Safeguards to Ensure Safety of Fostered Children Who are Returned to Their Original Homes

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether there are updates to the safeguards that have been put in place to ensure the safety of children who are on foster care but subsequently returned to their homes of origin; and (b) what is the period in which the Ministry will continue to check on their well-being.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) continually reviews the safeguards to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children under state care. In October 2019, in response to a related Parliamentary Question, we shared that we had set up the National Family Violence Networking System to tighten partnerships amongst stakeholders, strengthened capabilities of professionals to detect abuse early, and amended the Penal Code to enhance protection for vulnerable victims. These measures also provide support and protection to children who had been placed in foster care but were subsequently reunited with their families of origin.

After reunification, our Foster Care Officers continue to work with community partners to ensure regular safety checks and monitoring of the child and the child’s family. Such support is provided for 12 months or more after reunification, with the exact duration determined for each case depending on the needs of the family.

Since June 2020, we have also provided Family and Domestic Violence Awareness Training for more than 7,100 people across the people, public and private sectors to spot and report signs of family violence.

Since November 2020, we have further strengthened information-sharing and coordination protocols with the various touchpoints in the community to sight these children and ensure their well-being. These improvements include specific procedures to guide agencies to trace a child’s whereabouts if the child has not been regularly sighted in the community.

The incidence rate of child abuse remains low. The recent incidents presented before the Courts had occurred in different years and do not represent a spike in child death cases due to abuse. Nonetheless, any abuse is one case too many. Each of us must also do our part to stop child abuse, by detecting and reporting to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline if you know of or witness such incidents. MSF will continue our efforts to extend our training and outreach and continually review our safeguards to ensure the safety of vulnerable children.