Steps to follow
Giving consent
- If you are a parent or guardian of the child, complete Form 61, Consent by parent or guardian to The adoption of a child;
- If you are the child and 10 years of age or older, complete Form 62, Consent by child to adoption.
- Consent must be given in writing. If it is given in South Africa,
the person or persons giving the consent must sign it in the presence of
a presiding officer of the children's court, who shall then attest the
consent.
- Consent granted outside South Africa must be signed in the
presence of and attested by an officer in the service of a South African
diplomatic or consular mission, or by a judge, magistrate, justice of
the peace or public officer of the country concerned.
- Although the consent should contain the names of the proposed
adoptive parents, the children's court may admit consent by the child's
parents or guardian which does not contain the names or any other
particulars of the proposed adoptive parents if it is satisfied that the
best interests of the child will be served thereby.
Withdrawing Consent
- Consent must be withdrawn in writing. If you are the parent or
guardian of the child, complete Form 64, Withdrawal of consent to
adoption by parent or guardian of child, before any presiding officer
within 60 days after having given such consent.
- Should consent be withdrawn in a district other than the
district in which consent was given or in which the application for
adoption is to be heard, the presiding officer shall immediately -
- notify the relevant court and social worker (if it is known) in which court the application for adoption will be heard; or
- notify the presiding officer who attested the consent (if it is
not known) in which court the application for adoption will be heard.
The presiding officer shall immediately identify the court in which the
application for adoption will be heard and notify both the court and the
social worker about the withdrawal.