For religious and other concerns, not all women may wish to abort in the event of an unplanned pregnancy. Hence, a concrete system for relinquishing parenting should be established and widely publicised to give parents who have the need a platform to do so in a dignified manner and without threat to the life or safety of babies and children. Relinquishment should ideally take place as soon after birth as possible. Hence, it may prove valuable to provide supportive services to women, particularly young ones, to make sound decisions pertaining to whether to keep or not to keep unplanned babies. It is therefore suggested that safe facilities or baby deposit banks be established nationwide. The church, a vehement proponent of life rather than abortion, could be lobbied to provide such facilities. The law should also unequivocally state the legal implications of use of the proposed facilities (i.e. relinquishing parenting rights).
The foregoing recommendations are informed by attachment theory. Based on this theory it would be in the best interest of babies not to form bonds with biological mothers at all, if these are going to be extinguished later. Also, it can be problematic for babies to be left at the deposit banks and claimed by biological mothers later in life. Thus, in accord with attachment theory, it is proposed that the law should stipulate that relinquished parenting may not be reinstated except in the absence of alternative parents.
It could also prove valuable to entrust screening of prospective adoptive and/or foster parents, preparation for parenting, and post-adoption/fostering support to external organisations whose qualifications and standards may be determined by the department responsible for the protection and welfare of children in Lesotho. It is believed that this would speed up the processes, thereby expediting permanency in children's lives. Quality of service provided by such organisations could thus be improved.
Structures such as the recently established Local Government Councils can be utilised to strengthen child protection services. While it is recognised that these councils lack the requisite ethical and professional foundation, they comprise child protection committees and, with the right training from the relevant government department, they could assist parents who need to relinquish parenting rights by dispensing information and making referrals. This would improve accessibility of services for parents and possibly expedite receipt of care for children in need, promoting chances for secure attachment with alternative parents.