Adoption from India

Update May 2017 – Adoption Opportunities is currently awaiting further instructions to obtain accreditation

The 2015 revised ‘Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children‘ (the “Guidelines”) have replaced the ones drafted in 2011 due to the minimal amounts of adoptions processed in the country. These guidelines give paramount important to the child’s best interests which is always kept at the basis of every process of an adoption placement.

six kids

The Guidelines put forward a number of eligibility criteria relating to characteristics of the Prospective Adoptive Parents (the “PAPs”) in order to safeguard the best interests of the prospective children to be adopted. These are the below:

  1. The PAPs should be physically, mentally and emotionally stable and financially capable, and motivated to adopt a child;
  2. any PAP, irrespective of his marital status and whether or not he has his own biological child/children, may adopt a child;
  3. A single female is eligible to adopt a child of any gender;
  4. A single male person is not eligible to adopt a girl child;
  5. In the case of a couple, the consent of both spouses would be required;
  6. A couple shall not be eligible unless they would have at least two (2) years of stable marital relationship;
  7. The age of PAPs on the date of the registration shall be counted for deciding the eligibility hereunder:
Age of the child Maximum composite age of PAPs Maximum age of single PAP
Up to 4 years 90 years 45 years
Above up to 8 years 100 years 50 years
Above 8 up to 18 years 110 years 55 years;
  1. the minimum age difference between the child and either of the prospective adoptive parents should not be less than twenty five (25) years; and
  2. Couples with more than four (4) children shall not be considered for adoption.

Availability of child for adoption:

As soon as a child is declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee, such child may be allowed to be given in adoption to a resident Indian or non-resident Indian parents:

Provided that such child shall be allowed to be given in inter-country adoption ―

(a) after sixty (60) days, if the child is below five (5) years of age;

(b) after thirty (30) days, if the child is above five (5) years of age or is a sibling;

(c)after fifteen (15) days, if the child has any mental or physical disability.