Adoption is a beautiful expression of love and belonging, a journey where families are formed through choice, care, and dedication. However, as many prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) are aware, adoption is also a process that requires patience, openness, and emotional preparation. Adoption of orphans, abandoned and relinquished children, as well as kinship adoption, adoption and foster care adoption, is facilitated by the Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) through an online system prescribed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Adoption Regulations, 2022 and the Adoption Model Guidelines, 2024. Adoption Awareness Month is held to highlight the importance of adoption and the need for adoptive families. As a reminder of how legal adoption can bring a bright and hopeful future to children in need.
The foundations of India’s adoption system are understandably strict and child-centric, particularly under the Youth Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021). The fundamentals of this process are sound and robust, ensuring that every decision is in the best interests of the child. One of the key principles of the JJ Act (as amended in 2021) is that all available resources, including family and community resources, should be mobilized to promote children’s well-being, identity and inclusion, while reducing vulnerability and ensuring holistic development. 1
In India, adoptions primarily take place under two legal frameworks: the Youth Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Hindu Adoption Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA). Adoptions under the JJ Act and the Adoption Regulations 2022 are supervised by CARA, ensuring that all children declared legally adoptable by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) are adopted by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in a safe, transparent and child-centred manner. Online CARINGS system (now integrated into Mission Vatsalya). In addition to this regulated process, many families also adopt under HAMA, which governs adoptions among Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. These adoptions often occur within families or between relatives and do not go through the CARA system.
Changing expectations during the implementation process
Most families begin their adoption journey with a clear and heartfelt purpose: to provide a loving home for a child in need. In the early stages, many prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) believe that they can choose the profile of the child they wish to adopt, perhaps a healthy infant of their desired gender and age group. However, as the process goes, adoption is not about choosing a child, but rather, 1The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Government of India. (2015, as amended in 2021). One is chosen for the child that best meets their needs. This realization marks an important emotional and practical turning point in their journey.
In India, there are far more parents waiting to adopt than there are infants and toddlers legally available for adoption. As a result, prospective parents often face long waiting periods, whereas infants and young children are generally adopted as soon as they are declared legally free to adopt.
According to data from the Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA), the number of registered PAPs significantly exceeds the number of children available for adoption, especially in the age group 0-2 years (CARA Annual Report, 2022-23). 2 Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 and the Adoption Regulations 2022, all adoptions are facilitated through CARA, ensuring transparency in the process. It is ethical and in the best interests of all children.
The legal framework mandates that a child can only be placed for adoption if the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has carried out an appropriate investigation and declared the child legally free to adopt (Section 38 of the JJ Act 2015). 3 The assignment of a child to a PAP depends on a number of factors, including the parents’ qualifications, age, family structure and wishes recorded in the Home Study Report (HSR) in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Adoption Regulations 2022. Even for young, healthy infants, reality often unfolds differently.
Rather than catering to parents’ wishes, the system aims to match each child with the family best suited to meet their emotional, social and developmental needs. This stage requires flexibility, empathy, and patience. It is about recognizing that adoption is not about fulfilling your wishes for a particular child, but rather about opening your heart and home to the child who truly needs you most. In this way, the journey becomes less about choice and more about a connection based on the child’s best interests, which is the basis of all adoption policies and practices. 4
Adoption of children with special needs and older children
Although healthy young children up to the age of six are usually placed with their families without delay, for children with special needs or long waits in child care institutions (CCI), finding suitable parents who can provide love, stability, and acceptance is often still a challenge.
The category of difficult children also includes sibling groups and older children over the age of five. Recognizing their vulnerability, CARA provides flexibility in eligibility criteria for prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) who offer to adopt children with special needs. PAPs can book special needs children directly on the CARINGS portal, regardless of seniority, once the Home Study Report (HSR) has been approved. Not all children classified as special needs have serious medical problems. Adopting a child with special needs also comes with unique challenges and responsibilities. Prospective adoptive parents need to be well prepared, committed, and informed about the specific needs of the child they plan to adopt. Once you have completed the CARINGS registration process and your home study has been successfully uploaded to the online platform by your social worker, potential adoptive parents who are expecting a child will be able to access their profile and make reservations, regardless of the number of biological children they have. Parents can still book their child from the special needs category while waiting for a referral through the normal process. There is no waiting time and parents can visit the adoption agency immediately after making an appointment to complete the adoption process. If a parent decides not to accept a child after booking, it has no bearing on the child’s seniority. 5 To ensure accurate and transparent information, all such child health details will be verified and authenticated by the District Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The CMO is the sole authority to decide whether a child is classified as having special needs, as required by the 2022 Adoption Regulations.
Older children also have unique strengths and require sensitive parenting. They often have a developed sense of identity, memory, and attachment that needs to be respected and nurtured. Pre-adoption counseling and preparation is essential to help families understand the importance of trust-building, communication, and gradual adjustment. Older children need opportunity, not charity. All older children deserve to be prepared to belong, not just placed. The legal process ends when the child joins the family, but the real work of nurturing, attachment and security begins afterwards. Preparation for both the family and the child is the foundation of a successful adoption.
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and the State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARA) emphasize the importance of pre-adoption counseling and orientation programs for prospective adoptive parents (PAPs). These organizations help families understand the realities of parenting, including bonding challenges, trauma recovery, grief, and identity formation. Pre-adoption preparation also includes developing age-appropriate communication skills, answering questions about birth history, and creating an inclusive environment where the child feels accepted and valued. Many adoption agencies facilitate interactions with experienced adoptive parents, child psychologists, and social workers to enhance family preparedness and resilience.
Equally important is the preparation of older children for the transition from child care institutions (CCIs) to family life. For children who have spent years in institutions, the concept of “family” can seem abstract and even frightening. Systematic counseling, life skills sessions, and gradual familiarization with the future family can help reduce anxiety, fear, and resistance. Children need to be confident that they are not being “kicked out” but are gaining a permanent family that will love and support them unconditionally.
Post-implementation support
Post-hiring support also plays a vital role in maintaining job success. Families are encouraged to stay connected with counselors, peer networks, and support groups who provide ongoing guidance during important transitions such as schooling, adolescence, and identity-related questions. These shared experiences foster resilience and inclusion, prevent isolation, and promote family stability. Ultimately, preparation transforms adoption from a procedural stage into a deep, lifelong relationship. When both family and child are prepared with understanding and trust, adoption becomes more than just an adoption, it becomes a process of healing and growth, where every child finds the right family and every family learns the true meaning of unconditional love.
Along this beautiful path, every family learns that adoption is not a fairy tale, but a journey filled with both joy and complexity. Accepting the reality of adoption means recognizing that love alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by patience, understanding and a willingness to grow together.
conclusion
As India continues to strengthen its adoption ecosystem through digital transparency, professional counseling and family-based care initiatives, prospective adoptive parents must embrace adoption not as an act of charity, but as a deep commitment – a lifelong relationship based on empathy, stability and unconditional love. While state governments and union territories are stepping up efforts to identify more children in need of care and protection, their focus must now shift to expanding and strengthening family-based alternative care options such as adoption and foster care. Strengthening these mechanisms will ensure that more children, especially older adults and children with special needs, can find permanent care where they can thrive. A tailored approach based on compassion, development, and accountability can transform adoption and foster care from a process of control into a meaningful pathway of belonging and resilience. *Former Director (Programs) of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)
