South Africa: Falling through the bureaucratic cracks

Abandoned and orphaned children are languishing in South African institutions while bureaucrats take up to two years to decide whether they can be adopted. Around a quarter of a million South African children are orphaned but large numbers are falling through bureaucratic cracks. By mid-2004, according to the Actuarial Association of South Africa (ASSA) 2002 model, 250 000 children in South African had lost both parents but government departments tasked with the welfare of these vulnerable children are unable to confirm actual numbers who are being cared for in children’s homes.