Long wait for couples to adopt a kid

HYDERABAD:  Nearly 1,462 couples are in queue to adopt children aged between six months to five years, who were abandoned, relinquished and brought to the Department of Women Development

HYDERABAD:  Nearly 1,462 couples are in queue to adopt children aged between six months to five years, who were abandoned, relinquished and brought to the Department of Women Development and Child Welfare (DWDCW) here.

To adopt about 226 children (166 healthy girls and 60 boys) who were lodged at the 23 shishu vihars across the state, 1,462 couples have applied and are looking for a positive response from the DWDCW. Some of them have been waiting for more than three-and-a-half years, according to DWDCW records.

A couple who wants to adopt a boy child has to wait for about three-and-a-half years and for a girl child for a year and half to get the green signal from the department’s child welfare committee (CWC). R Turupatamma (29), a resident of Jeedimetla got married to an auto driver nine years ago but could not beget a child as she had health problems. She then applied to adopt a girl child at DWDCW. “I applied for a girl child a year ago and still I am waiting. Recently, I got a reply from CWC informing me that I would get a child in the couple of weeks.”

B Hitesh (36), a business man from Nampally said that he had applied for a boy child three years ago and had been visiting shishu vihar time and again. He does not have children even after 10 years of marriage.

Many couple have been in queue as there are not enough children. Moreover, the rules for adoption are strict, said KB Aruna, assistant director, adoption section at the directorate of women’s development and child welfare.

The adoptions take place while the children are still young. The interest for adopting infants is very huge in AP,  says Aruna.

There used to be 10 shishu vihars in the state but it has gone up to 23 now. Currently, the total number of children in 23 shishu vihars is 319. Of these, 166 are normal girl children, 67 special needs girl children and 60 normal boys and 26 special needs boys. 

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