OUR ADOPTION SERVICES

We offer a diverse range of services to meet our clients’ varying adoption needs:


Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA)

The Adoption of Children’s Act 2022 was passed in Parliament in May 2022 and the new Act will be in operation soon. The purpose of the ASA is to assess your suitability and readiness to adopt a child. This must be done prior to searching for a suitable child or initiating legal adoption proceedings. The process involves interviews, screenings and home visits. You will be assessed on areas such as your motivation to adopt, views on adoption, family, marital, medical and employment history, childcare arrangement, parenting styles, and other relevant information involving adoption and adoptive parenting.

How long is the Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) valid for?

ASA is valid for two years. You are required to obtain a fresh ASA if the validity of your ASA has expired.

Each ASA is valid for one adoption only. A fresh ASA is required for subsequent adoptions.

How do I apply for a ASA?

After attending the compulsory adoption briefings, you can log onto: https://www.msf.gov.sg/what-we-do/adoption/adoption-process/step-2-undergo-home-study-report-adoption-suitability-assessment to select your desired agency to do your ASA.

Feedback from our clients

“TOUCH Adoption staff were simply amazing and were always available to help us understand the process and what to do next. They were also very thorough and made sure that everything went smoothly for us. Considering that we were having to adopt in Singapore while being based overseas, I feel they went the extra mile to make sure that we didn’t encounter any nasty surprises by arming us with the pertinent information and watching out for any oversight that might result in delays. We are very grateful for how TOUCH has helped us along this process and I must say that the feeling is a sense of empowerment as we embark on this milestone of becoming adoptive parents.” – Mr. G. S.

“There are few people in our lives who have profoundly influenced and shaped our life journey. We consider our meeting with our assessor to be one of these experiences. She is extremely dedicated, tenacious, sensitive, perceptive and works in the best interest of all parties involved. TOUCH Adoption staff has been professional, helpful and meticulous in ensuring this adoption process to be smooth sailing. Thank you very much!” – Mdm Halimah

“The assessor was kind and patient, very experienced and knowledgeable in her work and in the procedures and policies. She is a professional staff who make the whole journey of adoption a wonderful one. TOUCH is definitely my first choice of agency and I would highly recommend to my friends.” – Mr and Mrs Lim

“The service rendered was prompt and professional. The assessor was very detailed, approachable, communicative and a good listener. We were initially nervous about how the interview would be like but the assessor put us at ease with her friendly and professional demeanour. She was very easy to talk to and also very helpful with her advice.” – Mr and Mrs Ben Lim

“We are very impressed by the professionalism and availability of all the members we have had the pleasure to deal with, and will definitely recommend TOUCH Adoption to anyone in the adoption process.” – Mr and Mrs D.G

“My wife and I are extremely grateful to TOUCH Adoption staff for their patience, kindness and understanding. They made exceptions and went the extra mile to help us in our time of need.” – Mr and Mrs Teh

“Firstly, I would like to commend TOUCH Adoption staff for her professionalism, helpfulness and patience. She is always helpful on answering all questions about the adoption procedure. In addition, the assessor was so understanding and patient during the interview session as my wife’s command of English was limited.” – Mr and Mrs Kow




ADOPTION SERVICES

Adoption Workshops
It is mandatory for all prospective adopters (including those wishing to adopt a biological child or stepchild) to attend a Pre-Adoption Briefing and Disclosure Briefing conducted by Authorised Adoption Agencies (AAAs) accredited by MSF.

Pre-Adoption Briefing

The briefing will cover topics such as the criteria and legal implications of adopting a child in Singapore, information on the adoption process and how to better prepare yourself for the adoption journey.

To register for the PAB, please send your request to adoption@touch.org.sg.


Disclosure Briefing (DB)

If you have adopted a child or intend to adopt one, should you tell your adopted child about the adoption and his/her birth background? When is the best time to disclose this information? What is the best way to tell your child about adoption?

Early disclosure of adoption is important as it impacts the child’s confidence, esteem and bonding with the adoptive parents.

To register for the DB, Kindly send your request to adoption@touch.org.sg.

