Government notifies new simplified "Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015"

Ministry of Women and Child Development has notified revised Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015 effective from1.8.2015. The 2015 Guidelines issued by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) would replace the 2011 Adoption Guidelines.

The revised guidelines have been framed keeping in mind the issues and challenges faced by CARA, Adoption Agencies and Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs).

These Guidelines are intended to provide for more effective regulation for adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and would bring more transparency and efficiency in the adoption system. With the new guidelines, it would become possible for PAPs to track the status of their application making the entire system more user friendly.

Accordingly, Central Adoption Resource Information Guidance System (CARINGS), as an e-governance measure created for the purpose of facilitating adoption of children, has been revamped. CARINGS will facilitate the adoption of maximum number of adoptable children and ensure a smoother adoption process by curbing undue delays. For hassle-free adoption, CARINGS will contain a centralized data bank of adoptable children and PAPs. Clear cut timelines for domestic and inter-country adoption have been laid down to ensure early deinstitutionalization of such children.

All District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) will be connected online to CARINGS. DCPUs will be responsible for making newspaper publications of abandoned children and the expenditure, if required, could be incurred under Integrated Child Protection Units (ICPS) Fund. One DCPU member will also be part of the Adoption Committee.

Salient features of the Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015:

(i) Clear and transparent procedure for registration of resident Indians and provision for uploading required documents online.

(ii) PAPs have an option to select an adoption agency of their choice for conducting Home Study Report (HSR) and preferred State also.

(iii) Home study Report of PAPs can be prepared by SARA/DCPU empanelled social worker.

(iv) Seniority of PAPs would be maintained from the date of registration.

(v) The maximum combined age for married couple has been increased from 105 years to 110 years to encourage adoption of older children.

(vi) Minimum 25 years age gap between the child and adoptive parents has been prescribed.

(vii) More clarity in adoption of special needs children, older children and siblings. Older children and siblings would no more be considered as special needs children.

(viii) All Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) would be authorised to do In-country & Inter-country adoption.

(ix) Inter-state adoptions made simpler to boost adoptions within the country; No permission of State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) is required for domestic adoption from another State.

(x) NRIs would be treated at par with resident Indians in terms of priority regarding referral of a child.

(xi) Greater clarity in the process and documentation for OCI and Foreign PAPs living in India.

(xii) Adoption expenses for different category of PAPs prescribed.

(xiii) Authorised Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA) would have a provision of renewal after a period of five years.

(xiv) All adoptions (in-country or inter-country) to proceed on CARINGS, adoption outside CARINGS is strictly prohibited.

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