As baby-selling racket thrives in Tamil Nadu, 2,382 wannabe parents chase 82 kids
CHENNAI: As multiple cases of illegal sale of babies, including the Namakkal racket, cast a shadow on adoption in the state, data released by the department of social defence shows that while there are 2,382 prospective parents waiting for more than two years to adopt children across Tamil Nadu, the state currently has only 82 children ready for adoption.
“The adoption process is complicated and there are only very few children available. But we hope we can bring home our child,” said Rakesh Saxena, a city-based entrepreneur, who had applied for adopting a child two years ago. Among the 274 children currently placed across 20 adoption agencies in the state, only 82 were found eligible and ready. “Not all children can be placed for adoption. Only those who are willing, undergone counselling and are deemed fit by authorities are eligible for placement,” said an official from the department of social defence. While most of the children in adoption homes
are above eight years of age, the demand is only for children who are below four years of age.
Officials, however, also raise concerns about what this figure could mean. “We suspect that many children are being put for adoption illegally and are not coming through the process,” said an official pointing to the Namakkal baby selling racket. Demand for kids aged under four very high, say officials
According to officials from the State Adoption Resources Agency, the demand for children below four years is extremely high, while for those between 8 to 17 years of age is a lot lower. “But only a few children are below the age of four in adoption agencies,” the official said. The adoption agencies, however, continue to get more than 200 children every year under three categories – orphan/ abandoned, surrendered and cradle baby. The numbers, according to officials, are low, especially newborns surrendered under cradle baby scheme.
The number of children abandoned in 2018-19 has come down to 96 from 103 recorded two years ago and the number of children surrendered has increased from 95 in 2016-17 to 145 in 2018-19. But the number of children received through cradle baby scheme has come down to 57 from 68 recorded two years ago. Interestingly, no baby has been surrendered under this scheme in Namakkal district in the last two years. Experts said the data hints that not all parents may be coming forward to hand over unwanted children to homes.
Vasudeva Sharma, director, Child Rights Trust, said, “When legal procedures become stricter, illegal rackets thrive and the low numbers do not refute such a possibility. We need to take measures accordingly.”
“But there can be various other factors such as people resorting to smaller families and adoption of children within families. However, it is hard to believe that there aren’t many children in homes waiting to be placed for adoption,” said Maya Gaitonde, general secretary, Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust.
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