Public Perceptions, Beliefs and Experiences of Fostering and Adoption: A National Qualitative Study in South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, rates of adoption remain low while the number of fostered children continually rises. Little is known about the public perceptions, beliefs and experiences that inform decisions to either foster or adopt in South Africa. This qualitative research explored these issues among a national sample of childless adults, biological parents, kin and non‐kin fostering parents and prospective and successful adopters. Fostering is driven predominantly by access to subsidies but is also informed by socio‐cultural beliefs. Low adoption rates are influenced by an absence of subsidies, poor access to quality adoptive services and a lack of information about adoption.

Implementation of Adoption in South Africa: Perspectives From Practitioners in the Western Cape

“…The largest study of adoption in South Africa was commissioned by the national government (Mokomane & Rochat, 2010Rochat, Mokomane, Mitchell & The Directorate, 2016). This study sketched the practice of adoption and investigated the problems faced in adoption.…”

Mental Health Workers’ Perceptions of Risk Factors for Human Trafficking in Nairobi, Kenya: A Preliminary Qualitative Investigation

“…This movement of children takes on two forms: kin fostering and placement. Kin fostering is a more permanent type of placement where children move between and within families to increase access to better resources and care (Blackie, 2014;Rochat, Mokomane, & and, 2015). Yet, kin fostering is not focused on legal processes or protection and uses less formal fostering practices (Abebe, 2010).…”

Black South Africans’ Perceptions and Experiences of the Legal Child Adoption Assessment Process

“…For example, in March 2010 the number of black children adopted by unrelated black adults was 898. However, in March 2018 the number of fit-and-proper black prospective adopters waiting to be matched with black children was only 54 (Personal communication with Mr. Chavalala on of the Department of Social Development who manages the Register on Adoptable Children and Prospective Adoptive Parents [RACAP] The urgent need to research the topic of domestic adoption was made apparent by Mokomane and Rochat (2016), who emphasised that if policy makers in South Africa are going to facilitate domestic adoptions, it is important that they gain a clearer understanding of the barriers that may prevent them from doing so. Furthermore, the Department of Social Development (DSD) and the National Adoption Committee of South Africa (NACSA) have repeatedly emphasised that that there is an urgent need to recruit prospective black adopters (NACSA, 2016).…”