SINGAPORE – She was a nurse for six years, caring for children and new mothers. Three years ago, Ms Hazel Sim took her love for children one step further by becoming a foster parent.
The 34-year-old, now working in sales, has already cared for three children under the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) fostering scheme. The scheme provides the care arrangement of children aged under 18 who are orphans, victims of abuse, or whose parents are unable to care for them.
Ms Sim’s first foster child had special needs. She cared for the eight-month-old baby till the girl returned to her biological family at the age of four. Ms Sim is currently the foster parent of a five-month-old girl and a two-year-old boy.
She and her husband Jackson Lai, 37, tried to have children of their own but have been unsuccessful. “For our family, we have nothing to lose but for these children, they have everything to gain,” she said.
In this episode of Heroes Among Us, a video series that explores the lives of everyday people who rise above their circumstances, Ms Sim tells her story.
The MSF Fostering Service has helped over 5,500 foster children in the past 60 years. There are currently 420 foster parents caring for 430 children under the scheme.
This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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