. Adoptions are taking protracted periods time to be finalised due to (a) Lack of understanding of the Children's Act by some Government officials tasked with overseeing the adoption process; (b) Delays in reviewing applications and (c) Delays in processing applications for clearance in terms of the National Child Protection Register. . Thus a major concern was the lack of suitably trained officials within Department of Social Development at regional and local offices who compromise and protract the process without any basis for this in law.