Adoption: The Answers (iv)

Back in Hyderabad, I decided to take a share of what the adoption agency here has to tell me about the procedures. Quite interstingly, Andhra Pradesh (AP) is the only state that has banned any adoption through Voluntary Coordinating Agency (VCA) following a scam in 1999. The process has been in turn taken over by the Women Development and Child Welfare Development Centre.

At the VCA, I met the assistant director and two social workers. But more than meeting the staff there, what was more heartening was that I saw two parents who had come to take over their adopted kids. One was a baby of 3-5 months and the other was a girl child of 3 years.

In the previous articles, we dealt with some basic questions to be pondered and answered before we think of adoption. In this article, we lay out a step-wise procedure for a normal adoption, as told to me by the social worker I met.

1. Parents come to enquire about the adoption process.

Facts:
a. All adoption is based on first come- first serve basis.
b. A single male cannot adopt a child
c. A single female can adopt a male or female child. However, her parents should be supportive of her desicion. Her income should be atleast Rs 5000 per month and should own some property.

2. Once the parents let know if they want to adopt a male or female child, they are told what the waiting period is.

Facts:
a. In general, the waiting period for a male child is 3-4 years and a female child is 1.5 years. This is based on the availability of the children.
b. Many parents settle to adopt a female child in order to aviod long waiting periods for a male child.
c. Last year (2006), almost 85 female children and only 5-6 male children had been adopted.
d. Their claim is that almost 95% parents come asking for female child adoption.

3. The parents are given information about the adoption procedure and given a list of documents to be submitted to list them in the process for adoption.

4. After around 3 months of the document submission, the staff conduct a home visit to the applicant’s home.

Facts:
a. They make sure the home environment is fine.
b. They speak with family-members and neighbours to make sure that all are fine with the adoption process. Even if one person is not ready for it (parents, in-laws etc…), they can be termed as a home not advised for adoption.
c. Even the surroundings are checked for schools and basic amenities to help the healthy growth of the adopted child.

5. Once everything is fine with the home visit, the parents are listed for adoption and put under seniority process (i.e., first come- first serve).

6. When the child is available for the parents, a letter is sent out to the adopting parents.

Facts:
a. Only 2-3 children are shown to the parents for them to choose.
b. These children are selected carefully , to match the adopting parent’s face, features, complexion etc… This is to avoid any social problems that may arise later.
c. The children are already medically examined for fitness. However, if the parents will, they can conduct any further checkups on their own at their own expense. The child can be rejected if any medical problem is found and the parents will be given to have a second preference.
d. Children who are 5-6 years of age have a developed psychology, so their consent is taken before they are handed over.

7. After the parents are handed over the child, the legalisation process starts.

Facts:
a. They are shown to good lawyers who will file a case of adoption in the court.
b. The assistant director will go and testify the handling over of the child.
c. The orphanage has nothing to do with the religion of the parents who are adopting. Everything to do with the Christian Wards Act is dealt in the court as it is a legal matter.

8. At the Registeration office, the parents need to file the details of the child, for a certificate that will serve as a Birth Certificate in future.

Facts:
The parents can give a new Date of Birth for the child based on an approximate age determined by the orphanage. Usually the parents choose dates with favourable star signs, day, month, etc…

9. Subsequent followup visits are made to make sure everything is going fine.

Facts:
a. 5-6 year olds take a longer time to adapt, especially the boys. If they are given a lot of care and tenderness, they will adapt better to the new parents and environment.
b. Many kids are readily agreeable for adoption.

A peek over NRI adoption…
As stated before, after adoptions through VCA has been handed over to the  Women Development and Child Welfare Development centre in AP, a preference order has been laid down. It being:

  1. Indian Parents
  2. NRI Parents
  3. 1 Indian and 1 foreign parent
  4. Foreigners

Only children who have been continuosly rejected by the Indian parents residing in India will be put up for adoption by the others. They are very often children with disabilities. Right now there are 29 such children in AP for such adoption. Their names and details are in the internet.

8 Responses

  1. You guys have a great blog up here!

    This information is very interesting…though I guess a lot will change when I’m ready to adopt. I find it intriguing how you have said parents ‘settle’ for a female child. It’s a sad state of affairs. A relative of ours adopted some years ago and chose for a boy which gave me the shits.

    Thanks again for this info!!!

    Will be following your blog from now on.

    Cheers!!!

    • sarah says:

      Hey Psych Babbler,

      Nice to hear from you. Yes, it is a sad state of affairs that in the overall picture, a male child is better prefered than the female. Yet, I feel that slowly, the newer generation are willing to adopt female children with an equal interest like that for a males.
      When are you planning to adopt? It is a nice thought and wish you all good things to happen! 🙂

  2. Giridhar T says:

    hello,

    This is Giridhar, am from Hyderabad, i was actually luking for male child aged 3 – 4 years for adoption by one of my uncles as they have lost their 14 year old only son…..

    any person helpful may plz contact on my mail id..

    Hoping for genuine help

    thank you..

    Regards,
    Giridhar T

    • sarah says:

      Dear Giridhar,

      Check out this place for adoption:

      Women Development & Child Welfare Department,
      Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
      8-3-222, Behind Sarathi Studio, Ameerpet,
      Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh – 500038
      Tel. : 040-23733665 / 3221
      Fax: 040-23732587
      Email : wdcwdept@rediffmail.com

  3. Prachi says:

    Hi Roxy
    I m prachi from Pune.I gone throug ur adoption site. i got married in dec 2005 but still waiting 4 being a mother.B4 marreage me and my hubby both descied to adopt 1 child after our own 1.But now i tired of waiting therefor i want to adopt a baby girl,but according to indian govt law of adoption i cant take it b4 five years complited to marreage
    will u help me?
    Prachi

    • sarah says:

      Dear Prachi,
      As far as I have researched, it is enough for a married couple to wait for 2 years before they can start the formal procedures of adoption. The procedure itself may take 6 months or more before you are declared fit to be adopting parents. Since you wish to adopt a female child, the adoption should not take too long.
      It will be good if you can get in touch with a ‘women and child department’ situated in Pune. They should be able to guide you through the adoption procedures quite well. If there is any medical reason for you not being able to become a parent, you can mention that also to them.
      You can get back to us in case of any need and we would be glad to help you out with whatever information we have.

      wishing you both luck!

  4. sarah says:

    Yes Jina, we live in a world of too many rules! But these rules for adoption actually seem bearably less for the seriousness of it! 🙂 After all, it is a matter of a life.

  5. jina says:

    Hi..
    Coming here after a long time..:)
    sure..sometimes I wonder whethr we have made our rules for ourselves..or we have been made for rules

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