To be official soon: Live-in couples can’t adopt a child
Live-in couples cannot adopt, and an unmarried or single man cannot adopt a girl child, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has decided. Several years after it came out with in-country and inter-country guidelines for adoption, the government is set to notify a new set of rules, aimed at stringent monitoring of international and domestic adoptions.
To adopt a child in the age group 0-3, the ages of the prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) must not be under 25 and over 50, and their ages must not add up to more than 90, say the new guidelines.
To adopt a child older than 3 years, each PAP must be aged 25-55 years, and their total age must not be more than 105.
In all cases, parents must have been in a stable marital relationship for at least 2 years.
An individual who is single must not be younger than 30 or older than 50 to be able to adopt. If adopting a child in the age group 0-3, he/she must not be older than 45.
“The guidelines have been formulated keeping the child’s interest in view,” said Anu J Singh, secretary, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). The guidelines lean towards in-country adoption in an 80:20 ratio — existing guidelines are 50-50 for in-country and inter-country adoptions, excluding children with special needs.
The recognition of an adoption agency may be suspended if it divulges information about the child or his/her biological mother or parents in violation of the principle of confidentiality.
A child, the guidelines say, may be given up for adoption if he/she is born of a non-consensual relationship, an unwed mother or out of wedlock, or if one biological parent is dead and the other incapacitated or unfit to take care of the child.
Source : https://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-be-official-soon-livein-couples-cant-adopt-a-child/803349/
