Foster parents found for girl who lived in Circuit Rd stall
The 15-year-old girl living in a stall at Circuit Road Market and Food Centre will be moving in with her foster parents after she is discharged from hospital in end-May.
Lianhe Zaobao reported on May 17 that the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has successfully selected foster parents for the girl, who has special needs.
An MSF spokesperson said that when matching children with foster parents, priority is given to the safety and stability of the child. In this case, the foster parents must also be able to care for children with developmental disabilities.
The MSF officer in-charge will conduct regular checks after the girl is handed over to the foster parents to ensure that she can make a smooth transition.
In a report by The Straits Times on April 28, stall owners said the girl, who barely spoke and merely gestured, relieved herself in pails in the stall as she would not leave even to use the toilet.
She lived in the stall, which measures around 2m by 3m, with her father who rented it. Both father and daughter are Singapore permanent residents.
National Environment Agency officers conducting checks at the market in early-April had noticed the girl.
The police had said a 63-year-old man was assisting with investigations into ill-treatment of a child or young person by neglect under the Children and Young Persons. Those convicted can be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to $8,000, or both.
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