Adoption remains permanent solution for children’s stablity.
South Africa sees an estimated 2 000 children abandoned annually, with the result that child-care providers play a critical role in offering safe, temporary shelter for hundreds of children each year.
According to Terryl Mathibedi, therapy team leader at Thusanani Children’s Foundation, every child has the right to be raised in a household in which they can experience the unconditional love of a family and outside of a family.
Therefore, adoption is still viewed as the most permanent solution for children.
“Despite the fact that adoption provides the best possible outcome for children, adoption rates in South Africa continue to decline, while the numbers of children entering the system is increasing,” says Pam Wilson, adoption supervisor at Johannesburg Child Welfare.
Children who enter the welfare system have usually already had a difficult start in life, the effects of which can have a long-term developmental or psychological impact in the future.
“For the past 12 years, Thusanani Children’s Foundation has worked to provide an efficient and coordinated support service to help speed up the sluggish administrative process in adoption,” says Mathibedi.
Based in Gauteng, Thusanani works closely with welfare and adoption agencies such as Johannesburg Child Welfare, to support the adoption process through the provision of essential medical and occupational therapy assessments.
These reports form a necessary part of the process, as both the legal system and prospective parents require detailed medical and developmental information.
“Thusanani aims to enhance these environments through providing information and practical ideas for stimulation to the staff and caregivers and an increased understanding of the importance and the role of play in children’s development.
“Therapists screen the babies to identify those at risk of disability and delay and provide therapy to reduce the long-term consequences for the children,” explains Mathibedi.
Assessments and reports provided by Thusanani help to provide the necessary information to assist in planning for long term placement.
“From the available information we have for 2013, at least 300 children seen by Thusanani Children’s Foundation clinics were adopted; this is approximately 18 per cent of the 1 699 adoptions reported in South Africa for the same period,” says Mathibedi. – @BoksburgNews
