06/07/2020
PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION
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Adoption means a legal process that allows someone to become the parent of a child, even though the parent and child are not related by blood. But in every other way, adoptive parents are the child's parents.
WHO CAN ADOPT
As per Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2000 as amended from time to time, the court may allow a child to be given in adoption -
1. to a childless couple
2. to parents to adopt a child of the same s*x irrespective of the number of living biological sons or daughters
3. to a person irrespective of marital status
Note: A single male is not permitted to adopt a girl child
The parents intending to adopt are called Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs).
Child could be orphan or abandoned or surrendered child.
ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1. For married couple who are Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs)
i) 2 years of stable relationship
ii) To adopt children in the age group of 0-3 years:
a) the maximum composite age of the PAPs should be 90 years and
b) the individual age of the PAPs should not be less than 25 years and more than 50 years
iii) To adopt children above three years of age:
a) the maximum composite age of the PAPs should be 105 years and
b) individual age of the PAPs should not be less than 25 years and more than 55 years.
2. For single PAP desiring to adopt
i) Age should not be less than 25 and more than 50. The maximum age shall be:
a) 45 years to adopt children in the age group of 0-3 years and
b) 50 years for adopting children above 3 years
ii) Single male is not permitted to adopt a girl child
3. PAPs should have adequate financial resources to provide a good upbringing to the child.
4. PAPs should have good health and should not be suffering from any contagious or terminal disease or any such mental or physical condition which may prevent them from taking care of the child.
5. A second adoption is permissible only when the legal adoption of the first child has been finalized.
LAWS GOVERNING ADOPTION IN INDIA
1. Hindu Adoption AndMaintenance Act 1956
2. Juvenile Justice (Care AndProtection) Act 2015
PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION
Every resident Indian Prospective Adoptive Parent (PAP), who intends to adopt a child, shall register online in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System by filling up the application form as provided in Schedule-5 and uploading the relevant documents.
ADOPTION PROCEDURE FOR RESIDENT INDIANS
1.Online Registration:Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) should apply for adoption to SpecialisedAdoption Agencies (SAA) through Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARIGS) by filling up the online application form and uploading the relevant documents thereby registering themselves as PAPs.
• PAPs should opt for desired State or States at the time of registration.
• In the application, the PAPs should select a SAA nearest to their residence for Home Study Report (HSR) in their State of habitual residence.
• Registration number of PAPsshall be available with all the SAAs in those State or States, as the case may be.
• The registration shall be complete and confirmed to the PAPs on receipt of the completed application form and requisite documents on CARIGS.
• The documents shall be uploaded within 30 days from the date of registration or else the PAPs will have to register afresh.
• The PAPs will get their registration number from the acknowledgement slip and use it for viewing the progress of their application.
2.Home Study Report (HSR): The HSR of the PAPs shall be prepared through the social worker of selected SAAwithin 30 days from the date of submission of requisite documents.
• In case they are unable to conduct HSR within stipulated time, they shall take the assistance of a social worker from a panel maintained by the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) or District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), as the case may be.
• The HSR is shared with the PAPs immediately, thereafter.
• The HSR is posted in the CARIGS by the SAA as soon as it is complete.
• The HSR remains valid for 3years and shall be the basis for adoption of a child by the PAPs from anywhere in the country.
• PAPs are declared eligible and suitable by the SAA based upon the HSR and supporting documents
• In case any PAP is not declared eligible or suitable
o The reasons for the same shall be recorded in the Child
Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System.
o PAPs may appeal against the decision of rejection to the Authority as provided regulation 59.
o The appeal referred to in sub-regulation (14) shall be disposed of within a period of 15 days and the decision of the Authority in this regard shall be binding.
• Adoption of a child by the PAPs, after completion of their registration and HSR, shall depend upon the availability of a suitable child.
3. Referral: Referral is a process the profile, i.e., photographs, Child Study Report and Medical Examination Report of the 3 children (depending on availability) are forwardedonline by Recognised Indian Placement Agency(RIPA)/SAA to the PAPs for acceptance in their preference category, if any. PAP are shown child on the basis of seniorityi.e., as per the date of uploading of documents and completion of registration process in CARIGS).
4.Reserving of Child: After viewing the profile of the child or children, the PAPs canreserve one child within a period of 48 hours and the rest of the children would be released by CARIGS for other PAPs in the waiting list.
5.Meeting the Child Reserved: The SAA shall get the details of the PAPs through the CARIGS and fix an appointment with the PAPsfor meeting the child and to assess the suitability of the PAPs by an Adoption Committee.
• Entire process of matching should be completed within a maximum period of 20 days from the date of reserving the child.
• The SAA shall counsel the PAPs when they visit the agency for matching.
• The PAPs may also get the Medical Examination Report of the child reviewed by a medical practitioner of their choice before giving their acceptance for adoption of the child.
• While accepting the child, the PAPs shall sign the Child Study Report and Medical Examination Report which may be downloaded from the CARIGS, in the presence of the social worker or chief functionary of the SAA and the SAA shall record the acceptance by the PAPs in the CARIGS.
• In case the PAPs are not selected for the child by the Adoption Committee, the reason for non-selection of the prospective adoptive parents shall be recorded in the CRAIGS.
• If grounds of rejection are found to be due to systemic error or on non-justifiable reasons, seniority of the PAPs shall be retained else the PAPs shall be lowered to the bottom of the seniority list.
• The registration of PAPs shall continue till child adoption, with revalidation of the Home Study Report(HSR) in every 3 years.
6. Pre-Adoption Foster Care:The child shall be taken in pre-adoption foster care by the PAPs within 10 days from the date of matching, after signing the pre-adoption foster care undertaking for temporary custody. During such period of foster care, the PAPs, shall have the right to take the child to any place within the country after duly informing the RIPA/SAA. However, the child must be brought for the legal process as and when required by the Court. Before physically entrusting the child to the PAPs, the adoption agency will ensure that they have record of local contacts of the PAPs including contact details of two close relatives.
7.Legal Procedure after Child is Accepted for Adoption: The SAA shall file an application in court where the SAA is located, with relevant documents in original within 10 working days of child being accepted by PAPs for adoption for obtaining the adoption order from court.
• In case of siblings or twins, the SAA shall file single application in the court.
• The court will hold the adoption proceeding in-camera and dispose of the case within a period of 2months from the date of filing of the adoption application by the SAA.
• The adoptive parents are not be asked in the adoption order to execute any bond or make investment in the name of the child, considering the fact thattheir psycho-social profile and financial status have already been ascertained from the HSR and other supporting documents.
• The SAA shall obtain a certified copy of the adoption order from the court and shall forward it to the PAPs within 10 days and it shall also post a copy of the order and update the relevant entries in the CARIGS.
• Registration of an adoption deed shall not be mandatory as per the Act.
8.Obtaining Birth Certificate of the Child: The SAA shall apply to the birth certificate issuing authorityfor obtaining the birth certificate of the child within 3 working days from the date of issuance of adoption order, with the name of adoptive parents as parents, and date of birth as recorded in the adoption order and the same shall be issued by the issuing authority within five working days from the date of receipt of the application.
9.Follow-Up of Progress of Adopted Child: The SAAwhich prepared the Home Study Report, shall prepare the post-adoption follow-up report on 6 monthly basis for 2 years from the date of pre-adoption foster placement with the PAPs, in the required format and upload the same in CARIGS along with photographs of the child.
• In case the adoptive parents relocate, they shall inform the agency which has conducted their home study and the District Child Protection Unit of the district where they relocate.