In News:

Adoption Awareness Month is an annual event where CARA and all its stakeholders come together to raise awareness about the legal process of adoption. 

Context

• Celebrated by: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).
• When: November 2024.
• Theme: “Rehabilitation of Older Children through Foster Care and Foster Adoption.”
• Purpose: To raise awareness about legal adoption, foster care, and the rehabilitation of older children in India.

Objectives

• Promote Legal Adoptions:
  • Create awareness about the legal framework and processes for adoption.
  • Encourage prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) to adopt older children or children with special needs.
• Foster Care Focus:
  • Highlight the importance of foster care as a rehabilitative measure for older children.
• Public Engagement:
  • Engage various stakeholders, including adoptive families, PAPs, older adoptees, and the general public, to share experiences and insights.

Key Activities

• Nationwide Campaigns:
  • Offline events in states like Ladakh, Assam, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and West Bengal.
  • Mega event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on November 21, 2024.
• Online Initiatives (via MyGov India):
  • Storytelling, poster making, slogan writing, pledges, and online surveys.
  • Informative content on adoption and foster care shared via social media.
• Interactive Engagements:
  • Cultural programs, competitions, Q&A sessions with PAPs, and discussions with stakeholders.
  • Sharing of experiences by older adoptees and adoptive parents.

Significance of Adoption Awareness Month

• Focus on Older Children:
  • Addresses challenges faced by older children in finding permanent families.
  • Promotes inclusive adoption practices for children with special needs or in foster care.
• Stakeholder Involvement:
  • Builds trust and awareness by sharing real-life adoption experiences.
  • Encourages societal participation in the rehabilitation of vulnerable children.
• Policy Awareness:
  • Educates the public about the legal adoption process under CARA.
  • Highlights the benefits and responsibilities of foster care and adoption.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

• Role: Apex body for regulating adoption in India under the MWCD.
• Key Function: Ensures legal, ethical, and transparent adoption processes for orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children.

Challenges in Adoption and Foster Care

• Limited awareness about adopting older children or children with special needs.
• Cultural and societal barriers.
• Complexities in the legal adoption process.

Way Forward

• Streamlining Processes: Simplify legal procedures to make adoption and foster care accessible.
• Increased Awareness: Continued campaigns to reduce stigma and misinformation about adoption.
• Policy Support: Strengthen programs for foster care and ensure periodic evaluation of their impact.