No waiting period for adopting child with special needs: Centre

New Delhi: The Union government informed on Wednesday that there is no waiting period for adopting children having special needs. The same applies to the children who are from the immediate placement category, which includes mostly older children, PTI reported.

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani told Lok Sabha in a written reply that there is a long queue to adopt a normal child up to six years of age, there is no waiting period for PAPs who desire to adopt a child having special needs and a child from immediate placement category.

The immediate placement category includes children who have been referred several times to prospective adoptive parents (PAP's) through Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System but have not found a family. Such children are mostly above five years old.

She shared data which stated that 2,991 children, including 1,698 girls, were adopted in 2021-22, while 3,142 children, including 1,856 girls, were adopted in-country in 2020-21, and 3,351 children, including 1,938 children, were adopted in 2019-20.

Irani responded to another question that 76,118 Children in Need of Care and Protection(CNCP) are living in 2,245 Child Care Institutions (CCIs), including government institutions funded under Mission Vatsalya Scheme in the country.

Further Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) informed that there are 30,444 (29,526 for in-country adoptions and 918 for inter-country adoptions) pending applications for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children.