Foster care more prevalent
The lengthy processes involved in formal adoption is one of the main reasons why South Africans are more likely to take orphans into foster care. That was the opinion of two Muslim orphanages in Cape Town, after a study by the SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) showed an increase in foster care rather than adoption. According to the statistics, South Africa has more than 1.4 million children living in foster care households. The study showed that adoptions decreased by 52% and foster care increased by 72%.
Gaironisa James, a child and youth care worker at Habibia Children’s Home in Rylands said adoption processes do take up a lot of time. “Adoption is a long procedure and with foster care we do a proper background with the foster care parents and the child gets placed by social services or child welfare to various foster parents rather swiftly,” she said.
The fact that foster care came with a financial incentive made it easier for foster parents. The foster care grant is currently at R770 a month and many people are now opting to foster a child than to adopt one. “It depends on the social services as well. They will too decide as to how well the foster parents are able to take care of the kids. If they feel that the foster parents will benefit from another source of income then they will grant them that,” James explained.
To offset this problem, Vision has various programs with the orphans including that of hosting a child for the school holidays. “If families can host a child over school holidays and on Eid they actually start getting familiar with the child and the child themselves, get used to the family as well. This is how we can find out if they are compatible and if not. If things work out, then they allowed to host the child for a period of six months,” he explained. The interested couple or individual can apply for foster care for the child if a relationship or bond has been formed. If the ‘parent’ take the child out of foster care without getting to know them, most of the time it back fires.
The SAIRR report further stated that the number of orphans increased by 29% between 2005 and 2009, from just over 4 million children to 5.2 million. Jacobs said they too have seen an increase in the amount of children being placed in orphanages. “Because of poverty and unemployment in our communities, many of these parents revert to drugs to solve their problems and this is becoming very scary. It is increasing tremendously and you won’t just find the fathers on drugs but the mothers themselves,” he said. A number of children at Vision have been brought in at a very young age and their parents are daily substance abusers.
“Most of these kids come out of broken homes and according to the social workers, many of their parents have a ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards them,” said Jacobs. Unemployment and the high cost of living meant that the extended families were unable to take of the child if they were abandoned or neglected by their drug-addicted parents.
SAIRR estimated that by the year 2015 there will be more than 5.5 million orphans in South Africa with 32% of these kids being maternal, 56% paternal and 12% double orphans. According to James, the prevalence of HIV/Aids was and would remain a major factor in the increase of orphans. “It’s also about education...parents need to teach their children about the dangers of promiscuity and about healthy living. If we can do this, young children won’t be removed from their biological parents,” she said.
James added that more guidance needs to be given to children at school and that they need to understand the consequences of having children at a young age. “I think that we need more teenage pregnancy subjects at a school level to teach these kids. It needs to be implemented to both males and females. Education is vital and the earlier we start, the better.” VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
Gaironisa James, a child and youth care worker at Habibia Children’s Home in Rylands said adoption processes do take up a lot of time. “Adoption is a long procedure and with foster care we do a proper background with the foster care parents and the child gets placed by social services or child welfare to various foster parents rather swiftly,” she said.
The fact that foster care came with a financial incentive made it easier for foster parents. The foster care grant is currently at R770 a month and many people are now opting to foster a child than to adopt one. “It depends on the social services as well. They will too decide as to how well the foster parents are able to take care of the kids. If they feel that the foster parents will benefit from another source of income then they will grant them that,” James explained.
Compatibility
Fareed Jacobs, the manager at Vision and Child Care Centre in Athlone, said that there are a number of reasons why South Africans are reluctant to adopt an orphan instead of providing foster care. “At many times people adopt children but then things don’t work out and they find themselves bringing the child back to the orphanage or social worker. That’s a huge setback for the child,” he told VOC News.To offset this problem, Vision has various programs with the orphans including that of hosting a child for the school holidays. “If families can host a child over school holidays and on Eid they actually start getting familiar with the child and the child themselves, get used to the family as well. This is how we can find out if they are compatible and if not. If things work out, then they allowed to host the child for a period of six months,” he explained. The interested couple or individual can apply for foster care for the child if a relationship or bond has been formed. If the ‘parent’ take the child out of foster care without getting to know them, most of the time it back fires.
The SAIRR report further stated that the number of orphans increased by 29% between 2005 and 2009, from just over 4 million children to 5.2 million. Jacobs said they too have seen an increase in the amount of children being placed in orphanages. “Because of poverty and unemployment in our communities, many of these parents revert to drugs to solve their problems and this is becoming very scary. It is increasing tremendously and you won’t just find the fathers on drugs but the mothers themselves,” he said. A number of children at Vision have been brought in at a very young age and their parents are daily substance abusers.
“Most of these kids come out of broken homes and according to the social workers, many of their parents have a ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards them,” said Jacobs. Unemployment and the high cost of living meant that the extended families were unable to take of the child if they were abandoned or neglected by their drug-addicted parents.
Awareness
“If the masajid and churches preach, then we can make a greater awareness about the situation. Because of drug abuse, people do not know what they are doing and abuse their own children. Sexual abuse and violence towards children are the type of cases we get on a daily basis,” Jacobs said. The centre is currently busy with a building project to increase space to allow more orphans on the premises and urged the public to contribute towards the centre. “The reason we appeal for people to donate to us generously is that so we can complete our building project and take in more children,” Jacobs urged.SAIRR estimated that by the year 2015 there will be more than 5.5 million orphans in South Africa with 32% of these kids being maternal, 56% paternal and 12% double orphans. According to James, the prevalence of HIV/Aids was and would remain a major factor in the increase of orphans. “It’s also about education...parents need to teach their children about the dangers of promiscuity and about healthy living. If we can do this, young children won’t be removed from their biological parents,” she said.
James added that more guidance needs to be given to children at school and that they need to understand the consequences of having children at a young age. “I think that we need more teenage pregnancy subjects at a school level to teach these kids. It needs to be implemented to both males and females. Education is vital and the earlier we start, the better.” VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
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