Day 8: HOW TO: adopt a child

Dec 02 2009 09:39

How can you practically empower yourself, or the women and children you know, during this year's 16 days of Activism? The Mail & Guardian's "HOW TO" guide will tackle a different area each day, including suing for maintenance, applying for a social grant and getting an interdict against an abusive partner.

How to go about adopting a child in South Africa:

Adoption is the placement of a child in the permanent care of a person who is not their biological parent or permanent guardian. Adoption provides a permanent or stable family life for children who would otherwise be deprived of one.

Prescriptions regarding the overall adoption service apply to the Children's Court, adoption agencies and adoptive parents. Any child in need of care up to the age of 18 qualifies for adoption.

Adoption services in South Africa are only rendered by child protection organisations and social workers in private practice. While some of these organisations are eligible for subsidies from government, others are not.

According to the Children's Act, 2005, one may not be disqualified from adopting a child by virtue of his/her financial status. However, a person may be turned down as a prospective parent if they cannot provide the child with stability, security, a safe home environment and are not psychologically and emotionally stable.

Unmarried people are also legally eligible to adopt a child if they meet the requirements. This includes the biological father to a child born out of wedlock, with emphasis being put on the best interest of the child in question.

The screening process
The process differs from organisation to organisation but largely involves orientation to help prospective adoptive parents understand the process and its implications better. This is followed by a background interview on the parents to discuss issues such as infertility, marriage, extended family support, culture and so on. The next step is usually a visit by the child to the prospective parent(s)' home , followed by a week-long preparation course, after which comes the finalising of the legalities, including placement and matching of parent(s) and child and finally the two-year after care and support. The entire screening process can take up to between four and six months in total.

Follow these steps when you have decided that you want to adopt:

Complete a form at your nearest Social Development office or Children's Court.
Your application will be assessed to determine your suitability as an adoptive parent.
If your application is successful, the Commissioner of Welfare will issue an adoption order.
After the Commissioner has issued the adoption order, documents are sent to the Registrar of Adoptions for registration. The Registrar of Adoptions will subsequently issue a certified copy of Adoption.

Inquiries directed to the Registrar of Adoptions must include the following:

Adopted or birth name of the child

Identity number or date of birth of the child

Names of adoptive parents or biological parents

Full contact details of the enquirer

Foster care

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A foster child is a child who has been removed from parents and legally placed in the care of foster parents or a foster home. Factors taken into account in the screening include the age of the prospective foster parents, their health, the family composition and income, the suitability of accommodation, the general environment and closeness of schools and public transport.

In order to apply to become a foster parent, you can contact the Department of Social Development's District Office or Service Point in your area. The intake worker will arrange for you to be screened by a social worker operating in your area. The screening involves interviews and a visit to your home.

At the Children's Court hearing, the social worker will recommend to the court that the child be placed in foster care with the screened foster parents. The foster parents often don't need to go to court at all. Foster parents will, however, need to go to court for Children's Court proceedings if they are called as witnesses by the Commissioner of child welfare.

Useful contact details:

Adoption South Africa

082 5540625 or 084 4663790

Abba Adoptions 012 343 7721

True Love Awaits 083 799 9901

Africa Cares for Life 031 903 2340

Africa Christian Action 021 689 4481

The above information is courtesy of the
Department of Social Development and Capegateway
.
Read the daily "HOW TO" guides so far here

View more on our special report on 16 days of activism here..

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Day 8: HOW TO: adopt a child

Foster care

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