New Delhi, April 2
India has seen a record number of child adoptions, 4,515 in FY 2024-25 -- the highest in the last 12 years, according to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Of the total number, 4,155 were domestic adoptions, said the Ministry noting that, it shows the growing acceptance of legal adoption in the country.
This was made possible because of a strong identification drive by data from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which introduced 8,598 new children into the adoption pool. CARA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
In addition, 245 new adoption agencies were set up in coordination with state governments to streamline the adoption process.
The Ministry also credited interventions such as identification cells and extensive training and awareness campaigns for the progress in adoption in the country.
“CARA conducted physical state orientations across 12 states and UTs, along with 45 virtual training sessions covering adoption timelines, training of CWC members, foster care, and adoption counseling for children and prospective adoptive parents (PAPs),†the Ministry said.
Moreover, CARA partnered with 16 states to organise meets with adoptive parents from October 2024 to January 2025.
CARA also launched a comprehensive child identification exercise, adhering to the directives of the Supreme Court.
This initiative categorised children under five groups -- orphan, abandoned, surrendered, children with no visitation, and children with unfit guardians.
“This strategic effort aimed to bring more children into the legal adoption framework, ensuring their right to a secure and supportive home,†the Ministry said.
Further, CARA also introduced new initiatives to enhance alternate family-based care. In 2024, CARA introduced foster care and foster adoption modules on the CARINGS portal to ensure placement of older children in family-based alternate care.
The agency implemented digital interventions to streamline adoption procedures and enable greater transparency and efficiency.
Identification-related initiatives about data cleansing and provisions from the Adoption Regulations, 2022 were added to the CARINGS portal. New modules for in-country relative and step-parent adoptions were introduced, reducing the average processing time to 3-4 months, the Ministry said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is such heartwarming news! So many children finding loving homes 💕 The government's efforts with CARA are really paying off. Hope the numbers keep increasing!
While the numbers are encouraging, I wish the article had more details about post-adoption support systems. Adoption is just the beginning - families need ongoing resources.
As an adoptive parent myself, I can say the digital interventions have made the process so much smoother! The 3-4 month timeline is accurate if all documents are in order. More people should consider adoption â¤ï¸
Great to see foster care options being expanded too. Not every child needs permanent adoption - some just need temporary loving homes. The categorization system seems well thought out.
The awareness campaigns must be working! When I was growing up, adoption was rarely discussed openly. Now I see more couples proudly sharing their adoption journeys. Society is changing for the better!
Impressive numbers, but I wonder about the regional distribution. Are certain states contributing more to these adoption figures? Would be interesting to see that breakdown.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.