Adoption organisations, agencies and social workers
If you wish to enquire about adoption or fostering, contact one of the following agencies. Ask to speak to the adoption department or an adoption social worker.
For foster care, contact the foster care department or a foster care social worker.
Most of the waiting lists for the state departments of welfare are currently closed for the adoption of white infants. They have many black children.
For advice or queries from National Adoptive Parents Institute (NAPI), e-mail
Adoption Centre
31 Eden Road Claremont
Cape Town 7700.
Tel (021) 64-4170, fax (021) 683-4790.
Durban Child Family and Community Care Centre
PO Box 128,
Durban, 4000
Tel (031) 309-1501, fax (031) 309-3000. Also have
an infertility support group. Mainly for adoption of Moslem and Hindu children.
Durban Child Welfare
PO Box 47569
Greyville, 4023.
Tel (031) 239-313
Johannesburg Child Welfare Society
PO Box 2537
Johannesburg, 2000
Tel (011) 331-0171(w), fax (011) 331-1303. Waiting lists currently closed for the adoption of white
infants. Do transracial adoptions.Transracial support
group operative.
Johannesburg Institute of Social Services
Tel (011) 852-6016 for Indian couples.
Pietermaritzburg Child and Family Welfare
Adoption manager
PO Box 748
Pietermaritzburg
Tel (0331) 42-8971
Pinetown Child Welfare
PO Box 42
Pinetown, 3600
Mrs Hawke
Tel (031) 701-3288, fax (031) 701-4338
Pretoria Child and Family Care Society
PO Box 503
Pretoria, 0001
Tel (012) 469-236, fax (012) 466-333. You do not
have to live in the Pretoria area to adopt through this
agency. May be closed for white adoptions at the moment.
A Department of Child Welfare
in your local area may provide adoption information for your area.
The SA Association of Social Workers in Private Practice
have details of social workers doing
adoptions in your area.
Contact address:
PO Box 95780
Grant Park, 2051
Tel (011) 887-1968
Apostolic Faith Mission
Jessie Swart
PO Box 890125
Lynhurst, 2106
Catholic Women's League
33 Robertsham Avenue
Kensington, 2094
Tel (011) 618-1533 (w), fax (011) 618-1538. You do not have to be Catholic to apply to this agency to adopt. Screen for transcultural adoptions. Excellent post adoption facilities.
Christelike Maatskaplike Raad
PO Box 2037
Groenkloof, 0027
Tel (012) 469 2723 (Mpumalanga, Gauteng)
Durban (031) 202-6405
Cape Town (021) 424-9356
Johannesburg
Cotlands 134
Standton Street
Turfontein
Johannesburg,
Tel (011) 683-7200. Also for foster care. Enquire about long term foster care. Transracial adoptions and adoption of special needs children.
For the Love of Christ Ministry
Thea and Robin Jarvis
Tel (011) 682-2688,
Mainly placements of foundlings and babies in black
families and transcultural adoptions. Check if they have
qualified social workers. Good social contact after
adoption.
South African Cares for Life
Contact Riekie van den Berg
PO Box 2011
Newlands
Pretoria, 0049
Tel (012) 343-3693. Take referrals for adoption by the Apostolic Faith Mission. Only place children for adoption with Christian families. White adoptions but also undertake black, Indian and mixed race placements. Work with those who have decided not to do
abortions.
Ondersteuningsraad
PO Box 26282
Arcadia, 0007.
Tel (012) 325-2320
SA Vrouefederasie
Adoptions Department
Posbus, 40526
Johannesburg, 2000. For first time adopters only. Not only for Afrikaans couples. Gauteng area only tel (012) 329-4759, fax (012) 324-
4109
Durban/Piertermaritburg area tel (0331) 62-1229
Cape tel (021) 461-1109
SKDB Eastern Transvaal
PO Box 433
Pretoria, 0001.
Tel (012) 322-8900. Place children for adoption with members of the NG Churches only in the old Eastern Transvaal area.The above organisations or a Church in your area may provide adoption information for you.
Another option is to contact the Foster Care departments of agencies and children's homes and investigate if there are any very young children who may be in need of long term foster care. '
New legislation (Child Care Act) should be ready by the end of 2000 whereby long term foster care may be changed into something more permanent - very much like adoption. This may mean keeping (like adopting) a child to the age of 18 - 21.
We also recommend that you inform your doctor and church minister of your intention to adopt. They can be very supportive at this time. They may also find you adoption leads.
Take care that any adoption, which follows from
this, is carried out by a qualified social worker and
legalised in a magistrates court.
Many adoptions are taking place where young girls approach prospective adoptive parents to adopt their baby, so tell as many people as you can that you would like to adopt.
If you are lucky enough to find a birth mother, then approach a social worker to do all the legal work.
If you wish to investigate doing an international adoption, this is possible at a cost of about
R70 000 - R100 000. Contact Sheri Shenker at tel (011) 458-3549. She specialises in helping parents adopt Russian babies.
If you are interested in a trans cultural adoption, contact any welfare organisation for details.
Please do not give up hope. With lots of investigating and a positive attitude you will find the perfect child.