In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How can I adopt a child in Karnataka? We will offer you a full guide on how to adopt a child in India, what rules you need to follow and how to prepare the file for the adoption process.
How can I adopt a child in Karnataka?
To start the procedures for the adoption of a child in India, the first thing to do is to gather information on the requirements that the authorities of this country require to carry out the adoption by a foreign family.
In this Asian country, there is a body created under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Assistance, the CARA (Central Adoption Resource Agency), which is in charge of negotiating all matters related to adoption.
In India, national adoption takes priority, so CARA and the Indian government give the following order when it comes to finding a family for the child:
- Find the biological parents.
- Adoption by Indian families, whether they are at home, abroad or have Indian origins.
- Adoption by foreigners.
CARA has established that, of all children under 6 years of age susceptible to be adopted, 50% remain for national adoption. This means that for every two orphaned or abandoned children under the age of 6, one must stay in the country or with an Indian family.
However, this percentage is not met for children over 6 years of age, groups of siblings, disabled children and children in special situations, who can be immediately given up for international adoption.
Preparation of the file when adopting a child in Karnataka
The first step is to get the Certificate of Suitability. This report contains information on the identity, legal capacity and aptitude to adopt of the future parents, as well as on their personal, family and medical situation, their social environment and on their motives and aptitudes to undertake an international adoption.
In most countries, the preparation of the report depends on the Autonomous Administrations. Some Communities delegate to private entities the completion of the Certificate of Suitability. In this case, it is not free.
Once this Certificate has been obtained, one must contact one of the ECAI accredited in their origin country to process the adoption in India. It will be this entity that will prepare the file to request a child for adoption.
The documents that are part of this file are the following:
- The request addressed to the director of the orphanage in India.
- International Marriage Certificate. It must be requested at the Civil Registry of the municipality where the couple married.
- Work certificate or company certificate. It must be done before a notary.
- Tax Declaration. Certification of the last three years. To request it, you must fill in the “certificate request” form from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, requesting a certified and extracted copy of the personal income tax return for the last three years. In the section “to be presented to” the Embassy of India must be specified. In the section “for the purposes of” it should appear “intercountry adoption”.
- Bank references.
- A simple note of the details of the properties. It is requested at the Property Registry. The notary notarizes it in a document called “Act of Manifestations”.
- Adoptive Parents’ Health Statement.
- Declaration on child custody.
- Commitment to make the full adoption in a maximum of 2 years.
- Declaration of adoptive parents to provide the child with the necessary education.
- Parents’ commitment to defray living expenses.
- Certified photocopies of passports. They must be certified by a notary public.
- Three or more letters of recommendation. They can be from friends, family, people who attest to the situation and the family’s lifestyle.
- Medical certificates. They must be official medical certificates issued by a registered doctor.
- Criminal record.
- Certificate of requirements for the entry of a minor in the country of adoption.
- Psychosocial report.
- Certificate of Suitability.
- RICA’s commitment to monitoring the child.
- Authorization for adoption by the country of the parents.
- RICA’s commitment to helping the child if necessary.
- Photograph of the adoptive parents, the house and the family.
It is important to bear in mind that, before all the documentation enters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it must be translated into English by a sworn translator if this is not the first language of the adoptive parents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will legalize all documents in English. Afterwards, they will be forwarded to the Indian Embassy for their final legalization.
Orphanage search in Karnataka
The ECAI collects all the documentation and begins its turn of legalizations and translations. This stage of the process can last between two and three months, depending on the work that has been entrusted to the ECAI. Once this process has finished, it only remains to wait for the file to reach an orphanage in India. There are basically two ways for this to happen:
- Wait for the agency to deliver the file to an orphanage, either on one of their trips or by sending it by mail or courier.
- Let the orphanage itself contact the ECAI.
From this moment on, the file has already entered an Institution and the wait for the assignment begins.
This wait ends when the ECAI or the orphanage itself informs the adoptive parents that a child has been assigned to them. Before delivering the child’s photo and report to the family, the ECAI has to verify that the child fits the profile that the family had requested.
