November is World Adoption Month, and to raise awareness of the issues faced by South African adoptive families, childrenmattersa.org has created a series of videos that share personal stories of adoption, as told by adoptees.
They also reveal how they feel about the proposed changes to the Children's Act that may end adoptions in South Africa.
The end of adoption in SA?
Tom Jordi, the father behind the childrenmattersa.org petition to stop the proposed Children's Act Amendment Bill from being passed, explained to Parent24 that currently, the Children's Act Amendment Bill's proposed changes will result in specialist social workers no longer being able to charge professional fees, raise funds, or recoup their costs for guiding and facilitating the adoption process.
Also read: Meet the dad taking on the government on behalf of SA's orphaned and abandoned children
Other professionals such as lawyers and psychologists will also be prevented from assisting with the adoption process. The fallout of this is that private social workers will no longer be able to fund adoption services.
Professionals working for Child Protection Organisations, who are entitled to partial subsidies, will also struggle to survive, and eventually only under-resourced and over-worked government social workers will be left to perform adoptions.
Thandiwe's story
Thandiwe Garrett was rescued from dire circumstances in a children's place of safety, when she was adopted at 8 months old.
Listen to her story above
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Have you been affected by the proposed changes to the Children's Act?
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Read more:
OPINION: Adoption amendments deny opportunity to most vulnerable children
OPINION: The new proposed adoption law Is NOT in the best interests of our children