DURING a quiet night on September 5, 2025, a mother on The Bluff faced a tough choice, driven by fear and a sense of having no options. She left her newborn son at the Thembayo baby saver at Isaiah 54 Children’s Home. Months later, that difficult night has turned into a story of healing and hope, as she has returned to take her child home and is ready to try motherhood again.

Also read: Saving lives or breaking the law: Children’s sanctuary opposes criminalising baby savers

Reasoning behind baby savers

Youandi Gilain, a director at Isaiah 54 Children’s Home, said they treat every child with the respect and care they deserve, no matter how they arrive. She explained that baby savers are there for desperate situations, offering protection when a mother feels alone and overwhelmed.

“Baby savers exist for moments exactly like this, moments of desperation, fear and overwhelming isolation. They are not places of abandonment, but places of protection. They give a mother a final, safe option when her world feels like it is collapsing and no other support feels reachable,” she said.

Procedure for a returning mother

Gilain explained that when a mother returns after using a baby saver, the home has specific protocol to follow before they can reunite her with her child. The initial and most important step is a DNA test to prove she is the mother. These tests, which cost around R2 500, are done through government or private labs.

“In this particular case, after counselling and assessment, it became clear that this mother had acted out of desperation. She was alone, scared and confused and truly believed that the baby saver was the safest option for her baby at that moment. We chose to assist her by raising funds for private DNA testing, as private testing is faster and less likely to be delayed or lost, time matters when a baby and a mother are waiting to be reunited,” she said.

An emotional journey

Gilain described the reunification between mother and son as a moment of love and courage. She added that it takes great strength for a mother to return to the place where she left her child. “The mother returning meant facing fear, shame, judgement and the pain of the moment when she left and had no other choice,” she said.

Gilain said stories like this challenge the negative views people often have about mothers who use baby savers.

“These women are not bad people. They are mothers without support, afraid of being judged, alone and overwhelmed. You cannot understand what they’re going through unless you’ve been in their situation,” she said.

Department’s view of baby savers

The discussion about baby savers has grown more intense recently as there is an ongoing case regarding the effectiveness of baby savers. The Gauteng Department of Social Development is pushing to close down all baby savers nationwide, arguing that existing programmes provide sufficient support and that baby savers potentially produce more problems.

“While these programmes may look effective on paper, the reality on the ground is very different. Too often, mothers report being judged, turned away, or told that no help is available. They are then left to survive on their own, with a newborn, no resources and no emotional support. Baby savers are not a replacement for social services they are a last-resort safety net. They exist to prevent unsafe and dangerous abandonment, to save lives,” she said.

The Isaiah 54 Children’s Home is grateful that their baby saver is still open and that it allows mothers in the area to choose safety, love and care over risk and danger when they feel hopeless.

Gilain believes that the story of the mother and baby reuniting shows the importance of baby savers and how it goes beyond just another avenue of abandonment.

Baby saver location

If you are a new mother who feels overwhelmed and desperate and have no other way to turn, the Isaiah 54 Children’s Home’s Thembayo baby saver is situated just outside their property at 5 Vimy Road, Fynnlands, The Bluff.

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