Adoption Home Studies

SACAC conducts Adoption Home Study Investigations and completes Adoption Home Study Reports for expatriate individuals and couples, where at least one of the applicants is an expatriate, seeking to adopt, as well as Post-Placement Reports to comply with specific country requirements after the adoption is finalized. Adoption Home Studies can be conducted for a variety of countries. SACAC is a non-profit organization accredited by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth, and Sports (MCYS). SACAC prepares home studies in accordance with international standards and requirements.

The Adoption Home Study is required before applicants can proceed with the adoption process. The Adoption Home Study is an evaluation of the suitability of the individuals or couples as prospective parent(s). ALL applicants must participate in a Pre-Adoption Consultation with the Adoptions Coordinator. This will be charged at the prevailing SACAC counseling fee. At this consultation the applicants will be informed about the adoption process, individualized to their needs, as well as the requirements that need to be met before the Adoption Home Study process begins. One of these requirements is the completion of on-line adoption education. At this consultation the Adoptions Coordinator will go through the Documentation Requirements for SACAC Home Study, personalizing it for the applicants. After this interview, the applicants will be emailed the Adoption Questionnaire to be completed. When the applicants have all the required information, they should deliver it to the SACAC office.

The applicants will be assigned to an assessor who will meet with them in the SACAC office for the Office Interview which begins the investigation process. The assessor will also carry out pre-adoption counseling based on the previously completed education.

On the completion of the Office Interview, an appointment will be made for a Home Visit. At the Home Visit the assessor will inspect the house and interview any other residents. Assuming everything is in place, the report will now be written.

As your first step, call the office (6733 9249) and make an appointment for the Pre-Adoption Consultation.

For more information, please go to FAQ on Adoption Home

Fees for the Adoption Home Study (effective March 2010) are $1,500:

Home Study Investigation (at office interview) .................................................$500
Home Study Report (at home visit) ................................................................$1,000

For Home Studies to be carried out in other countries:

The fee will be calculated according to the details.

Other fees are as follows:

Post-Placement Report ................................................$700

Update/Amendment without Home Visit ........................$500

Update/Amendment with Home Visit .............................$700

Frequently Asked Questions about Adoption Home Study

1. I’m interested in adopting, what do I do?

Here’s a brief overview of the various steps in the adoption process. For those who are interested in going through the Singapore court process, here’s the procedure.

2. I meet eligibility requirements for Singapore/home country/adopting country but not Singapore/home country/adopting country, can I adopt?

For an international adoption, you need to meet all adoption requirements of the country you are adopting from as well as the country you are finalizing/legalizing the adoption. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet eligibility requirements for all countries. For Singapore’s requirement, please consult MCYS. Please consult the respective embassy or commission for home country and adopting country’s requirements.

3. Is there any country that I can/cannot adopt from?

Applicants need to check with their respective governments.

4. Is there any restriction on the gender of the child I can adopt?

There is no restriction on the gender of the child for couples. Based on Singapore’s Adoption of Children Act, single male applicants are not able to adopt a female child in Singapore. SACAC, being an accredited agency in Singapore, will not be able to approve a Home Study application for a single male to adopt a female child in Singapore.

5. Is SACAC/my caseworker licensed in the US to conduct home study/post placement supervision?

In addition to the individual professional license/registration that your caseworker has in the area of their training (e.g., Psychology, Counseling, Social Work), both SACAC (as an agency) and your caseworker (as an individual) is accredited by Singapore’s Ministry of Community Development, Youth, and Sports (MCYS), the governing body for adoption in Singapore, to conduct home study assessment and post placement supervision. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (http://www.uscis.gov/) which stipulates that the following for Home Study Preparer:

TITLE 8 OF CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (8 CFR)/8 CFR PART 204 -- IMMIGRANT PETITIONS/Sec. 204.3 Orphans. Revised 8/1/94; 59 FR 38876 - 38889) (b) Definitions.
Home study preparer means any party licensed or otherwise authorized under the law of the State of the orphan's proposed residence to conduct the research and preparation for a home study, including the required personal interview(s). This term includes a public agency with authority under that State's law in adoption matters, public or private adoption agencies licensed or otherwise authorized by the laws of that State to place children for adoption, and organizations or individuals licensed or otherwise authorized to conduct the research and preparation for a home study, including the required personal interview(s), under the laws of the State of the orphan's proposed residence. In the case of an orphan whose adoption has been finalized abroad and whose adoptive parents reside abroad, the home study preparer includes any party licensed or otherwise authorized to conduct home studies under the law of any State of the United States, or any party licensed or otherwise authorized by the foreign country's adoption authorities to conduct home studies under the laws of the foreign country.

