In the absence of adoption agency in Tiruchi, abandoned children are being sent to other districts where organisations comply with CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority) guidelines.
According to official sources, the necessity to send children to other districts has arisen since the SOC-SEAD has not renewed its licence that had lapsed during 2016.
No other agency has come forward for adopting children, District Child Protection Officer Geetha said. SOC-SEAD sources said that they have fulfilled all norms but are yet to be granted the licence.
The Adoption Guidelines 2017 framed by CARA envisages increase in time period available to domestic Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAP) for matching and acceptance, after reserving the child referred, from 20 days to 15 days.
The District Child Protection Unit is expected to maintain a panel of professionally qualified social workers.
CARA has been facilitating all adoptions under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, through Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS).
Policies simplified
The CARA had simplified adoption policies through Adoption Regulations 2017. The entire process has been streamlined and made transparent with fully automated online system with central database.
The agencies can no longer choose prospective parents.
Adoptions by relatives must also be reported to CARA which would maintain their record and ensure post-adoption follow up.
Through Jam Sampark Programme, the CARA has been enabling dissemination of information related to adoption among PAP.
NGOs in the district, however, consider the CARA regulations to be quite tough to comply with.
The adoption agencies are finding it tough to ensure that abandoned children are 'legally free' before giving them in adoption.
The onus is on the adoption agencies to make sure that no relatives will claim the child later.
For ensuring this, the agencies are required to place advertisements in national dailies at huge expenditure.
The process is relatively easier for orphaned or surrendered children, sources said.
