Top ten myths about foreign adoption in Singapore

1. Children adopted from abroad are all disabled, or disturbed.
The vast majority of children from abroad are healthy, happy children. Most of the time birthparents want to put up their babies for adoption because of financial or personal reasons, not because their babies are sick. A reliable adoption agency will do all the necessary health screening to make sure that the babies are healthy before coming to Singapore.

2. Adoption takes years.
You can complete the whole adoption procedure in less than a year. There are 3 steps you will have to go through for foreign adoption. First is to get HSR approval. This takes around 2 months. Second is to approach adoption agency/friends to search for babies. This varies from agency to agency, but it takes 2 months on average for newborn and a little bit longer for toddlers. Third is to complete legal procedures for the babies to live in Singapore as a citizen. This will take about 5 months.

3. Adoption costs a fortune.
If you approach an adoption agency, the fee varies from $20,000 to $26,000 (all included).

4. Adopted children are "stolen" from their bithparents.
This might happen in movies but it very seldom happens in reality. Most adoption agencies are in this line for the long term, and they do not want to get into trouble with the local authorities or develop a bad reputation. Moreover, there are many people in the local countries who want to put up their children for adoption so there is no need to "steal" from anybody.

5. All birth mothers are unstable teenagers.

Many birth mothers are teenagers, but not all of them are unstable. Again, your adoption agency has to screen the birthparents before introducing the babies to you.

6. Birthparents can come back and take your child.

Once the adoption consent form is signed, it is irrevokable. In fact, adopt a foreign child will significantly reduce the risk of birthparents coming back and take your child.

7. Foreign adoption in Singapore is a complicated process.

It is not a complicated process, but there just isn't enough clarity on the information available publicly. You can approach HSR agencies, or adoption agencies and find an expert who can explain to you in details.

8. Singaporeans can only adopt from China, Malaysia, or Indonesia.

Singaporeans can adopt from any country as long as the birthparents have given consents for their babies to be adopted in Singapore.

9. Singaporeans have to fly to the local country to complete the adoption procedure.

The adoption procedure can be completed in Singapore. Not all local countries require Singaporeans to fly in to complete the procedure locally.

10. All foreign adoptions have to be approved by the local country.
There are 2 ways to adopt: from an orphanage, or directly from the birthparents. You don't need to get the local countries' approval if you adopt directly from the birthparents.

 

If you have any more questions, please contact Singapore Adoption Agency at (65) 90680573/96467600, or visit our website at http://www.singaporeadoption-agency.com/. We are Singapore’s number one adoption agency which focuses on Vietnamese babies.

Singapore Adoption Agency. We are different.