A Durban-based baby home, Baby Home Durban North, is providing temporary care and a family-style environment for abandoned and relinquished infants while they await either reunification with biological families or adoption.

The report highlights the broader context of child abandonment in South Africa, where 595 cases were officially recorded in 2024, though authorities acknowledge the real figure is likely higher due to underreporting.

Under the Children’s Act, abandonment is a criminal offence, but structured legal processes exist for mothers who voluntarily relinquish babies for adoption.

The home, founded in 2015 by Jo and Bjorn Teunissen after they adopted their own child, operates in partnership with Child Welfare Durban and District.It has capacity for six children and typically cares for infants referred from public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal.

Children are placed in a nurturing environment, with caregivers providing day-to-day care, play, and normal childhood experiences such as outings and social interaction.The organisation relies entirely on donations but emphasises dignity, ensuring children have proper clothing, toys, and care.

The article also explains the complex adoption and reunification process, including court consent, a 60-day reconsideration period, background checks, and a 90-day tracing process for unknown parentage cases.Emergency placements are common, with police sometimes delivering infants in urgent situations.

In addition, the associated Baby Line initiative offers WhatsApp and phone counselling to pregnant women and struggling mothers, often providing basic supplies like nappies and baby care packs that can determine whether a mother keeps her child or proceeds with adoption.The work underscores both the scale of child vulnerability and the importance of community-based support systems in reducing abandonment.