november 2017
November is
Greenstone life | 9
Adoption Awareness Month
During November, World Adoption Day is recognised and the aim of the day is to
celebrate family and adoption and to create awareness regarding adoption.
H
ow can you participate or get involved?
• Spread the word – On November 9th,
draw a smiley face on your hand and take
a photo. Post the picture to social media
using the hashtag #WorldAdoptionDay
• Donate – Give to an organisation that
facilitates adoption e.g. a baby/children’s
home, a pregnancy crisis centre or an adoption
organisation of your choice.
• Get involved – Volunteer, become an adoption
ambassador, create events or attend events in your
community like the ABBA World Adoption Day
celebration in Midrand. Any investment makes a
difference.
there is limited availability of adoptable children that can
be matched to prospective adoptive parents.
Timelines also differ in terms of process. Agencies and
social workers work differently in terms of application,
orientation and screening processes so timelines differ in
this phase of the process. The behind-the-scenes matching
timelines also differ as your preferences may limit
Frequently asked questions about adoption
We chatted to Mandy Hain from local company
Adoptmom to find out more about the adoption
process.
Where do I start if I am pregnant and want to
consider placing my child for adoption, or if I
want to adopt a child?
Be aware that only an accredited adoption social
worker or organisation can facilitate an adoption in
South Africa. Not all social workers are accredited
to do adoptions, and other professionals like a lawyer,
psychologist, or minister cannot facilitate an adoption.
See www.crisispregnancy.org.za and www.addoption.
co.za/www.adoption.org.za for more information
regarding adoption and to find a list of accredited service
providers in your area. A toll free number 0800-864-658
is also available Monday-Friday 8am to 4pm.
You can also contact Adoptmom which is based in
Edenvale. Mandy is passionate about adoption, and offers
adoption consulting services to both those wanting to
consider placing their child for adoption, and to those
wanting to adopt. She does not facilitate adoptions, but
having successfully adopted twice, she understands the
process well and can give input regarding the process
and the emotions of adoption, and can refer you to
active adoption accredited social workers and agencies/
organisations. Contact Mandy on mandy@adoptmom.
co.za or 084-370-2640. See www.adoptmom.co.za or
Adoptmom on Facebook.
What children are available for adoption within South
Africa?
The babies/children available for adoption in South Africa
fit the demographics of our country so the majority of
the children available for adoption are black and inter
race (i.e. where the child has mixed race heritage, and
is born to a birth mom who falls pregnant by a birth dad
of another race). The circumstances of the birth parents,
conception, pregnancy, birth and placement for adoption
vary for each child. Boys and girls are available for
adoption, and the ages include babies (newborn to 2
years) and older children.
A number of the babies and children available for
adoption have developmental, medical and special needs
conditions, including HIV+ children, children born to
HIV+ mothers, and those with developmental delays and
other medical conditions.
Will I be able to love a child that isn’t blood or
biologically related?
Definitely! Just think of those you love – the list is sure
to include those who are related and those who aren’t
biologically or blood related. We are built with a natural
capacity to love those who aren’t biologically or blood
related to us – or none of us would ever get married – and
we often accept and love a partner or spouse who has a
history before us, and who differs from us in heritage or
upbringing. The same is true in terms of adoption.
What are the adoption process timelines?
This is a tough question to answer. Inter race/black
adoption timelines are usually shorter because there
is more availability of adoptable children that can be
matched to prospective adoptive parents. White/coloured/
Indian adoption timelines are usually longer by default as
possible matchings, and there are other factors that may
affect the timelines, such as the birth parents changing
their minds. The adoption process is defined but every
case has specifics that must be applied to finalise the
adoption.
So there are many reasons why adoption timelines
differ dramatically, but I would estimate 3-7 years (some
social workers/agencies say 10 years) to adopt a white,
Indian or coloured
child, and 6 months-2
years to adopt a black
or inter race child.
The age at which a
child is placed can also
differ dramatically,
depending on the
adoption case specifics
and the legal process
requirement. For
example, many
adoptions in South
Africa stem from
abandoned babies and
in some cases it may
take up to eight months
before the child is
deemed adoptable
due to delays in
tracing birth parents,
birth registration
complications, etc.
What are the
adoption costs?
Again, this is a tough
question to answer
as there are various
variables at play in
each adoption case.
Allowable adoption
costs are governed
by legislation. As
such the agencies
and private social
workers should be able
to give you a break
down of their charges/
costs, and these
should only be for
professional services
rendered or actual
costs in facilitating the
adoption.
Some agencies
charge a standard fee
inclusive of assessments, legal paperwork, bir