Many children in South Africa are now waiting for a permanent, loving family.
In South Africa, children waiting for families are typically between 2-8 years old at the time they join their adoptive families and have minor to major developmental, physical or emotional special needs. Holt is one of three U.S. adoption agencies approved to unite children from South Africa with eligible families in the U.S. Alongside our partner Wandisa — a well-respected and child-centered organization local to South Africa — we will work to ensure you feel informed and prepared every step of the way.
Children in South Africa Who Need Families
Children have minor to major developmental, physical or emotional special needs.
Most children are between the ages of 2-8 years old at the time of placement.
Older children (5+) who may or may not have special needs other than age are also waiting to be matched with families.
Children may have been born prematurely, have a history of abuse or neglect, or be malnourished.
The most common needs among children in South Africa include HIV, fetal alcohol exposure and needs related to the trauma and loss they’ve experienced. Children with more involved special needs are also waiting for families through Holt’s waiting child photolisting.
Meet the children waiting for a family
To preserve children’s confidentiality, you will be asked to log in or sign up before you access the waiting child photolisting.
Eligibility Requirements to Adopt from South Africa
Parent’s Age
Applicants should be couples or singles between the ages of 25-49 years old.
There should be no more than a 45-year age difference between the parent and child.
Length of Marriage
If married or in a committed life partnership, couples must be together for a minimum of one year and be assessed to have a stable relationship.
Divorce
If there is a history of divorce, the current marriage must be at least two years old.
Children in Family
If you have five or more children living in your home, please check with Holt before applying.
Single Applicant
Single female and male individuals are eligible.
Travel
Each prospective parent is required to travel to South Africa to meet and transition the child into their care.
Each prospective parent is then required to appear in court for the adoption application and will be required to sign the child’s South African passport application.
Currently, the required stay in-country for prospective parents is approximately 10-12 weeks.
For couples, it is possible that one parent may return home after applying for the child’s South African passport at Home Affairs, which occurs approximately eight weeks after arrival in South Africa.
One parent may return home only if excused from the consulate visa interview and the other parent remains in-country with the child.
At least one parent should expect to stay in South Africa for approximately 10-12 weeks.
How Long It Takes
From the time an applicant submits a dossier to the South African Central Authority, it’s estimated to take approximately 1-3 years to complete their adoption.
The timeline can vary based on a family’s openness to age and special needs.
When applying to adopt a waiting child, an applicant may wait a shorter amount of time to receive an official referral, and the time from application to placement may also be shorter.
Waiting Child Program
Many children who are older or have more involved special needs are waiting for adoptive families.
Applicants may be matched with a waiting child once they have an approved homestudy.
Please contact Holt’s South Africa team if you have any questions.
Additional Information
Applicants with a past or current diagnosis of a life-threatening or communicable disease, or other condition that impairs their ability to parent and/or affects the quality of life of a child, are ineligible to adopt.
All prior criminal activity must be disclosed, including any arrests, even if it did not result in conviction or the conviction was expunged.
Applicants will be assessed for eligibility approval by Holt staff, in conjunction with our overseas partner, on a case-by-case basis.
At least one applicant must be a United States citizen.
Fees for South Africa Adoption
We are open and transparent about our fees and want you to be aware of all potential costs involved in an adoption, including third-party costs and travel.
Holt is a Christian, private, nonprofit, licensed and accredited child welfare and family service organization. Our adoption work is entirely financed through adoption fees and donations. It is not government subsidized. We believe that children are the highest priority, and we want as many children as possible to have families. To that end, we strive to keep our fees within a reasonable range. All fees are subject to change and are charged at the rate that is current at time of billing. Holt may increase fees if adoption expenses in the foreign country increase substantially after time of application. Families will be notified in writing of any fee increase. Holt International accepts the following for adoption fees: check, cashier’s check or money order. If you would like to pay by credit card, there will be a 3% convenience fee added to your total. Fees due upon invoice.
Application, Processing & Homestudy Fees
Description
Paid To
Fee Type
Amount
Application Fee Due with completed application. Non-refundable.
Holt
U.S. Expenses
$350
U.S. Processing Fee 1 Due when Holt approves your application. Non-refundable.
Holt
U.S. Expenses
$1,950
Monitoring & Oversight Fee Due when Holt approves your application. Fee is per child. This mandatory pass-through fee goes to Holt’s accrediting entity IAAME. Non-refundable.
Holt
U.S. Expenses
$500
Homestudy Fee* Due before first homestudy visit.
Holt
Homestudy
$2,500 -$2,900
Homestudy Update Fee* (if needed)
Holt
Homestudy
$750
Travel for Home Visits*
Holt
Mileage/Travel
Varies
U.S. Processing Fee 2 Due after Holt approves your homestudy. Non-refundable.
