More than 50 couples attended a three-hour virtual seminar on foster parenting in Islam yesterday, hearing from religious experts, veteran foster parents and social workers.
For instance, some women wanted to know if under Islamic law, they would have to wear their headscarf at home while caring for their foster children.
Ustaz Irwan Hadi, deputy director from the Office of Mufti at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), said that under Islamic law they will not have to. "Fostering is in line with the Islamic spirit of ensuring that children are protected, and brought up in a home filled with love and compassion," he said.
During the webinar, foster parent Siti Jamilah Hamzah, 39, addressed concerns some parents had about how long it takes for foster children to settle into a new environment.
Every child is different, and every child will need a different amount of time to adjust, she said.
"We have to keep on doing what we are doing and be constant," added Ms Siti, who is a housewife with three children, aged seven, 18 and 21, and is foster parent to two young children.
She added that empathy and patience are key to making sure that all children feel loved and taken care of, and foster parents should show as much of that as possible.
The inaugural seminar, Islam And Fostering: Webinar 2020, was jointly organised by PPIS Oasis, a fostering agency by the Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS), in partnership with the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas).
Last month, The Straits Times reported that the number of children in foster care increased in the past five years, after the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) efforts to place more children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected under the care of foster parents instead of in a children's home.
There were 545 children in foster care last year, up from 535 in 2018 and 362 in 2015, and the children range from babies to those under 18 years old.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who attended the three-hour-long webinar, said he was heartened by the interest shown by the community in foster parenting.
"During these difficult times, it is all the more important that as a society, we band together to help those in need. There are children out there who could benefit from being cared for in a loving foster family," he said.
