KOCHI: In a move aimed at preventing fraudulent practices in the adoption process, Kerala government has brought in an additional layer of screening and approval process for childless couples to adopt children in the state. This process is in addition to the existing tight procedures put in place by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development through its statutory body Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) in 2017.
As per the new screening process, a four-member committee that includes a local anganwadi worker will conduct a detailed probe into the whereabouts of the family based on the home study report prepared by an approved adoption agency.
“Earlier, approval for adoption process was given based on the home study report prepared by the approved agency. Kerala government has introduced another level of verification process wherein a four-member committee has to conduct a detailed inquiry based on the home study report and approval is given only if they find the details mentioned in the report correct,” said a senior officer of state Social Justice Department.
District Child Protection Officer Shina said the additional level of verification was introduced by the state government to prevent fraud committed by a few unregulated orphanages under the cover of adoption.
“More people are coming forward to adopt children from specialised agencies. All processes are now online with a centralised system. The four-member committee will conduct a spot verification of the family that applied for adoption and upload a report in the online system,” Shina said, adding in Ernakulam district alone, they were getting applications from nearly 60 people a year for adoption.
As per the statistics with Central Adoption Resource Authority, nine inter-country adoptions took place from Kerala in 2018-19 fiscal while the number of in-country adoptions from Kerala was 134 in the same period.
HOME STUDY REPORT?
The home study report is done to assess the financial, employment, health, lifestyle, home and neighbourhood environments of the prospective adoptive parent(s), their parenting styles and attitude, motivation for adoption, commitment towards adoption and their overall readiness-cum-maturity to adopt. It’s based on the home study report that a final approval is given for completing the adoption process.