Holt
U.S. Expenses, Translation and Documentation Expenses
$3,000
*If homestudy and post-adoption reporting services are provided by a partner agency where Holt does not have a branch office, fees are estimated as follows:
Description
Paid To
Fee Type
Amount
Homestudy Fee
Service Provider
Homestudy
$1,500 -$5,000
Homestudy Update Fee (if needed)
Service Provider
Homestudy
$250 – $1,000
Post Adoption Reporting Fees
Service Provider
Post Placement/Adoption
$1,500 – $2,000
Travel for Home Visits
Service Provider
Mileage/Travel
Varies
Adoption Program Fee #1
Due when you accept the assignment of a child. In the case of siblings, an additional $17,000 will be charged to cover the pass-through due when you complete your dossier. If a family withdraws from the adoption process AFTER their dossier is sent, and prior to being assigned a child, a refund of $2000 will be provided within 60 days of withdrawal. For a sibling, an additional $4,000 is billed when the dossier is sent or at time of child assignment.
Description
Paid To
Fee Type
Amount
Program Fee
Holt
U.S. Expenses, Adoption Expenses in Foreign Country, Translations and Document Expenses
$6,000
Adoption Program Fee #2 & Post Adoption Reporting Fees
Due when you accept the assignment of a child. If a family withdraws after accepting the assignment of a child, a refund of $5,500 of the Program Fee will be provided within 60 days of withdrawal. For a sibling, an additional $8,500 is billed.
Description
Paid To
Fee Type
Amount
Program Fee
Holt
U.S. Expenses, Adoption Expenses in Foreign Country, Translations and Document Expenses
$13,360
Post Adoption Reports
Holt
Post Placement/Adoption Reports
$3,000
Additional Fees to Anticipate
Description
Paid To
Fee Type
Amount
USCIS
USCIS
Third Party
$860 – $1,330
Adoption Education Classes
Varies
Third Party
$150 – $300
Dossier Preparation
Varies
Third Party
$700 – $1,200
Pre-Adoption Medical Review of Child Material
Provider
Third Party
$250 – $1,000
Airfare, Lodging, Meals and Transportation
Provider
Mileage/Travel
$12,000 – $15,000
Required Documents in Country (photos for visa, etc.)
Provider
Third Party
$314 (payable in SA Rand)
Potential additional medical exams for child in country
Provider
Third Party
$0 – $602 (Payable in SA Rand)
Summary of Estimated Fees
Description
Amount
Homestudy
$1,500 – $5,000
U.S. Expenses
$10,650
Foreign Country Program Expenses
$12,461
Care of the Child
$360
Translation and Documents Expenses
$1,689
Contributions Contributions are not part of the adoption process and no profits are obtained through adoption fees.
$0
Post Adoption Reports
$3,000
Third-Party Fees
$2,274 – $4,946
Travel Costs and Accommodations
$12,000 – $15,000
TOTAL
$43,934 – $53,106
Fee Refunds
If for some unforeseen reason you need to withdraw from the adoption process before a child joins your family, Holt will refund a percentage of your fees (within 60 days of the completion of services). Pregnancy after child assignment is considered a family cancellation/withdrawal. The amount refunded depends on the following circumstances:
Family cancels/withdraws after accepting child assignment:
Fee
% of Refund
Application
0%
U.S. Processing Fee 1 & 2
0%
IAAME Fee
0%
Adoption Program#1
$2000
Adoption Program#2
$5,500
Post Adoption Reporting
100%
Child assignment is withdrawn by Holt prior to placement:
Same as above, except the Adoption Program fee will be 100% refunded.
Financial Assistance for Adoption
Holt believes finances should not stop a child from having a loving family. Although many resources exist to help adoptive families offset the cost of adoption, it’s not always clear where to start looking or what opportunities are best suited for your family. To help you consider all your options, Holt provides an outline of financial assistance, as well as a list of resources categorized by type.
This is an often misunderstood term in adoption because it doesn’t necessarily indicate that a child has physical or developmental disabilities. Many children with special needs are either older than 5, part of a sibling group, or have moderate physical, developmental or emotional health needs. Most South African children who are waiting for adoptive families have experienced some degree of trauma, and families will need to be prepared to parent a child with complex needs.
How long does it take to adopt from South Africa?
We estimate the time frame for a South African adoption to be 1-3 years, from the time your dossier is registered in South Africa until a child joins your family. Time frames vary depending on an applicant’s level of openness to special needs and age of the child. Families who are open to waiting children on the photolisting may have a shorter adoption process.
Couples and singles are required to travel to South Africa and should expect to stay approximately 10-12 weeks. For couples, it is possible that one parent may return home after applying for the child’s South African passport at Home Affairs, which occurs approximately eight weeks after their arrival in South Africa.
Start Your Journey in Adoption
Whether you are considering adoption or are ready to apply to adopt, we have many free ways for you to explore our programs or get started.
Learn About Adoption Grants
There are many resources available to help you finance your adoption.
We'll be sending information to your email with more information about adoption.
Around the world, so many children are growing up without families to love them and nurture their growth. And so many families are waiting with love to give. It is our mission to bring you together.
But every family is different, and every child has a story. From the moment a child enters our care or the care of our partners overseas, we view that child as an individual — and seek the best solution for their unique needs. When you apply to adopt, we will come to personally know your family as well. Ultimately, we will strive to match you with the child who you are most well equipped to parent, while fulfilling your hopes and dreams for growing your family.
Holt International has adoption programs in these locations:
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