A forever home abroad

IT is a joyful moment for the Upper Highway Baby home (UHBH) as they celebrate another successful adoption process. The adoption-based home for babies recently gave an update on one of their babies, Annalise, who found her forever home in Canada.

Explaining their adoption process, Kerry Stanton, co-founder of the Baby home said, “This is a legal process that takes time, which means that the babies are with us for over a year while the social workers make sure that the family they chose is perfect for the child. We are the lucky ones who get to take care of these precious souls while the process runs its course,” she said.

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Annalise was born in 2019, and she was brought to the baby home. Her adoption process started during Covid-19. “She was a tiny baby who always had heaps of character and personality. During her time with us, she quickly became deeply loved by the family, staff and volunteers and formed many special relationships and bonds along the way. She was part of our first set of babies at the UHBH that were fondly known as the BIG 5. They ruled the UHBH for two years as their adoptions were delayed due to Covid,” said Stanton.

She was introduced to her parents, Jon and Alana, whom she spent two months getting to know. “Annelise loved having their picture above her cot and said ‘goodnight’ and ‘good morning’ to them every day while we were waiting for Covid restrictions to ease so the family could travel from Canada where they live to meet their precious baby girl.

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“An international adoption takes time, and Annelise’s family, like all the others, spent two months getting to know her after waiting for over six months to travel to South Africa, dealing with all the statutory requirements of an international adoption before they were able to travel home to Canada as a family of four,” she said.

She said they are happy with Annelise’s progress. “Annelise has had a big year. This year, she started school in Canada and also became a big sister to her baby brother Titus. The whole family is overjoyed by Titus’s arrival, and Annelise and her big brother Teddy, who was also adopted from KZN, are relishing their roles as big brother and sister to the amazing little Titus.

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She said that the Upper Highway Baby Home strongly believes that there is a family for every child and knows that the family can be found.

The Home is currently raising funds for a borehole and basic food supplies for their outreach programmes. They are a registered NPO and can issue section 18A tax certificates. They also welcome preloved baby goodies and suitable volunteers with open arms.