Now single parents can also adopt a child, the government has changed the rules, know what is the process

New Delhi : Now single parents will also be able to adopt a child in the country. Under a new rule, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has now allowed single people aged 35 to 60 years who are unmarried, widowed, divorced or legally separated to adopt a child. Earlier, under the Model Foster Care Guidelines of 2016, only married couples were allowed to adopt a child. However, a single woman can adopt a child of any gender, but a man can only adopt a male child.

Caring for a child for 5 years and then adoption

Under the new rules, any person, whether married or not, widowed, divorced or legally separated, is now allowed to adopt a child, reports the Indian Express. Also, foster parents can now adopt a child after caring for them for five years instead of two. Fostering is an arrangement in which a child temporarily lives with either extended family or unrelated individuals.

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Which children can be adopted

• In India, children who can be adopted must be above six years of age.
• They may be living in child care institutions and have ‘unfit guardians’.
• Minors who fall in the category of difficult to adopt or children with special needs can also be adopted.

Condition of stable marital life for two years

According to the report, if a married couple wants to adopt a child, as per the new rules, they should have a stable married life for at least two years. Earlier, there was no such rule for couples. The 2016 guidelines have been revised as per the amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in 2021 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules of 2022. The revised guidelines were issued to all states in June.

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Age is also a factor

In terms of the age of foster parents, the 2016 guidelines stated that both spouses should be above 35 years of age. The revised guidelines are more specific. It states that for adopting children between the ages of 6 and 12 and 18, the “combined age of the married couple” should be at least 70 years. A single foster parent should be at least 35 years old. It also specifies the maximum age of potential foster parents. The age should be up to 55 years for a single person adopting a child between the ages of 6 and 12 and up to 60 years for adopting a child between the ages of 12 and 18.

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what will be the process

The report quoted the official as saying that foster parents can now register online through a platform – Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS). This platform was already being used by prospective adoptive parents for registration. The Foster Care Guidelines 2024 provide for a designated online portal where prospective foster parents can upload their documents for access by the District Child Protection Units. According to data from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, as of March 2024, 1,653 children were in foster care across states and union territories except Goa, Haryana and Lakshadweep.