Rules change forces Missionaries of Charity to stop adoption

Says we have voluntarily given up our recognised status to run adoption centres

Following revision in guidelines on adoption by the Centre, the Missionaries of Charity, set up by Mother Teresa, today said it had stopped adoption at their orphanages two months ago.

"It was two months ago that the Missionaries of Charity decided to discontinue all our adoption work in India. We have voluntarily given up our recognised status to run adoption centres," a statement issued by the Kolkata-based charity said.

It said that continuing the work, started by Mother Teresa, complying with all the provisions would have been difficult for the organisation.

"This decision was arrived at by the Missionaries of Charity Headquarters in Kolkata soon after we received the new 'Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015' issued under a notification from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development," Missionaries spokesperson Sunita Kumar said in the statement.

"Our adoption work, started by Mother Teresa, has been a fruitful and rewarding experience which has changed the lives of thousands of people...," she said.

The move comes after revised guidelines were notified in July making single parents (separated, divorced, unwed mothers) eligible to adopt through online registration of prospective parents.

The Women and Child Development Ministry had recently said they would identify those child care homes, which are not complying with the revised guidelines of the Juvenile Justice Act, one of which includes orphanages run by the Missionaries.

The Missionaries said it would continue to serve wholeheartedly and free of charge unwed mothers, children with malnutrition and differently-abled children in all homes/centres run by it, irrespective of caste, creed and religion.