§ 55 — Prohibition against payments and rewards for non-permitted purposes

55.—(1) A person must not (directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries) make, give, receive or agree to make, give or receive any payment or other reward in consideration of an adoption in Singapore of a child or for any adoption‑related service in connection with the adoption or proposed adoption of a child, unless the payment or other reward is permitted under subsection (2) or approved by the Guardian‑in‑Adoption in any particular case.(2) The following payments and rewards are permitted for the purposes of this section:(a)

any payment to an authorised adoption agency for any one or more of the following adoption‑related services:(i)

the conduct of a pre‑adoption briefing described in section 12;

(ii)

the conduct of a disclosure of adoptive status briefing described in section 13;

(iii)

the conduct of any assessment by the authorised adoption agency for the purposes of preparing an ASA;

(b)

any payment to defray —(i)

any cost related to the necessary care of a biological mother and her child provided in connection with, and before or after, the delivery of the child;

(ii)

any medical expenses incurred for the delivery of the child;

(iii)

the cost of satisfying the subsistence needs of the child, including any medical expenses incurred for medical services rendered to the child;

(iv)

the cost of any caregiver engaged to care for the child;

(v)

the cost of any medical assessment of any of the following persons:(A)

any person who desires to adopt a child;

(B)

any biological parent of the child;

(C)

the child;

(vi)

any traveling expenses or cost of accommodation incurred for the transfer of the physical custody of the child to a person who desires to adopt a child; or

(vii)

any administration, legal or application fees incurred (whether in or outside Singapore) in the course of obtaining immigration facilities, registering or re‑registering the child’s birth or obtaining an adoption order (whether in or outside Singapore) in respect of the child;

(c)

any other payment or other reward that may be prescribed by the regulations.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)

to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or

(b)

in the case of a second or subsequent conviction — to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 years or to both.

—(1) A person must not (directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries) make, give, receive or agree to make, give or receive any payment or other reward in consideration of an adoption in Singapore of a child or for any adoption‑related service in connection with the adoption or proposed adoption of a child, unless the payment or other reward is permitted under subsection (2) or approved by the Guardian‑in‑Adoption in any particular case.

(2) The following payments and rewards are permitted for the purposes of this section:(a)

any payment to an authorised adoption agency for any one or more of the following adoption‑related services:(i)

the conduct of a pre‑adoption briefing described in section 12;

(ii)

the conduct of a disclosure of adoptive status briefing described in section 13;

(iii)

the conduct of any assessment by the authorised adoption agency for the purposes of preparing an ASA;

(b)

any payment to defray —(i)

any cost related to the necessary care of a biological mother and her child provided in connection with, and before or after, the delivery of the child;

(ii)

any medical expenses incurred for the delivery of the child;

(iii)

the cost of satisfying the subsistence needs of the child, including any medical expenses incurred for medical services rendered to the child;

(iv)

the cost of any caregiver engaged to care for the child;

(v)

the cost of any medical assessment of any of the following persons:(A)

any person who desires to adopt a child;

(B)

any biological parent of the child;

(C)

the child;

(vi)

any traveling expenses or cost of accommodation incurred for the transfer of the physical custody of the child to a person who desires to adopt a child; or

(vii)

any administration, legal or application fees incurred (whether in or outside Singapore) in the course of obtaining immigration facilities, registering or re‑registering the child’s birth or obtaining an adoption order (whether in or outside Singapore) in respect of the child;

(c)

any other payment or other reward that may be prescribed by the regulations.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)

to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or

(b)

in the case of a second or subsequent conviction — to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 years or to both.