Government embarks on special drive to identify kids for adoption

With child adoptions much in demand in the district, issueless parents who have registered for adoptions are waiting for their chance to adopt a child.

VISAKHAPATNAM: With child adoptions much in demand in the district, issueless parents who have registered for adoptions are waiting for their chance to adopt a child. Officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department, are conducting a special drive to identify homes with orphan children and children abandoned by their relatives. As many as 69 orphan children from homes have been identified for adoption. These children will be registered for the adoption procedure.

Currently, a total number of 22 children are available for online adoption. They include 12 above 15 years of age, most of the girls,  and  10 special children. As children below two years of age are most preferred, those above 16 years of age are left at homes.

There has been an increase in abandoned children in the district, especially girl children. Official reports say that there has been a spurt in adoptions in Visakhapatnam district with many parents coming from Kerala and Karnataka.

Monitored by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the adoptions have been divided into three categories -  Abandoned, Surrendered and Orphans. Children in the 0-6 age group are kept at Sisu Gruha and those above six years are at Government Special Home. Most of the abandoned children are either girls or low-weight infants.

According to the District Child Protection Officer Satyanarayana, there are many orphans taken care of by orphanages. While some children are left at orphanages though they have relatives to look after them.
“We have identified a total number of 69 orphan children and 344 children who have relatives but are in homes for various reasons. We have counselled the relatives of children, particularly those who have grandparents, to either take them home as guardians or initiate the process for adoptions so that they need not be left alone,” he said.

Among the 344 children who have relatives, 55 are likely to go for online adoptions. Special children with curable health problems are preferred by the parents from other countries.

Waiting for foster parents
69
Children identified at orphanages
22
Adoptable children (12 children above 15 yrs, 11 special children)
344
Children who have relatives
55
Children likely to adopted online