{"id":32555,"date":"2024-11-22T17:38:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T12:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=32555"},"modified":"2024-11-22T17:38:17","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T12:08:17","slug":"every-child-matters-advocating-for-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-11-2024\/every-child-matters-advocating-for-adoption","title":{"rendered":"Every Child Matters: Advocating for Adoption"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adoption Awareness Month is celebrated annually in November.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an initiative led by the <strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)<\/strong> to raise awareness about the legal adoption process.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theme for 2024: &#8220;Rehabilitation of Older Children through Foster Care and Foster Adoption.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Adoption Data in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has approximately <strong>29.6 million <\/strong>stranded, orphaned, and abandoned children, but only a small fraction ranging from <strong>3,000 to 4,000, <\/strong>are adopted annually.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over 16,000 prospective parents in India are waiting for adoption referrals, but the number of legally available children for adoption falls far short of this demand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Laws Related to Child Adoption in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956: <\/strong>This act applies to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists. It specifies that only a child&#8217;s father, mother, or guardian can give the child up for adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015: <\/strong>This act applies to children who need care and protection and are eligible for adoption.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduces the concept of <strong>Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs)<\/strong> who must register through CARA\u2019s CARINGS portal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Guardianship and Wards Act of 1890:<\/strong> This secular act applies to all citizens of India. It covers the process for petitioning the courts to appoint a guardian.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is a<strong> statutory body<\/strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Women &amp; Child Development,<\/strong> oversees ethical and legal adoptions in India, prioritizing the best interests of children.<br>&#8211; As the <strong>central authority for Indian adoptions<\/strong>, CARA regulates and monitors both in-country and inter-country adoptions.<br>&#8211; It adhered to the <strong>Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, <\/strong>ratified by India in <strong>2003.<\/strong><br><strong>CARINGS portal<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>The CARINGS (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System) portal <\/strong>was launched in <strong>2011.<\/strong><br>&#8211; It serves as the sole platform for adoption, complying with the Hague Convention, international protocols, and national laws.\u00a0<br>&#8211; The portal <strong>integrates data of legally free children <\/strong>with that of Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs), enabling automated matching based on preferences.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in the Adoption Process<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Complex Procedures: <\/strong>Lengthy and bureaucratic adoption processes deter many prospective adoptive parents (PAPs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Awareness:<\/strong> Limited knowledge about legal adoption and the CARINGS portal restricts participation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Societal Stigma:<\/strong> Adoptive families face prejudices, and the preference for infants over older children and those with special needs further narrows the adoption scope.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foster Care Gaps:<\/strong> India\u2019s foster care system is still nascent, requiring robust policy frameworks and infrastructure for implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Simplify Procedures: <\/strong>CARA and other stakeholders must streamline legal formalities to make adoption more accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhance Awareness:<\/strong> Initiatives like media campaigns and community workshops should educate people about the benefits and processes of legal adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthen Foster Care:<\/strong> A robust foster care system, focusing on older children and those with special needs, complement the adoption process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Support: <\/strong>Providing incentives, counseling services, and post-adoption support can address challenges faced by adoptive families.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remark<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adoption is not just a legal process; it is a life-changing act that prioritizes the welfare of children.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Empowering CARA, promoting awareness, and addressing systemic barriers can ensure that every child finds a loving home, affirming the principle that <strong>\u201cEvery Child Matters.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/static.pib.gov.in\/WriteReadData\/specificdocs\/documents\/2024\/nov\/doc20241120437901.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adoption Awareness Month is celebrated annually in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32555"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32556,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32555\/revisions\/32556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}