Court may get more power to dispense with parental consent for adoption

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The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is proposing to amend the Adoption of Children Act to allow the court to dispense with the need, under certain circumstances, for the birth parents' consent to giving their child up for adoption.

In a consultation paper on the review of the Act, it said: "There are some children whose parents are unable to care for them despite their best efforts, even with the support of professionals and the community. In some cases, these children could be placed in a children's home or be in foster care for many years.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 12, 2021, with the headline Court may get more power to dispense with parental consent for adoption. Subscribe