Adoption advice – can you adopt a friend’s baby?
JOBURG – Here's some legal advice on what steps to follow in order to legally adopt a child, even if it's a friend's child.
Couples choose to adopt children for different reasons. Roy Bregman of Bregman and Moodley attorneys shares some advice on the legal route that needs to be taken when adopting a child.
According to Bregman, the biological parents would need to receive counselling from an accredited adoption social worker to look at all the options available to them when planning the future for their unborn child. Should they decide on adoption, they will be assisted to sign consent for the baby’s adoption, in a Children’s Court.
The biological parents would have 60 days after signing the adoption consent to change their minds about the adoption.
It’s best that during this period, the baby is placed in a temporary safe-care facility.
As a prospective adoptive parent, you would need to go through a screening process with an accredited adoption agency or with an accredited adoption social worker in private practice which involves attending an orientation meeting, interviews with a social worker, a full medical with a doctor on our panel, a psychological assessment, a marriage assessment (if married or in a committed relationship), a home visit, police clearance and clearance from the Child Protection Register.
You would also be required to attend a full day’s training and preparation group.
The screening can take between five and six months. There is a charge for all professional services and you would be responsible for paying the doctor and psychologist directly.
The baby would remain in temporary safe care until the prospective adopters have completed the screening process and the baby has become adoptable.
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