Adoption is a beautiful expression of love and belonging — a journey through which a family is formed by choice, compassion, and commitment. Yet, as many Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) discover, adoption is also a process that demands patience, openness, and emotional readiness. Adoption of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children — as well as relative, step, and foster adoptions — has been facilitated by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) through its online system as provided under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Adoption Regulations, 2022, and the Foster Care Model Guidelines, 2024. To highlight the importance of adoption and the need for adoptive families, Adoption Awareness Month serves as a reminder of how legal adoption can create brighter, more hopeful futures for children in need.
The foundation of India’s adoption system, particularly under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (amended in 2021), is rightfully stringent and child-centric. The fundamentals of this process are sound and robust, ensuring that every decision serves the best interests of the child. One of the key principles of the JJ Act (amended in 2021) is that all available resources — including those of family and community — should be mobilised to promote the child’s well-being, identity, and inclusion, while reducing vulnerabilities and ensuring holistic development.1
In India, adoption primarily takes place under two legal frameworks — the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA), 1956. Adoptions under the JJ Act and Adoption Regulations, 2022 are supervised by CARA, which ensures that every child declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is placed in a safe, transparent, and child-centric manner through the online CARINGS system (now integrated with Mission Vatsalya). Alongside this regulated process, many families also adopt under HAMA, which governs adoptions among Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. These adoptions often take place within families or among relatives and do not pass through the CARA system.
Shifting expectations in the adoption journey
Most families begin their adoption journey with a clear and heartfelt purpose — to provide a loving home to a child in need. In the initial stages, many Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) believe they will be able to choose the profile of the child they wish to adopt — perhaps a healthy infant of a preferred gender or age group. However, as they progress through the process, they come to realise that adoption is not about selecting a child, but rather about being 1The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015,Government of India. (2015, amended 2021). 1 selected for a child whose needs they are best equipped to meet. This realisation 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 young children legally free for adoption. Consequently, prospective parents often face long waiting periods, whereas infants and younger children are generally placed soon after they are declared legally free for adoption.
According to data from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the number of registered PAPs significantly exceeds the number of children available for adoption, particularly those in the 0–2 year age group (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, which ensures that the process is transparent, ethical, and in the best interests of every child.
The legal framework mandates that children can only be placed in adoption after being declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) following due inquiry (Section 38, JJ Act, 2015).3 The allocation of children to PAPs depends on several factors, including the parents’ eligibility, age, family composition, and the preferences recorded in their Home Study Report (HSR) as per Regulation 9 of the Adoption Regulations, 2022. While many families initially hope to adopt a young, healthy infant, the reality often unfolds differently.
The system seeks to match each child with a family best suited to meet their emotional, social, and developmental needs, rather than catering to parental preferences. This stage calls for flexibility, empathy, and patience — recognising that adoption is not about fulfilling a wish for a particular child, but about opening one’s heart and home to the child who truly needs them the most. In this way, the journey becomes less about choice and more about connection, grounded in the child’s best interests — the cornerstone of all adoption policy and practice.4
Adoption of children with special needs and older children
While healthy and young children up to six years of age are generally placed with families without delay, for children with special needs or those who have waited longer in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), finding suitable parents who can provide love, stability, and acceptance often remains a challenge.
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The category of hard-to-place children also includes sibling groups or older children above five years of age. Recognising their vulnerability, CARA provides flexibility in eligibility criteria for Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) who come forward to adopt children having special needs. PAPs can directly reserve a special needs child on the CARINGS portal — irrespective of their seniority — once their Home Study Report (HSR) is approved. Not every child classified as special needs has a severe medical issue. Adoption of a Special Needs child also comes with unique challenges and responsibilities. Prospective adoptive parents should be well-prepared, committed, and informed about the specific needs of the child they plan to adopt. Upon completing the CARINGS registration process and successfully uploading their home study to the online platform by the social worker, prospective adoptive parents who are waiting for a child or children can access their profile for reservation regardless of the number of biological children they have. The parents may reserve the child from the Special Needs category even while they are waiting for a referral through the normal process. There is no waiting period and the parents can visit the adoption agency soon after reservation and complete the adoption process. If parents decide not to receive their child after reserving them, it has no bearing on their seniority. 5 The health details of every such child are verified and certified by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the district to ensure accurate and transparent information. The CMO is the sole authority to determine whether a child is classified as having special needs, as mandated under the Adoption Regulations, 2022.
Older children, too, bring unique strengths and require sensitive parenting. They often possess a developed sense of identity, memory, and attachments that need to be respected and nurtured. Pre-adoption counselling and preparation are essential to help families understand the importance of trust-building, communication, and gradual adjustment. Older children require not charity, but opportunity. Every older child deserves not merely placement, but preparation for belonging. While the legal process concludes with the child joining the family, the real work of nurturing, attachment and stability begins thereafter. Preparation — for both families and children — forms the foundation of every successful adoption.
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs) emphasise the critical importance of pre-adoption counselling and orientation programmes for Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs). These bodies help families understand the realities of adoptive parenting — including bonding challenges, trauma recovery, grief, and identity formation. Pre-adoption preparation also includes developing age-appropriate communication skills, handling 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 strengthen families’ readiness and resilience.
Equally vital is the preparation of older children who are transitioning from Child Care Institutions (CCIs) to family life. For children who have spent years in institutional care, the concept of a “family” may seem abstract or even intimidating. Structured counselling, life skills sessions, and gradual familiarisation with the prospective family help reduce anxiety, fear, and resistance. Children need to be assured that they are not being “sent away,” but are instead gaining a permanent family that will love and support them unconditionally.
Post-adoption support
Post-adoption support also plays a pivotal role in sustaining successful placements. Families are encouraged to stay connected with counsellors, peer networks, and support groups, which provide ongoing guidance during critical transitions such as schooling, adolescence, or identity-related questions. These shared experiences foster resilience and inclusion, preventing isolation and promoting family stability. Ultimately, preparation transforms adoption from a procedural step into a profound, lifelong relationship. When both the family and the child are prepared with understanding and trust, adoption becomes not just a placement but 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, it is a journey marked by both joy and complexity. Embracing the reality of adoption means acknowledging 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 counselling, and family-based care initiatives, prospective adoptive parents must embrace adoption not as an act of charity but as a profound commitment — a lifelong relationship founded on empathy, stability, and unconditional love. While State Governments and Union Territories are intensifying efforts to identify more children in need of care and protection, the focus must now shift toward expanding and reinforcing family-based alternate care options such as adoption and foster care. Strengthening these mechanisms will ensure that more children, particularly older ones and those with special needs, find permanent, nurturing homes where they can thrive. A coordinated approach—anchored in compassion, capacity building, and accountability—can transform adoption and foster care from administrative processes into meaningful pathways of belonging and resilience. *Former Director(Programme), Central Adoption Resource Authority(CARA)
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