Anyone in the UK trying to adopt from South Africa?

We also live in England, (Lincolnshire) and we are also in the process of adopting from South Africa. We go to panel on 21 st July if all is well. From there we are also a little unsure of whats next. We have approached several agencies/ orphanages in SA ( via E mail ) asking for information. The only clear reply received so far has said that if we identify them as the agency in SA that they will deal with the process. They have stated the cost as being $3500 US, which struck me as rather expensive taking into the account the cost at this end. Have you had any similar quotes to see if that is a realistic figure? We are planning to adopt from the Johannesburg area. We would be interested in comparing notes as no one we have met over here seems to know much about the process.:D

Thanks for responding to my post! I was beginning to feel like we were the only ones in the UK trying to adopt from South Africa! We actually reside in Scotland and not in England. I was informed by the Dept. of Education and Skills (formerly the Dept. of Health) that since both the UK and South Africa are Convention (Hague signatory) countries, that our application would stay in Scotland and be sent on to South Africa from here rather than from the Dept. of Health as was the procedure previously. That is neither here nor there for you though. We will go to Panel on September 8th. The big questions come from what happens next.....I have the Please find below the contact information for South Africa. I have taken the following web site ([url]http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/directories/services/11575/174480[/url]) which may be of interest to you. I have been in contact with Marike Bloem before and the latest information she gave me was that no procedures have been put into place yet to deal with the process of inter-country adoptions and that there is no working relation between the UK and South Africa. As far as I can understand from what she says, there must first be procedures put into place and a working relation signed between the South African and British authorities. I have brought this to the attention of the Scottish Executive (who will finalize our paperwork) but I think that perhaps it is the Dept. of Education and Skills that needs to get on this. Please let me know what you can find out. I have also pasted the Dept. of Education and Skills contact at the end of this. ARE INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTIONS POSSIBLE? In the past, adoption by a non-citizen of a child born of a South African citizen in South Africa was possible only if the non-citizen qualified for naturalisation as a South African citizen. South African courts also had no power for adoptions of non-South African children by South Africans. However, South Africa has now signed an international convention on inter-country adoptions. The Children's Rights Bill, likely to be passed in 2004, sets out the procedure for inter-country adoptions. To legalise any inter-country adoptions it is important to liaise directly with the Registrar of Adoptions in Pretoria, as well as International Social Services (ISS) in South Africa. Ms. Marike Bloem Registrar of Adoptions, Department of Social Development Private Bag X901, Pretoria, 0001 Tel: 012 312 7593 Fax. 012 323 3733 marikeb@socdev.gov.za Mrs Francis Viviers ISS Tel: 012 312 7790. In England: Ian Johnson Department for Education and Skills Telephone 0870 000 2288 Text Phone 01928 794 274

Dear Ellie We have been approved by our county council and have just returned from a trip to South Africa. We have also spoken to Marica Bloem ( the Pretoria registrar). The news seems rather bleak. She says , as you have said, that there is still no agreement between South Africa and UK. She says they are not accepting any applications from the UK as there is still no written agreement and she does not believe there will be one. Apparently a new law is expected in the future and her belief is that it will stop inter country adoptions in most cases. ( There are apparently a number of high powered figures who believe that their children should remain within the country and would like to stop inter country adoption completely). She also believes that all applications may be stopped in the near future whilst the new policy is decided. Her advice to me was to find another country to adopt from. The other thing we heard was that they would like to remove the power for private social workers to work on the adoption process and bring it within a government controlled department. Have you heard any more, preferably good news?:confused:

Thanks for sharing your news - bleak though it is. We have in fact, postponed our going to panel until December in order to give us time to find out what the situation is in South Africa. Your news only confirms what I had found out in Scotland in June. We do have one more shred of hope though. My husband is a South African citizen. We are going to hire a lawyer in South Africa to research whether he may have rights to adopt as a 'domestic' case since he is a citizen of South Africa. I don't hold much hope, but we will give it a try. In the meantime, I think a plan B is in order. Are you looking into adopting from another African country? I have heard that in Ethiopia the process is formalized and working rather smoothly.

We have researched a little more and have decided to find out more about Swaziland. We have written e mails to various organisations and are awaiting replies. South Africa or Swaziland would suit us as we have a home in South Africa that is actually nearer Swaziland than Johannesburg. In either case it would be ideal for us to help our child to retain a sense of their own culture and origins. Here's hoping. Rob and Meg

Dear Rob and Meg, Have you returned yet from Swaziland? Please let me know what you found out there when you have time.