FAQs on Adoption

1. Process for Adoption?

Ans: A person needs to register on www.cara.nic.in for initiating the adoption process .

2. Are single person also eligible for adoption a child.

Ans: yes, a single person is also eligible for adopting a child, wherein a single female applicant can adopt child of any gender but a single male applicant is eligible only to adopt a male child, and not a female.

3. Documents and Eligiblity required for Registration of PAPs (Prospective Adoptive Parents)?

Ans: List of documents –

a) current family photograph /photograph of the couple or person willing to adopt a child.

b) PAN Card of the PAPs

c) Birth Certificate / Proof of date of birth of PAPs.

d) Proof of Residence (Adhar Card / Voter Card / Passport / Current Eelectrity Bill/ Telephone)

e) Proof of income of last year(Salary Slip / Income Certificate, Income Tax Return)

f) Certificate from medical practitioner (certifying that the PAPs do not suffer from any contagious, fatal or chronic disease and they are fit to adopt)

g) Marriage Certificate.

h) Divorce Decree / Death Certificate if applicable.

i) Two reference letters from acquaintance or relative in support of adoption.

j) Consent of older child / children in the adoptive family (if more than 5)

Eligibility :

a) any prospective adoptive parent , irrespective of his marital status and whether or not he has biological child , can adopt a child.

b) consent of both spouse is required, in case of married couple

c) 2 years of stable marriage.

d) minimum age difference between child and either of the parents shall not be less than 25 years.

e) the age criteria for prospective adoptive parent shall not be applicable in case of relative adoption or step parent adoption.

f) couple with three or more children are not eligible for adoption except in case of special need children , hard to place children and in case of relative or step parent adoption.

g) the age of parents, as on date of registration shall be counted for deciding the eligibility .

The eligibility of parents to apply for children of different age groups shall be as under :

Age of the child	Maximum Composite age of PAPs – in case of couple	Maximum age of PAPs – in case of single parent
Up to 4 years	90 years	45 years
Above 4 years and up to 8 years	100 years	50 years
Above 8 years and up to 18 years	110 years	55 years

4. Where to contact for queries?

Ans: for CARA – toll free no : 1800-11-1311

Email Id : carahdesk.wcd@nic.in

For SARA , Delhi : saraarcdelhi@gmail.com

911813487 (Ms. Abhisarika Rai, Program Officer – as provided on CARA Website)

5. Is any visit required in the process, if yes, what it is and any fee required.

Ans: Yes, a home visit is done within 30 days from the date of registration by the NGO / Agency selected by the PAPs. Accordingly, a home study report is made, which is uploaded on the CARINGS Portal. The fees for Home Visit is Rs. 6000/-. A Home Study report is valid for 3 years.

Note : due to COVID-19 pandemic, A virtual home visit is done these days by the NGO selected by the PAPs (the fee remains same).

6. Total cost of adoption.

Ans: Home study Fees – Rs. 6000/-

Adoption Fees – Rs. 40,000/-

Follow up fees – Rs. 8000/- (Rs. 2000 per report which is made every 6 months for 2 years in case Resident Indian Parent).

7. Eligibility of child, which can be adopted.

Ans: a) any orphan or abandoned or surrendered child , declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee.

b) A child of relative

c) child or children of spouse from earlier marriage, surrendered by the biological parent(s) for adoption by the step parent.

8. Time taken in the process.

Ans: the no of seniority depends upon state/s chosen by the PAPs. As of now, after the registration process is completed, the home visit is done the PAPs have to wait for 2-3 years for getting referral of child. A PAP shall have receive three referrals in total (not altogether).

After the referral is received, PAP can view Child Study Report (CSR ) and Medical Examination Report (MER) of the referral child and if all goes well, the child can be reserved by the PAPs within span of 96 hours(increased from previous 48 hours to 96 hours these days)

After reserving the child, the SAA (whose child has been matched with the PAPs) will organize an Adoption Committee Meeting and rest formalities be completed within a span of twenty days.

9. How to adopt Indian origin child from foreign country.

Ans: Any NRI, Overseas Citizen of India or Foreign prospective adoptive parents, living in a country which is signatory to the Hague Adoption Convention and wishing to adopt and Indian child, can approach the Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA) or the Central Authority concerned, as the case may be, for preparation of their Home Study Report and for their registration in CARINGS Portal.

In case there is no AFAA or central authority in their country of habitual residence then the PAPs shall approach the Government Department or Indian Diplomatic Mission concerned in that country for the purpose of Adoption.

10. What preference are available for PAPs.

Ans: While registration, PAPs can select preference for gender of a girl , age of the child, and can also choose three states of their choice (all these preferences are editable on the portal, if required).

