Durban Safe House Provides Temporary Care for Infants Awaiting Adoption

A safe house in Durban operates as a temporary residence for babies and toddlers while permanent homes are arranged. The facility also provides support to mothers who may be considering placing their children for adoption. Staff members visit maternity wards in the area and deliver care packs containing basic baby and maternal supplies.

Tatum, a team member, said she remains available by message to mothers experiencing labor.

Tatum described asking mothers about their living situation and reasons for considering adoption. She said the most common response involves financial concerns such as inability to afford nappies or other supplies. Tatum stated that offering a pack of nappies, two outfits, wet wipes, or Vaseline leads approximately eight out of ten mothers to decide to keep their child.

The oldest mother she has assisted was 28 years old and the youngest was 15.

Tatum said many pregnancies involve high school relationships where the fathers later become absent. She noted that pregnant teenagers often fear family reactions and initially keep the pregnancy hidden. According to Tatum, once the teenagers disclose the pregnancy, families are frequently supportive.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli launched the KwaZulu-Natal Multisectoral Strategy to Curb Child and Teenage Pregnancies (2025-2029) in October 2025. The strategy addresses figures showing 26,515 girls aged 10 to 19 became pregnant over an eight-month period, including 1,254 girls aged 14 and younger.

Child Protection Month 2026 began on May 3 in eDumbe within the Zululand District Municipality.