“Thank you for helping us understand more about adoption disclosure. It’s not an easy task and there’s no perfect way to disclose. It’s both a growing and learning process for both adoptive parents and child.” – Participant

“This session has helped me gain a new perspective to disclosure. Thank you!” – Shaman

“Very good workshop. Informative and Inspiring.” – Participant

“The speaker was an exceptional presenter. She was able to convey the challenges as well as the joys of adoption with much clarity and humor. Her sharing of personal experiences was really helpful.” – Ms T.B.

Other Workshops

There are other workshops relating to parenthood and adoption below:

Children's Workshop - My Story to Tell

This workshop will focus on helping children identify their emotions when talking about their adoption story and learn that they have the right to choose who and when to talk about their adoption story.

For registration, please email to adoption@touch.org.sg.

Building Attachment and Therapeutic Parenting Workshop

This workshop is for:

  • A soon-to-be/new parent and desiring to build a strong attachment with your adopted child or
  • Feeling that your child is not attaching or settling in well because you have missed out on the early months of attachment with your child or
  • Finding it hard to manage your adopted child's challenging behaviour and want to better understand what it means to be a Therapeutic Parent.

 

Look out for the next upcoming Attachment Workshop through this link: https://app.adoption.gov.sg/WorkshopPARegistration.aspx

Counselling Services

Adoptive Families: Pre-/Post-Adoption Counselling Services

Counselling services are available for couples considering adoption as well as for adoptees and adoptive parents concerning any adoption issues.

Birth Families: Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling Services

We provide counselling services for you, your partners and family members who are going through difficulties due to an unexpected pregnancy. We can help you to make plans for your children and yourself after birth and provide emotional support during pregnancy. If you decide to place your child for adoption, we also assist you to find adoptive parents for your child.

Do contact us by filling up the counselling form here: https://www.touch.org.sg/about-touch/our-services/touch-adoption-homepage/adoption-service/counselling-form

What do you do with an unplanned pregnancy?

An unplanned pregnancy often means you have difficult decisions to make. Decisions include:

  • Raising your child together with the birth father/mother;
  • Raising the child as a single parent;
  • Placing your child for adoption;
  • Abortion

You need to ask yourself which of the above would be the most viable and responsible option for your child as well as yourself. Abortion may seem to ease the problem temporarily but often leaves emotional scars and sometimes poses physical health problems on the long term.

If you have adequate resources and social support, there is no question that raising the child yourself is the best option. But for some parents who lack such support, raising their babies may appear to be a good option until they find themselves overwhelmed by other needs and problems.

Here are some important questions to consider:
1. How would your parents/spouse/boyfriend feel about this decision?
2. What is your long term plan with regard to your relationship with the child’s birth mother/father?
3. Can you and your parents/spouse/boyfriend afford to support a child?
4. What suitable childcare arrangement can you or your family make?
5. Can you handle a child and a job/school at the same time, both physically and emotionally?
6. Who is likely to support the decision that you are going to make?
7. What are some things important to you that you must be prepared to give up by choosing this option?
8. How does this decision fit into your value system? Will it bring you closer to, or take you further away from your values?

Besides the above to consider, know that there are support you can obtain with the various organisations below:

Resources for Women and Teens with an Unplanned Pregnancy

Pregnancy Crisis Counseling and Support

ORGANIZATION CONTACT DETAILS
ALife Tel: 62588816
Babes (for pregnant teenagers) Tel: 81113535
Website: www.babes.org.sg
National Pregnancy Helpline (24-hr hotline) Tel: 1800-MUM-TO-BE
Tel: 1800-686-86-23
Pregnancy Crisis Service Tel: 63399770

Shelters

ORGANIZATION CONTACT DETAILS
Good Shepherd Centre (Rose Villa) Tel: 6755 6496, 6253 6556
Email: gscentre@marymount.org.sg
Pertapis Centre for Women & Girls Tel: 6284 4707
Email: enquiry@pertapis.org.sg
Safe Place (Lakeside Family Services) Tel: 6265 6522
Email: safeplace@lakeside.org.sg
Child Placement Services

Child Placement Services

TAS is sometimes contacted directly by birth families and various organisations to facilitate the placement of children whose parents have made adoption plans for. In such instances, we will be the intermediary between birthparents and adoptive parents for the entire adoption process. We respect the choices and preferences of the birth families and would try as much as possible to find a suitable match with prospective adopters who have already been assessed as suitable. If you have a favourable ASA and is interested to be considered for our placement services, indicate your interest here. While we strive for successful placements, please note that opportunities are limited. We will reach out to you if a suitable match becomes available.

