SUCCESS IN RECORD-KEEPING IN THE ADOPTION PROCESS

Cuma Pantshwa

• The Department of Social Development (DSD) in South Africa is committed to streamlining the adoption process, with a focus on thorough documentation and transparency to ensure vulnerable children find secure, loving homes.
• Despite detailed records and dedicated social workers, a shortage of prospective adoptive parents remains a critical challenge, leaving thousands of children without permanent families.
• As DSD marks World Adoption Day, it aims to raise awareness and address cultural, resource, and knowledge-based barriers, promoting adoption as a valuable option for both children in need and families looking to grow.

Over the years, the Department of Social Development (DSD) has worked tirelessly to ensure that the adoption process is efficient, transparent, and, most importantly, a pathway to a better life for children in need of care and protection.

A key success of South Africa’s adoption system is the Department of Social Development’s emphasis on maintaining accurate, detailed records. In a country with a complex social landscape, proper documentation is essential to ensure that every child is accounted for and that the adoption process complies with the law.

“Adoption is a serious and sensitive matter, and the process is complex. We must capture every child that has been adopted. There are two different registers that we work with. One is the adoptions register, a central database of all the finalised adoptions in the country—this is the Adoptions Register,” said Mr Isaac Chavalala, Social Work Policy Manager for Adoptions and ISS at DSD. He shed light on the role of effective record-keeping in the adoption process, a lengthy and detailed procedure where each phase is crucial. From consent withdrawal periods to background checks and registration protocols, every step is necessary to protect children.

The DSD employs 412 social workers registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professionals, trained by the department to provide adoption services. Mr Chavalala further explained that the second register is a database used by social workers to match adoptable children with suitable prospective parents. “Social workers trained in adoptions use this system to register all prospective parents and children available for adoption,” he said. This Register of Adoptable Children and Adoptive Parents (RACAP) helps match children with suitable families. Once a social worker completes background checks and assessments on a child or prospective parent, they register them on RACAP, enabling other social workers to search for matches and initiate the adoption process when a suitable match is found.

By keeping meticulous records, the DSD is also able to monitor adoption trends and assess the system’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of vulnerable children. According to the latest RACAP records, there are currently 728 prospective adoptive parents and 2,346 adoptable children on the register. Mr Chavalala highlighted a significant challenge in the adoption process: an insufficient number of prospective adoptive parents coming forward to adopt the children available. On average, about 30 children are registered each month, but only five prospective parents are successfully added to the database. “We’ve got more children and fewer prospective adoptive parents,” he explained.

Ms Rosina Mnisi from the Directorate: Adoptions & International Social Services (ISS) at the Department of Social Development also noted that adoption is underutilised in South Africa compared to other temporary placement options, such as foster care and child and youth care centres. “The adoption policy framework and strategy was developed to promote adoption in South Africa. It also highlights barriers that prevent people from adopting, including socio-cultural obstacles, resource allocation, knowledge-based obstacles, and service provider challenges, and suggests ways to address them,” she said.

As the world observes World Adoption Day on 9 November, the DSD joins the global community in raising awareness of the shortage of prospective adoptive parents. This shortage may be partly attributed to a lack of awareness and education within communities about adoption services.

Through awareness campaigns, the DSD aims to change societal attitudes about adoption, promoting it as a viable and rewarding option for families and supporting every child’s fundamental right to a loving family, as enshrined in the Constitution.