Adoptions have come down in last 3 years, govt says in Parliament

In 2021-22, 2991 children were adopted by Indians and 414 by foreigners, while in 2020-21, 3142 children were adopted by Indians and 417 by foreigners.

NEW DELHI: As many as 1836 children have been adopted by Indians and 222 by foreigners, including non-resident Indians, this year till December 13, according to Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Z Irani. The number has dipped as compared to the previous three years.

In 2021-22, 2991 children were adopted by Indians and 414 by foreigners, while in 2020-21, 3142 children were adopted by Indians and 417 by foreigners.The highest number of adoptions occurred in 2019-20 when Indians adopted 3351 and foreigners 394 children.

Irani said that most of the grievances they have received are waiting time from prospective adoptive parents (PAPs). “While there is a long queue to adopt a normal young child upto six years of age, there is no waiting period for the PAPs who desire to adopt a child having special needs and a child from immediate placement category (mostly older children),” she said. Further, the waiting time is relevant for the PAPs only; the legally free children do not have to wait, she said in a written reply.

Based on feedback received from the stakeholders and experts, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has framed the Adoption Regulations, 2022 in line with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), which has been notified on September 23.