11. How is the legal process can taken up.

Ans: The Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA) shall file an application in the court concerned, having the jurisdiction over the place where the SAA is located.

12. Can biological parent of the child turn up someday and claim the child back.

Ans: In case the adoption child is of the orphaned/surrendered category, and by any means the biological parents turn up and claim the child , the matter would be taken up court of law and would entirely depend upon the judgement of the court, as to where would the best interest of the child lie.

13. What to do incase PAPs want to return the child back to the institution.

Ans: In case of disruption, wherein PAPs want to return back the child to the institution and the court has not been issued by the Court of Law, the PAPs can approach the SAA, DCPU,CWC, SARA, or CARA and can surrender the child. Further, counseling facility is provided to the PAPs and on the basis of counseling report, if required unmatching of child and PAPs profile is done so that child can be referred to some other family (after counseling – in case of children above 5 years) and vice versa.

14. What is the process in case, the child wants to find about his background.

Ans: The Regulation 44 of the Adoption Regulations, 2017 provides facility for root search, wherein an orphan or abandoned child, information about his adoption, including the source and circumstances in which child was admitted into the Specialized adoption Agency, as well as process followed for his adoption, may be disclosed to the adoptee by the SAA or CWC, as the case may be.

In case of root search by older adoptee, the agencies or authorities concerned (AFAA, SAA, SARA, DCPU, Indian Diplomat Mission, Central Authority), whenever contacted by any adpotee, shall facilitate his root search.

FAQs on SPONSORSHIP

1. What is Sponsorship Program?

Ans: A program implemented by the Department through SCPS to provide supplementary financial support to the child or his/her family by release of funds as per norms prescribed under the Mission Vatsalya. TheSponsorship Program is for providing supplementary support to families, to Children’s Homes and to Special Homes to meet medical, nutritional, educational and other needs of the children, with a view to improve their quality of life.

2. The eligibility criteria for sponsorship.

Ans: the criteria for sponsorship shall include-

1. Where mother is a widow or divorced or abandoned by family.
2. Where children are orphan and are living with the extended family
3. Where parents are victims of life threatening diseases.
4. Where parents are incapacitated due to accident and unable to take crea of children both financially and physically

3. In how many ways can sponsorship be extended?

Ans: a) Individual to individual sponsorship

b) group sponsorship

c) Community Sponsorship

d) support to families through sponsorship

e)support to children Homes and special homes.

4. Role of Parent/Guardian providing the sponsorship?

Ans: a)they shall inform the progress and details of the child’s socio-economic-educational-medical status to the Board, Committee and the DCPU, every quarter and whenever requested.

b) they shall inform the DCPU about shifting of residence and change of contact numbers, if any

c) they shall facilitate the home visits by DCPU/ any other officer deputed by the Committee/Board/ Department to monitor the implementation of the program and utilization of sponsorship support.

d) they shall ensure that the child aged 15-16 years attends the school on at least 75% days. The child less than 5 years and not attending school shall be mandatorily enrolled and attending anganwadi or a play school. The child in the 16-18 years group shall either attend the school for atleast 75% of the days or a vocation course, as the case may be.

e) In case of a child missing and thereafter found/ returned/ recovered parents/ family shall inform the CWC and also to the DCPU within 24 hours. The CWC shall thereafter consider the matter for resuming the sponsorship support, if considered appropriate.

5. Who will be the authority for taking care of disbursal of the sponsorship amount and follow ups and further assistance if required?

Ans: a) DCPU will be responsible to ensure disbursal of payment of sponsorship as per the orders of Committee/ Board within 7 working days of receipt of the order through online bank transaction only.

b) DCPU will conduct monthly meeting preferably through physical visit to the family or telephonic conversation or virtual conferencing with the family about the status and progress of the child and take remedial action as per the emergent needs.

c) Home visit will be conducted once in two months and remedial intervention will be made to improve overall well being of the child and the family

d) DCPU shall provide support in enrollment of child in Anganwadi/ Govt. School/ EWS category in Pvt. School/ Vocational Course to bring synergy

e) DCPU shall maintain complete documentation of each and every case

f) DCPU shall facilitate the opening of bank accounts with child mother or guardian or fit person in charge of the child.

6. How long can a child be sponsored?

Ans: Initially can be upto 6 months, extendable to the period ordinarily not exceeding thre years or till child attains 18 years of age, whichever is earlier.

7. Amount provided under the sponsorship program.

Ans: the quantum of assistance prescribed under the scheme is Rs. 2000/- per month per child and restricted to a maximum of 2 child per family.