1. Introduction



I’ve seen the consequences of HIV: beautiful babies crying in their cots with no one to comfort them. I know that God loves orphans and I have often wondered how he would want his Church to respond to the HIV epidemic. (750 000 orphans in KwaZulu Natal over the next eight years.) Adoption is one way.

This is definitely not a complete manual. I put it together after talking to people who have fostered/adopted. (Where I could, I tried to put their comments in inverted comma’s and their stories in boxes.) I read a bit and I spoke to social workers.

I was interested in the difficulties of cross-cultural adoption, looking after HIV positive children and the issues prospective adoptive parents should think through.

Although I have concentrated largely on adoption, foster care could be appropriate for some children. Many of the issues, as well as the screening process, are related.
In deciding about adopting or fostering, you’ll probably find it most useful to speak to people who have done it or are doing it and to read a lot around the subject; experiences differ. Speak to God who knows you and your family best. He loves you and He loves the fatherless.


Tappie Cairns
Medical Doctor

April 2002