Child care advocates warn of rising baby abandonment cases

CHILD protection experts, civil society advocates, and political leaders are warning that proposed legislative changes by the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD) could increase baby abandonment and endanger newborn lives across South Africa.

The warning comes as the Western Cape has already seen five newborn babies being dumped in separate incidents, four in one week.

In Lwandle, a baby was found in a canal among debris, while another was discovered in an open field near the M5 in Parkwood, still with its umbilical cord attached. In Kraaifontein, two infant girls were found dead in the Wallacedene area just days apart, one by a passerby and the other in a drain. Earlier in August, the body of another baby was found in a bin in Zono Street, Kraaifontein.

Dr. Whitney Rosenberg, co-founder of Baby Saver SA, highlighted the life-saving role of Baby Saver boxes. “When a baby comes through the box, our members immediately contact a registered Child Protection Organisation (CPO).

“Our members who operate these savers consist of Child and Youth Care Centres, temporary safe care parents and foster parents. Without a safe option, desperate mothers may abandon their babies in unsafe locations.”

“Our members follow strict protocols. Every Baby Saver box is monitored, medical teams are on standby, and the baby is placed in a safe environment immediately. Yet, if the system does not support mothers who are desperate, there is no choice but unsafe abandonment. We see it happening already, babies left in drains, canals, or bins. The statistics are horrific, but they are real lives lost.”

Dr. Rosenberg also emphasised the systemic gaps in support: “In two separate cases over just two weeks, minors gave birth in clinics and requested adoption. Nurses insisted on bonding with the babies, these girls even called their mothers to have them sign the babies up for adoption, but the nurses insisted they take care of the infants themselves, leaving the mothers with no safe option.

“In another case, a mother called multiple social workers pleading for help, and she is still waiting. These are not isolated incidents, they reflect a broader failure of the system, of how a mother is left to feel lost, sometimes even shamed, forced to look after a child “because they made it” but what about the rape victim? what about the GBV victim? the one who was abandoned by her partner? who has no support? I say a mother who safely hands over her baby in a baby box, is saving her child. It's safe relinquishment, you're saying I want my baby to survive.”

The warning coincides with the Gauteng DSD's proposal to amend the Children's Act to classify any baby safely relinquished through a Baby

Saver box as “abandoned.” Critics argue that this would criminalise both desperate mothers and the registered organisations that have saved countless lives.

The DA strongly opposed the proposed changes. A DA spokesperson for Social Development said: “Making safe relinquishment and the work of Baby Savers illegal will lead to far greater infant abandonment and needless deaths. We will oppose this amendment in every way possible. We will not allow a culture where desperate mothers are forced to abandon their babies in fields, dumpsites, or sewers because safe relinquishment is criminalised.”

Siya Monakali, from Ilitha Labantu, emphasised the child rights perspective: “Shutting down Baby Saver services would strip away one of the few immediate lifelines available to desperate mothers and their newborns. These services exist as a last resort to ensure babies are not left in places where they are exposed to danger, neglect, or death. Removing them undermines the constitutional promise that every child has the right to life, basic health care, and protection from neglect and abuse.”

Lucinda Evans, GBV activist and founder of Philisa Abafazi Bethu, framed the issue from a gender-based violence perspective:

“I would like to ask policymakers, what alternatives exist when a woman is raped and conceives a child with nowhere to go because there are no facilities for pregnant women living on the streets? Baby Savers facilitate safe relinquishment.

“They save the life of a child and the life of a woman. Civil society must prevent the DSD from closing Baby Savers. Too often, the mother is vilified, but what about the person who raped her, perpetrated incest, or abandoned her together with the child?”

Dr. Rosenberg concluded with a direct appeal: “If Baby Saver services are criminalised, the consequences will be catastrophic. We are not just talking about statistics; we are talking about human lives. These babies have a right to live, and mothers deserve safe options. The government must work with us, not against us, to prevent needless deaths and uphold the Constitution's promise to every child.”

Western Cape Department of Social Development spokesperson Esther Lewis said while the province's department doesn't fund organisations for this purpose (baby savers), there have been no plans to order closures in the province.