What happens when adoptive parents no longer want the adopted child?

13 June 2016 1:49 PM

CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson speaks to Steven Nicholson, the Executive Director of Arise Cape Town to find out what the law say about adoptive parents who wants to relinquish their rights as adoptive parents.

This follows the story of a Krugersdorp couple who approached the North Gauteng High Court to compel the Ministry of Social Development to approve their request to give back their adoptive child.

The couple had raised the adopted boy for 5 years. They say they tried everything to successfully parent him, and failed. The boy was very destructive and they said they could no longer cope with his behaviour.

According to Nicholson, adoption is permanent and it comes with all the rights and responsibilities of parenting.

He says the law only makes provision for the biological parents, in case they change their mind and no longer want to give the child up for adoption. It does not however say much about adoptive parents.

After the adoption, the adoptive parents take up the child as their own. They become like biological parents of that child, he says.

Before you adopt it is important that you get quality pre-adoption training and put in place quality post-adoption support.
— Steven Nicholson, the Executive Director of Arise Cape Town

What we do know from research, is that any child that is in an institution, as good as that institution might be, for the first two or three years of life, there will be significant challenges.
— Steven Nicholson, the Executive Director of Arise Cape Town

He says difficulties arise especially around attachments to primary caregivers.

There should be some intervention for the child in those early years as well as quality preparation for parents.
— Steven Nicholson, the Executive Director of Arise Cape Town

Listen to the full interview below

Written by: Lengwadishang Ramphele