UNABLE to conceive, Madam Norliza Selamat had wanted to foster a child but did not want to rush into it.
It took two years, and the encouragement of her mother, before she sent in an application to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
'My mother knew a neighbour who was a foster mum, and she saw the joy in their household. She knew I wanted it too' said Madam Norliza, 44, a housewife.
She and her husband, Mr Kim Andrew Aitken, 44, a manager in an offshore surveying company, had tried to conceive after their marriage in 1996 but were unsuccessful.
The girl the couple decided to be foster parents to in 2004 is now eight years old.
They have since, in 2006, adopted a four-year-old daughter.
Madam Norliza was one of 190 foster parents and over 300 foster children who attended Love Beyond Boundaries, a party hosted by MCYS at Downtown East on Saturday.
The annual event, graced this year by Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State at MCYS, celebrates the resilience of foster children, and also to appreciate the efforts of the foster parents.
A total of 21 long service awards were given out, to recognise foster parents with at least 10 years' service.
