Jeevie Pillay, an adoption specialist social worker spoke to POST reporter, Nadia Khan, about private adoptions.
Q: What is a private adoption?
A: It is undertaken by an accredited adoption specialist social worker in private practice. Adoption is a specialist’s area of expertise.
Q: What are the requirements for a private adoption?
A: The prospective applicants need to first be screened to check if they are suitable to make an application. The biological parents need to consent to the proposed adoption. If a child is over 10 years old, they can consent to their adoption, provided they understand the nature of such a consent.
Q: Is there a vetting process?
A: Part of the screening process includes obtaining police clearance, checking the National Register for Sex Offenders, character references, individual interviews with applicants and extended family members, home visits, and completing psychosocial assessments.
Q: What does it cost for a private adoption?
A: It is difficult to provide a ballpark figure since each adoption is different. There are related and non-related adoptions. Not all adoptions are straightforward. It does come with complications. However, family adoptions are not as expensive as non-related.
Q: How long does the process often take?
A: In private practice the adoption process – until the granting of the order – in a best case scenario can take between nine months and a year. Adoption is a permanent decision and it is life-changing. Therefore, the social worker processing an adoption has to convince the court through thorough investigations that the adoption is in the child’s best interest. These investigations take time depending on prevailing circumstances.
Q: What are some of the challenges that prospective adoptive parents face?
A: There can be delays in the social development process or same-race match, among other factors.
Q: On average, how many people approach you a month?
A: I receive between 10 and 17 enquiries. However, it does not necessarily translate into adoption cases.
Q: What are the demands?
A: There is a high demand of the same race, particularly Indian or white adoptions. However, transracial adoptions are mostly what we are processing in private practice, as well as foster care leading to adoption.
Q: What is your advice to people that want to adopt?
A: A prospective applicant needs to ensure they engage an accredited service provider. There are non-governmental organisations and private social workers, who are accredited to render adoption services. It is a personal choice to seek a public or private service.
In addition, infertility is a real and great issue with childless couples. Therefore, they need to work on their feelings before exploring their readiness to adopt. Both applicants must be ready to engage with the process. Lastly, adoption is a bitter-sweet journey as it can be smooth-sailing or like a rollercoaster-ride. But whatever the journey is, the end result is a happy family and a securely-attached child.
Jeevi Pillay, who has a Master’s degree in social welfare policy, has been a social worker for 37 years. She has been doing private adoptions for over 16 years.
THE POST
