UP shelter home kids find takers in NRIs, foreigners
While earlier such adoptions were few and far between, the trend has picked up ever since the adoption process has been made online in 2015
PRAYAGRAJ/LUCKNOW: Adoption of Indian kids by couples from abroad is gradually picking up in Uttar Pradesh, records of government shelter homes indicated.
While earlier such adoptions were few and far between, the trend has picked up ever since the adoption process has been made online in 2015, said officials.
Records show that across Uttar Pradesh, 50 children have been adopted by inter-country prospective parents in 2018-19 alone. This number is much higher than inter-country adoption in 2014-15 when the figure was just 4.
The number started to rise after the process was made online in 2015-16 when 12 inter-country adoptions were registered. They doubled to 26 in 2016-17 and went on to 40 in 2017-18 before hitting halfa-century mark in 2018-19, the official claimed.
During past three years out of the total 47 kids, including 26 girls, who got adopted from government-run shelter homes of Prayagraj, 14 have been adopted by couples from other countries, said district probation officer, Prayagraj, Pankaj Mishra.
These include three couples from US, two each from Spain and Sweden besides one each from Italy, France and UAE, he added.
All these adoptions have been undertaken under strict norms of Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and the Authorised Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA), Mishra said.
“Two more foreign couples have shown interest in adopting kids from here and the process has been initiated for them as well,” he added.
“Earlier we used to get prospective parents from Prayagraj and nearby districts but now couples from all over India and also foreign nations have started applying,” said Poonam Pal, superintendent, government-run shelter home at Prayagraj’s Khuldabad locality.
Poonam said even individuals wishing to be single parents are coming forward to adopt kids. “Three women have adopted kids from our shelter home to be single parents, including one from abroad. Even men are applying to be single parents but the process for them is tougher and they can adopt just boys,” she said.
Poonam said that adoptions within the country had also witnessed a hike. Prayagraj Shelter Homes records show that since 2005 a total of 213 kids have been adopted, including 125 boys and 88 girls, with 76 during past four years.
Tales of inter-country adoptions are pouring in from all over the state. In the second week of August 2019, prospective parents from Malta adopted an 18-monthold child from government-run shelter home for kids in Lucknow. “The couple wanted to adopt a child from India and they applied around three years back,” said a government official.
“He was an abandoned child and also little weak but the prospective parents decided to go ahead as they liked him,” he added.
In June 2019, 9-year-old Barabanki boy, abandoned by his uncle in a train to Lucknow two years ago was adopted by a Spanish couple. Before they could complete the formalities, the couple—resident of Madrid used to talk to the boy through the video call.
“The child was excited to go to the new place. The trend of foreign adoption is increasing which is a good sign,” said Asia Raza, incharge, specialised adoption agency (SAA).
His prospective parents also tried to teach him basic Spanish, which Akhil was keen to learn. As per the case record, he lost his parents to some illness when he was 7. Barabanki boy was rescued by child rights authorities at Lucknow railway station.
In the first week of September, two children from Lucknow’s SAA will be adopted by Italian and Spanish couples. “Next week, two more children will be adopted by foreign parents,” she said.
Since, Raza has interacted with many foreign prospective parents, she said, “Cumbersome procedure abroad and the long waiting list is a major reason behind their interest in Indian children.”
In India, “Children are available for adoption and despite rules are strict; one can get a child in 3-4 years, while the waiting list in some countries is over 5-6 years.”
State nodal official for Child adoption, Puneet Mishra said, “One can adopt a child by applying through CARA online gateway. This is same for Indian as well as for inter-country prospective parents.”
An Indian citizen or a non-resident Indian (NRI) can adopt a child under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956 and the Guardian and Wards Act of 1890.
Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) who have lost their child/children through known cause (sickness/accident) and single woman over 40 years of age, as a class, are provided priority in accordance with Regulation 60 of Adoption Regulations 2017.