Elizabeth is at work. Despite the love they have for the child, Elizabeth and Alan are prepared for the possible eve...

  Fostering Tea Session on 29 Sept 2018 HFG foster parent, Hope, shared how she was convicted by James 1:27 . She had been helping to run a monthly children’s programme for orphans. She and her husband David began to pray for God's leading for something they would do together. They attended a Focus on the Family Singapore screening of the Dropbox and talk on fostering. This time David felt a strong conviction and they began to explore the possibility of fostering. They understood that they needed to talk to their whole household because this must be a family decision, a commitment needing everyone’s buy-in . When they began, Hope was homeschooling both of her two daughters, now 13 and 10. David travels 50% of the time which would mean Hope would be the primary caregiver. She also had her longtime helper attend fostering training, which also helped them all understand trauma better and how it affects these children in various ways . There were challenges as they took on their firs...

14 July 2018 - Fostering Intro Tea Session with MCYC Our foster parents, Grace and Kelvin, showed how fostering was used by God to change a child's life! Grace and Kelvin gave a very heartfelt sharing of their fostering journey in caring for a 6 year old girl with health challenges and speech delay. They had many struggles with the child's tantrums, crying and vomiting. They cried out to God and were amazed that everything just fell into place ! They saw God's strong provision - MSF/fostering agency's support on medical fees and the occasional need for transport, childcare arrangements, overwhelming support from extended family and Home For Good (HFG) all just came together! Their own children rallied behind them as they cared for the child. In their loving care, their foster child improved and they rejoiced as she "won her own victories" - being able to finally pronounce words, and even volunteering to sing "twinkle twinkle little star" at her chi...

16 Feb 2018 -  The “Boy with No Ears” has finally found a loving home!! What joy it was to see my friends Vong and Poh Lian walk into the arrival hall at Changi Airport with their adopted son Ke Yuan at 6.30 am last sat. Their Redemption Hill Church friends were there to receive them. PTL that he has finally found a forever family and PTL for the courage, obedience and love demonstrated by the Yap family. Pl continue to pray for this family in their journey as Ke Yuan (Lucas) settles in... it will be a period of adjustment for everyone. Truly, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭ (Pics posted with permission from the family; will also post the original CNA Get Real Clip. From Vong : “ It’s our hope this raises awareness for fostering and adoption in S’pore .”) Pl also see - https://christiannews.net/2018/03/10/chinese-boy-without-...

11 Nov 2017 - Heart-warming intro to fostering by Li Li and Hock Lye. Hock Lye had considered fostering many years ago but Li Li was not keen then. When “a Home for Good” foster carer shared at t heir church a year ago, Hock Lye heard the Lord speak directly to him to step up to meet this need and uttered a prayer for God to move his wife because he couldn’t do it on his own. When he retrieved his car to pick his wife, Li Li informed him that she had just signed them up, without consulting him! Within 6 months of being approved as foster parents, the couple who have 4 boys of their own (aged 14-26), found themselves foster parents to 2 more boys at the same time - a 3 year old boy first, followed by a 7 year old boy. The younger boy came at 2.5 years and could only speak single words, being diagnosed with global developmental delay. Within half a year, he is now speaking full sentences and has caught up developmentally with his peers. The 7 year old boy joined the family a month ago,...

17 Dec 2016 - Heartfelt sharing by Hope & David, and by Joyce & Land. Hope and David's prayer is that, by obeying the call in James 1:27, they can play a part in restoring a child's belief in "family" . They shared the joys and challenges of fostering their first foster child (a teenager with special needs), and how it brought out the nurturing side of their own young daughters . In the short time their foster child was with them, they were able to help her open up a lot more about what she had gone through. Joyce and Land are not Singaporeans but they stepped forward to foster to serve when they heard about children in Singapore who needed out-of-home care. Currently fostering a boy plus providing respite care for another boy, they shared how fostering revealed their own flaws and weakness e.g impatience etc, but it pushed them to grow and to rely on God even more.

16 July 2016 -  Wonderful sharing by Teh Hsin & Joyce to potential foster carers. Through their care and prayers, their 3-yr-old foster child "Dora" who was at risk for reactive attachment disorder & global developmental delay as a baby, has now blossomed into a confident, bubbly and loving child. While they dread the day she leaves to be reunified with her own parents, they know that loving her AND wanting the best for her means letting go of their own desires AND being willing to get hurt in the process....But it's worth it for the sake of the child!!! Having met a displaced survivor of Hurricane Katrina recently, Joyce reflected that the trauma a foster child experiences at being suddenly removed from her birth family and brought into care is just as devastating - it's like a hurricane blowing through her home, leaving nothing in its wake & removing her from everything she knows. How lost and bewildering that can be !!!! And similar to being swept away...

12 March 2016 - Sharing by Alexandra Jagelman who has lived in Southwest China since 1998, started a home for abandoned children with disabilities, and ministers to children who have been abused. 1. God can do great things - Thru' broken vessels like us, His love is poured out into these most broken of vessels (children in need of protection or care) 2. The importance of reclaiming the lives of these children thru our prayers and proclaiming God's blessings on them constantly and intentionally. 3. There is no need to force a foster child to be emotionally close to us; we just need be present with them, and wait for them to approach . 4. Don't just be busy providing for the physical needs of our foster child but remember to be a mother to the child even if it means your heart will be broken when they leave . 5. It's all about perspective - She once took in 2 special needs babies at a go and found it very hard to cope with the incessant crying. However, when one baby...

  Robin and Linda together with their own children and grandchildren   (FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SOLID ROCK MAGAZINE, 2008) Of Such Is The Kingdom Of Heaven     It’s August 2008. Robin and Linda Lim, aged 56 and 52 respectively, share their five-room HDB flat with their three natural children and four foster children*: Terence (aged nine), Joshua (26 months old), Moses (20 months old) and Rebecca (15 months old). And there’s Oscar — a Siberian husky who started out as a temporary boarder and somehow ended up becoming part of the family as well. Take a peep into their extraordinarily ordinary lives.    Love Means Choosing To Sacrifice     Over the past five years, nine “special needs” children, ranging from newborns to teenagers, have been a part of the Lims’ family for between four months and five years. And though packed with four cots (one in the living room) and a double-decker bed, the Lims’ home is surprisingly uncluttered. Some of these childr...