Therefore, the Home Study/Post Placement reports by SACAC’s caseworkers are all valid.

6. Do I have to become a Singapore Permanent Resident in order to adopt?

No, you can adopt if you are a resident in Singapore, i.e., Singapore Citizen, Singapore Permanent Resident, Employment Pass holder, or Dependant Pass holder. However, if you are on a Social Visit Pass or Student Pass you will not be able to adopt.

7. Do I need to do a criminal background check?

The requirements for criminal background checks will vary according to the situation.

8. If I am adopting my step-child, does my spouse (who is the biological parent) need to be involved in the adoption process?

We would need to interview your spouse at the office visit and the child(ren) and domestic
helper at the home visit. This is to allow us to assess the marital and parenting relationships. Additionally, your spouse, child, domestic helper, and any other members in the household will all need to have a memo from the doctor addressing their health. This is to allow us to have an understanding of the health status of the household.

9. I have just been offered a child by an agent in Singapore, shall I take the child?

If you intend to go through the Singapore adoption process, please ensure that you follow the correct procedure for adoption. Here is the flow chart again. In accordance with the procedures for adoption, applicants are not supposed to bring in foreign babies for adoption before the completion of the Home Study Report. SACAC will not be able to start your home study adoption if you have the proposed adopted child under your care. Please return the child before starting your home study.

10. My adoption agency has different document requirements from SACAC, what do I do?

While SACAC’s document requirements for Home Study Report will generally be similar to that of the home/adopting country, different countries/states have different requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that all document requirements for the various agencies are met. Please inform your home study assessor about the difference, they will need to be incorporated these into your home study report. The rule of thumb: the more stringent requirements will apply.

11. Can SACAC help me with finding a child/notarization/immigration matter/legalization matter?

While your home study assessors will try their best in providing information and referral, SACAC will only be able to do Home Study and Post-placement assessments and reports. We regret that we unable to help with matters beyond our scope of service.

12. I feel/think that I should not need to do…./provide… because… Can I be exempted?

All the various requirements from the different agencies, including SACAC, are to fulfill the agencies’ and Singapore’s/home country’s/adopting country’s policies. To speed up your adoption process, please cooperate in doing/providing what is required. Refusal to cooperate will only delay your adoption process.

13. I’ve contacted MCYS and they informed me that I don’t have to…

Some of the additional requirements are based on SACAC’s internal organizational policies for home study assessment. Also, unless you are pursuing adoption through the Singapore court process, there will be further requirements for an international adoption that are different from MCYS’s.

14. What is the validity period of the Home Study Report? When can I just do an update?

Your Home Study report is valid for a year from the date of the report. If your home study report has expired, you will need to do a new one. An update is done within the validity period of the original home study report. Its purpose is to reflect major change in the family during this period. You will need to do an update if there is a change in job, moving home/countries, change in family composition (death, marriage, divorce/separation, pregnancy, etc.), etc. When in doubt, please consult your adoption agency or SACAC.

15. How can I apply for a dependent pass for my adopted child?

For those who wish to legalize the adoption of a foreign child in Singapore, they are required to obtain a written confirmation from their respective embassy or relevant government authority to indicate that the adopted child will be granted residence or citizenship in that home country. Please approach MCYS to apply for dependent pass in this situation.
If completion of the adoption formalities are performed in the child’s country of origin/home country and the adoptive parents do not wish to legalize the adoption in Singapore, a dependent pass may be applied for under the sponsorship of the adoptive parents Employment Pass from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the adopted child to remain in Singapore while citizenship is applied for on behalf of the child in the parents’ home country.