Adoption guidelines to be simplified

Current adoption guidelines would be simplified and delay in adoption process minimised to encourage more adoptions, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
"The current adoption guidelines are proposed to be revised to simplify the procedure and to minimise the delay in the process of adoption," Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said.
In a written reply in the House, she said linking of orphans, abandoned and surrendered children of all child care institutes to the adoption system would be among key changes contemplated in the existing guidelines.
The other initiatives include making the entire adoption process online, treating prospective NRI adoptive parents on par with prospective domestic adoptive parents and reducing the timeframe for completion of home study report from two months to one month.

During 2012-13, 5002 adoptions were reported while the figure stood at 4354 in 2013-14.
The Minister said there are 1389 children homes and specialised adoption agencies in the country which are being funded under the centrally-sponsored Integrated Child Protection Scheme.