Birth Family Reunion

Birth Family Reunion

Many adoptees and birth parents have at some point in their lives, considered a birth search or reunion. They search for many reasons – a major life event such as death or birth, medical knowledge or simply to find out more about the person whom they are genetically linked to. Whatever the reason, the journey can be a very long one, sometimes filled with a rewarding high and at other times a frustrating or disappointing low.

TAS can assist you in your journey of understanding your feelings and needs, preparing yourself for the search and the reunion and coping with the outcomes of the search as well as facilitating the reunion.

Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading

Stories Celebrating Adoptive Families: ‘Our Very Own’ & ‘Our Very Own 2’

Our Very Own”, the first book published by TAS in 2010, was probably the first ever collection of real adoption stories out of Singapore. It inspired many families who were considering adoption and for those who have adopted, they found comfort and encouragement through the heartfelt sharing of others. The sequel to “Our Very Own 2” was launched in January 2016. There are articles that are sequels to stories that were written in “Our Very Own”, giving a glimpse of how these families have significantly evolved since the first book. There are also contributions from adoptees and a birthmother, new stories from other adoptive families, adoptees, a birthmother, a foster mother and adoption professionals.


Our Very Own” and “Our Very Own 2” are vital resource books for adoptive parents and service providers working in the area of adoption as they are filled with raw, powerful emotions highlighting the journeys of unconditional love, courage and self-discovery. They are priced at S$15 and S$20 respectively.


Book Review

Our Very Own” opens our eyes to the unique experiences of joy, despair, anxiety and challenges associated with adoption….” – Dr Jayashree Mohanty PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore

“This book is about the journeys and experiences of couples who adopted new mindsets when they adopted a new addition into their family. These real-life stories will capture your heart” – Simon Sim, Family Life Coach & Author of Bestseller “The Family of CEO”

Our Very Own 2” shows us what true humanity looks like…” – Jason Wong, Board Chairman, Focus on the Family”

“Being adopted makes me feel wanted, knowing that I was chosen.” – Chang Hann Teen, Adoptee

“As I watch my children grow, I am beginning to further understand what it means to be a parent and how the child deserves to know the truth, even though this may cause some issues.” – Stuart Frost, Adoptive Father


To order the books: Our Very Own 1 & 2 or Parenting the Hurt Child, please fill in the book order form here.  

 


For Children:

  • A Blessing from Above by Patti Henderson, Golden Books
  • A Mother for Choco by Keiko KAsza, Ouffun Books – Penguin
  • A Simple Wishby Pia Ghose & illustrated by Jit Chowdhury
  • God Found Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergen, HarperCollins
  • I Wished For You: An Adoption Story by Marianne Richmond, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
  • My Family Is Forever by Nancy Carlson, Puffin Books
  • Rosie's Family - An Adoption Story by Lori Rosve, Aisa Press
  • We just want you to know by Andrea Yee
  • Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis, HarperCollins

For Parents:

  • Attaching in Adoption: Practical tolls for Today’s parents by Deborah D. Gray, Essica Kingsley Publishers Ltd
  • Creating Loving Attachments: Parenting with PACE to Nature Confidence and Security in the Troubled Child by Kim S. Golding, Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd
  • How To Talk So Kids/ Teens Will Listen by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, Harper Perennial
  • Our Very Own 1 by TOUCH Family Services
  • Our Very Own 2 by TOUCH Family Services, Partridge Publishing
  • Parenting The Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky, Navpress
  • Parenting With Love & Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay, Navpress
  • Raising Adopted Children by Lois Ruskai Melina, William Morrow Paperbacks
  • The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn B. Purvis, Favid R. Cross and Wendy Lyons Sunshine, McGraw-Hill Education
  • The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child by Nancy Newton Verrier
  • 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge, Delta

These books are available at our office. Do write to us at adoption@touch.org.sg to find out more. Also available in e-book versions sold online internationally by major e-Booksellers.