13. Notification of transfers
Feedback & supportEvery person who has or intends to have a transferred child in his care, custody or control in Singapore, whether the transfer was made or is to be made within or without Singapore, shall forthwith notify the transfer or intended transfer to a protector.
transferred child
“transferred child” means a child under the age of 14 years who is living apart from his natural father or mother but does not include a child —(a)who is living with a grandparent, a brother or sister by the whole or half blood, or a brother or sister of a deceased parent by the whole blood;(b)who being a female is over the age of 12 years and is married and is living with her husband or with a parent or grandparent of her husband;(c)who has been lawfully adopted in accordance with any written law relating to adoption and is living with the adopter;(d)who is living with a legal guardian;(e)who is living with a person other than his natural father or mother in pursuance of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction of Singapore or of Malaysia, or in pursuance of an order made under the provisions of this Act or the Women’s Charter or of any corresponding enactment of Malaysia or any part thereof;(f)who is an inmate of any orphanage, hospital, home or institution maintained by the Government, or of any place of safety; or(g)who is a boarder at a school registered under the Education Act or any corresponding enactment of Malaysia or any part thereof, or is regularly attending such a school and is living with a friend or relative of his natural father or mother or of his legal guardian or adopter, with the consent of the father, mother, legal guardian or adopter, as the case may be.
The father, mother, legal guardian or guardian of every such transferred child as is referred to in subsection (1) shall, if resident in Singapore, also notify the transfer or intended transfer to the same protector.
legal guardian
“legal guardian”, in relation to a child or young person, means a person lawfully appointed by deed or will or by the order of a competent court to be the guardian of that child or young person;
On receiving such notification the protector may make such inquiry as he thinks fit as to the reasons for the transfer or intended transfer of the child and as to the suitability for that purpose of the person who has or intends to have the care, custody or control of the child.
protector
“protector” includes the Director of Social Welfare, Assistant Directors of Social Welfare and such other persons as the President may, by notification in the Gazette, declare to be vested with all or any of the powers conferred and the duties imposed upon a protector by this Act or by any rules made thereunder;
If after such inquiry the protector considers it expedient in the interests of the child, he may —
child
“child” means —(a)in the case of a person employed or engaged to take part in any public entertainment, a person under the age of 16 years; and(b)in any other case, a person under the age of 14 years;
refuse to accept the notification and order that the child be returned to or remain in the care, custody or control of his father, mother, legal guardian or guardian, as the case may be; or
accept the notification on condition that the person who has or intends to have the care, custody or control of the child, furnishes security as provided in section 16(3).
If default is made in complying with any condition of a bond made under subsection (4), the protector may make an order as provided in section 16(4).
The protector shall register particulars relating to any child in respect of whom an order has been made under subsection (4)(a), or security has been given under subsection (4)(b), or an order has been made under subsection (5) and also particulars relating to his parents and to any person who has had or has the care, custody or control of the child, or who has made a notification in respect of the child.
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4), the protector shall accept every notification made under this section and shall record particulars thereof.