No Singapore families affected by China’s decision to stop all foreign adoptions
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Business owner Veronica Low and her husband Stephen Vass (both in back row) with their children (from left) Gregory, Madeline and Christopher.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – The sudden announcement by China that it would stop sending its children overseas for adoption has no impact on families in Singapore, as there are no current applications by couples here to adopt an unrelated child from China.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) told The Straits Times this when asked how many Singapore couples were affected by China’s announcement on Sept 6.
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry had said that China would no longer allow couples from other countries to adopt its children, with the only exception being for blood relatives adopting a child or a stepchild.
The spokeswoman did not provide any explanations, except to say that the decision was in line with the spirit of the relevant international conventions.
The MSF did not say how many children from China were adopted by couples in Singapore in 2023 or the years before that, though ST understands such adoptions are uncommon here.
In 2015, ST reported that 25 children were adopted from China in the preceding five years. This comprised only about 1 per cent of all the adoptions during the period.
Adoption agents interviewed said that China adoptions are not popular with Singapore parents, given the long wait.
Prospective parents also cannot choose the child they want to adopt – unlike when they want to adopt children from other countries – but can only state their preference in terms of the child’s age and gender, and have to wait to be matched to a child by the Chinese authorities.
For children from Malaysia and Indonesia, for example, commercial adoption agencies typically allow prospective parents to see and choose the child they want to adopt.
Ms Alice Kaveree, who runs Lotus Child Adoption Agency, said most foreign children adopted by Singapore couples are from Malaysia and Indonesia.
She said of the wait to adopt a child from China: “We don’t know how long (it would take).
“For Malaysia and Indonesia, I tell couples the minimum wait is six months and the maximum is two years.”
It was previously reported that the wait to be matched to a Chinese child from an orphanage was about 7½ years on average for Singapore couples.
On Sept 24, an MSF spokeswoman said the ministry does not track the wait time for applicants to be matched with a Chinese child who meets the criteria.
Two agencies, Touch Community Services and Fei Yue Community Services, are appointed by MSF to facilitate the adoption of children from China.
Since 2004, all prospective parents wishing to adopt a child from China have had to go to these two social service agencies.
Commercial adoption agents are not allowed to facilitate the adoption of children from China.
Ms Deirdre Lim, head of Touch Adoption at Touch Community Services, said the Chinese authorities would match a child to the couple based on their stated preferences, such as the child’s age and health.
She said: “However, due to the long wait times, most couples have moved on to explore other options, such as in-vitro fertilisation or adopting a (Singapore) child under the state’s care.
“As most of them married late, it will not be possible to wait for such a long time to start their families.”
Business owner Veronica Low, 51, and her 64-year-old husband Stephen Vass, a senior executive at a global technology research firm, waited about seven years before they were matched with a child from China.
Ms Low, who thought she had fertility issues, was initially told the wait to be matched to a Chinese child was three months.
Three months became one year, one year became three, and later she was told the wait was indefinite.
During the seven years of waiting, she gave birth to two sons – to the couple’s surprise and delight.
Eventually, the couple still said yes to adopting Madeline, a two-year-old girl living in a Chinese orphanage then. All they had were Madeline’s pictures, her medical records and some background information about her to help them make their decision.
Madeline is now 13. Their sons, Gregory and Christopher, are now 17 and 14, respectively.
Ms Low said: “When Touch Community Services said China had matched us with a girl, we were shocked. We thought it was never going to happen.
“But we felt it was God’s plan, so we said yes. Come what may, we would love and take care of her as our own.”
