Link-up of child-care institutions on cards
Link-up of child-care institutions on cards
Pune Mirror | Dec 20, 2014, 02.30 AM IST
Link-up of child-care institutions on cards
CARA secretary Veerendra Mishra was in the city to conduct a meeting of adoption agencies in Maharashtra
By: Kaumudi Gurjar
To bring in transparency in adoption, expedite the process, whittle down waiting period
All child-care institutions across the country will get linked to each other in the not-too-distant future. As a result, it would create a huge pool of children for adoption. So, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the nodal body in charge of regulating and monitoring adoptions by Indians as well as foreigners, is in the process of doing the linking up.
The step is aimed at bringing transparency in adoption that was marred by controversy after some agencies were found to be charging exorbitant sums from prospective adoptive parents (PAP).
CARA secretary Veerendra Mishra, who was in the city to conduct a meeting of adoption agencies in Maharashtra, told Mirror that CARA, in order to curb illegal adoptions, has developed a portal for prospective parents, who need to register there. So, it would leave no room for surreptitious or underhand dealings between adoption agencies and parents and even whittle down the waiting period to a large extent for parents longing to adopt.
"States have been asked to streamline the process of adoption through CARINGS (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System), a web portal that has been developed whereby database of children will be uploaded. Similarly, PAP will be asked to register on the portal. Details like home study report (HSR) will also be updated by the authorities at adoption homes on the website. Privacy of parents and children will be maintained and due care will be taken to make crucial details like HSR, not available in public domain, will be used only for administrative purposes," explained Mishra, empahsising that the portal would save time and energy. PAP data will be available online and there will be no room for suspected negotiations between agencies and PAP to cut down the waiting period.
Reacting to the decline in adoptions by Indians and foreigners, Mishra said a detailed study is needed to find out the reasons. "The number of children at adoption homes has reduced. In case of in-country adoptions, children beyond the age of five years are not preferred. Non-availability of children could be one of the reasons why the number of adoptions has come down," pointed out Mishra.
"We have asked the state government to ensure that all child-care homes are registered with them to curb illegal or unauthorised adoptions that may be taking place across the country," he further stated.
Mishra added that mass movement is being carried out to stop illegal adoptions. As part of this drive, hospitals and doctors are warned that each child needs to be presented before child welfare committees so that suspected cases of child trafficking in the guise of unauthorised adoption can be stopped.
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