diff --git a/reconcilers/reconcilers.go b/reconcilers/reconcilers.go
index 3e38dd8..2036162 100644
--- a/reconcilers/reconcilers.go
+++ b/reconcilers/reconcilers.go
@@ -746,6 +746,20 @@ type ChildReconciler struct {
 	//     func(a1, a2 client.Object) bool
 	SemanticEquals interface{}
 
+	// ListOptions allows custom options to be use when listing potential child resources. Each
+	// resource retrieved as part of the listing is confirmed via OurChild.
+	//
+	// Defaults to filtering by the parent's namespace:
+	//     []client.ListOption{
+	//         client.InNamespace(parent.GetNamespace()),
+	//     }
+	//
+	// Expected function signature:
+	//     func(ctx context.Context, parent client.Object) []client.ListOption
+	//
+	// +optional
+	ListOptions interface{}
+
 	// OurChild is used when there are multiple ChildReconciler for the same ChildType
 	// controlled by the same parent object. The function return true for child resources
 	// managed by this ChildReconciler. Objects returned from the DesiredChild function
@@ -880,6 +894,19 @@ func (r *ChildReconciler) validate(ctx context.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// validate ListOptions function signature:
+	//     nil
+	//     func(ctx context.Context, parent client.Object) []client.ListOption
+	if r.ListOptions != nil {
+		fn := reflect.TypeOf(r.ListOptions)
+		if fn.NumIn() != 2 || fn.NumOut() != 1 ||
+			!reflect.TypeOf((*context.Context)(nil)).Elem().AssignableTo(fn.In(0)) ||
+			!reflect.TypeOf(castParentType).AssignableTo(fn.In(1)) ||
+			!reflect.TypeOf([]client.ListOption{}).AssignableTo(fn.Out(0)) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("ChildReconciler %q must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, %s) []client.ListOption, found: %s", r.Name, reflect.TypeOf(castParentType), fn)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// validate OurChild function signature:
 	//     nil
 	//     func(parent, child client.Object) bool
@@ -954,7 +981,7 @@ func (r *ChildReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, parent client.Object) (
 
 	actual := newEmpty(r.ChildType).(client.Object)
 	children := newEmpty(r.ChildListType).(client.ObjectList)
-	if err := c.List(ctx, children, client.InNamespace(parent.GetNamespace())); err != nil {
+	if err := c.List(ctx, children, r.listOptions(ctx, parent)...); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	items := r.filterChildren(parent, children)
@@ -1180,6 +1207,20 @@ func (r *ChildReconciler) filterChildren(parent client.Object, children client.O
 	return items
 }
 
+func (r *ChildReconciler) listOptions(ctx context.Context, parent client.Object) []client.ListOption {
+	if r.ListOptions == nil {
+		return []client.ListOption{
+			client.InNamespace(parent.GetNamespace()),
+		}
+	}
+	fn := reflect.ValueOf(r.ListOptions)
+	out := fn.Call([]reflect.Value{
+		reflect.ValueOf(ctx),
+		reflect.ValueOf(parent),
+	})
+	return out[0].Interface().([]client.ListOption)
+}
+
 func (r *ChildReconciler) ourChild(parent, obj client.Object) bool {
 	if !metav1.IsControlledBy(obj, parent) {
 		return false
diff --git a/reconcilers/reconcilers_test.go b/reconcilers/reconcilers_test.go
index 64c8a63..01b6539 100644
--- a/reconcilers/reconcilers_test.go
+++ b/reconcilers/reconcilers_test.go
@@ -884,6 +884,32 @@ func TestChildReconciler(t *testing.T) {
 				return defaultChildReconciler(c)
 			},
 		},
+	}, {
+		Name: "child is in sync, in a different namespace",
+		Parent: resourceReady.
+			SpecDie(func(d *dies.TestResourceSpecDie) {
+				d.AddField("foo", "bar")
+			}).
+			StatusDie(func(d *dies.TestResourceStatusDie) {
+				d.AddField("foo", "bar")
+			}),
+		GivenObjects: []client.Object{
+			configMapGiven.
+				MetadataDie(func(d *diemetav1.ObjectMetaDie) {
+					d.Namespace("other-ns")
+				}),
+		},
+		Metadata: map[string]interface{}{
+			"SubReconciler": func(t *testing.T, c reconcilers.Config) reconcilers.SubReconciler {
+				r := defaultChildReconciler(c)
+				r.ListOptions = func(ctx context.Context, parent *resources.TestResource) []client.ListOption {
+					return []client.ListOption{
+						client.InNamespace("other-ns"),
+					}
+				}
+				return r
+			},
+		},
 	}, {
 		Name: "create child",
 		Parent: resource.
diff --git a/reconcilers/reconcilers_validate_test.go b/reconcilers/reconcilers_validate_test.go
index cc3c9d5..62cd715 100644
--- a/reconcilers/reconcilers_validate_test.go
+++ b/reconcilers/reconcilers_validate_test.go
@@ -755,6 +755,94 @@ func TestChildReconciler_validate(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "HarmonizeImmutableFields num out" must implement HarmonizeImmutableFields: nil | func(*v1.Pod, *v1.Pod), found: func(*v1.Pod, *v1.Pod) error`,
 		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption { return []client.ListOption{} },
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions num in",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				Name:                       "ListOptions num in",
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func() []client.ListOption { return []client.ListOption{} },
+			},
+			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "ListOptions num in" must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption, found: func() []client.ListOption`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions in 1",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				Name:                       "ListOptions in 1",
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func(child *corev1.Secret, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption { return []client.ListOption{} },
+			},
+			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "ListOptions in 1" must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption, found: func(*v1.Secret, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions in 2",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				Name:                       "ListOptions in 2",
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.Secret) []client.ListOption { return []client.ListOption{} },
+			},
+			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "ListOptions in 2" must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption, found: func(context.Context, *v1.Secret) []client.ListOption`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions num out",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				Name:                       "ListOptions num out",
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) {},
+			},
+			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "ListOptions num out" must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption, found: func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap)`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ListOptions out 1",
+			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},
+			reconciler: &ChildReconciler{
+				Name:                       "ListOptions out 1",
+				ChildType:                  &corev1.Pod{},
+				ChildListType:              &corev1.PodList{},
+				DesiredChild:               func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) (*corev1.Pod, error) { return nil, nil },
+				ReflectChildStatusOnParent: func(parent *corev1.ConfigMap, child *corev1.Pod, err error) {},
+				MergeBeforeUpdate:          func(current, desired *corev1.Pod) {},
+				SemanticEquals:             func(a1, a2 *corev1.Pod) bool { return false },
+				ListOptions:                func(ctx context.Context, parent *corev1.ConfigMap) client.ListOptions { return client.ListOptions{} },
+			},
+			shouldErr: `ChildReconciler "ListOptions out 1" must implement ListOptions: nil | func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) []client.ListOption, found: func(context.Context, *v1.ConfigMap) client.ListOptions`,
+		},
 		{
 			name:   "OurChild",
 			parent: &corev1.ConfigMap{},