Centre to scrap 'pick and choose' adoption policy from Labour Day

Parents who wish to adopt a child will no longer be allowed to pick and choose, according to a new rule introduced by the Central government. The prospective parents will now only be able to accept or reject the child offered by the government's adoption body. The new rule will be implemented from May 1 (Labour Day).

CARINGS, the Centre's adoption portal, used to refer up to three children earlier. The couples could accept one out of the three children referred.

"The rate of adoption was very slow and the children would remain in the referral cycle for a very long time. Under the new method, we will be able to refer all children in our adoption pool to an equal number of prospective parents," Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar, CEO, Child Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Prospective parents can, however, take part in three referral rounds before moving to the bottom of the waiting list. They will be provided with a profile of a different child in each round. Each rounds will spaced out with a time gap of at least three months or 90 days time.

"We are also trying to discourage commodification of adoptable children where parents can pick and choose," Kumar told the news agency. CARA is witnessing a huge demand for adoption. There are hardly 1,800 to 2,000 children at its adoption centre against 15,000 registered parents who wish to adopt a child.

Registered parents will be given two days to accept a child starting from the time they are provided with the child's profile. Another 20 days will be needed to complete all the formalities following which an application will be filed in a court seeking an adoption order.