Once the parents are satisfied, the file goes to the Social Services of the corresponding Autonomous Community where they give it the go-ahead.
The orphanage, together with the child’s photo and report, sends another series of documents:
- A Child Study Report, where all the information about the child proposed for adoption appears along with a passport-size photo.
- A letter of acceptance from the child addressed to the orphanage.
- A declaration of good intentions addressed to the Court.
- A special power of attorney in favour of the person from the orphanage who is in charge of the adoptions to be able to represent the future parents before the Indian Court.
All these documents have to be filled out and signed before a notary by the adopting family. In addition to these, to pick up the child, a statement from the competent department of the Autonomous Community and a medical certificate of sterility are also necessary.
Now it only remains to travel to India to look for the child. On some occasions, the ECAI organizes the trips, but on others, it is the adoptive parents themselves who must travel to the country on their own. Once there, they must stay long enough to carry out all the necessary procedures. When everything is solved, they can return home with their son in their arms. The time of stay in India is usually 7-10 days.
Adoption agencies in Karnataka
These are just a few of the adoption agencies in Karnataka who can help you fill in a request for adopting a child in Karnataka:
- Janapada Seva Trust
- Vikasana Rural and Urban Development Society
- Shree Siddeshwar Vidhya peettha (R) Talikoti
- Shri Siddeshwar Vidya Peetha
- Vishranthi Trust
- Amulya Adoption Agency
- Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samaja
- Anatha Shishu Nivas
- Missionaries of Charity Nirmala Shishu Bhavan
- Shishu Kendra Kamadhenu Sahakari Vidyashram
- Spoorthi Rural Development And Training Society
- Swami Vivekanand Seva Pratishthana.
Trips to Karnataka during the adoption process
The number of trips and length of stay depends on multiple factors and can only be known for sure as the various steps in the adoption process progress. There are basically three possibilities:
- Normally, families have to make a single trip to pick up the minor, when all the aforementioned procedures have been completed. In this case, the estimated stay would be between 7 and 10 days (except for exceptions related to the processing of the passport, which in some cases must be requested in person by the families).
- There are courts (a minority) that require families to be present at a court hearing and once the trial is over they must return to Spain and wait for the entire adoption process to end. In these cases the family would have to make two trips; one to attend the trial, of about 2 or 3 days, and a second trip to pick up the minor, of between 7 and 10 days.
- Sometimes when the parents have to attend the trial, it is possible that within 20 to 30 days (this period is approximate) the last steps of the adoption process can be completed, so that the family and the minor can return home together. In this case, only one trip would be made, but the stay would be longer.
Services that most agencies offer to adoptive families
- Informative sessions for applicant families before starting the adoption process.
- Information about the news and advances that occur in your adoption files.
- Information sessions when accepting the assignment on the characteristics of the minor, the orphanage, the area and the steps of the adoption process.
- Information, support and advice throughout the adoption process.
- Informative sessions before picking up the minor about the encounter with the minor, and the first days of coexistence, knowledge of the country of origin, preparation of the trip.
- Support to families in the collections in the country of origin and during their stay in India.
- Post-adoption service: follow-up reports, accompaniment to families in the minor’s adaptation period, advice on bureaucratic procedures upon arrival in other countries.
Conclusions
In this blog post, we answered the following question: How can I adopt a child in Karnataka? We offered you a full guide on how to adopt a child in India, what rules you need to follow and how to prepare the file for the adoption process.
To adopt a child in Karnataka, you have to gather information on the requirements that the authorities of this country require to carry out the adoption. Our advice is to contact one of the adoption agencies in Karnataka in order to get all the information and support in the adoption process.
If you have any questions or content on this content, please let us know!
FAQ on How can I adopt a child in Karnataka?
How can I adopt a baby in Karnataka?
To adopt a child in Karnataka, you have to gather information on the requirements that the authorities of this country require to carry out the adoption.
How much does it cost to adopt a child in 2019?
The cost of adopting a child in 2019 is between $5,000 to $40,000, according to Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Is it hard to adopt as a single woman?
It is harder to adopt as a single woman because you have to meet the criteria as married couples. That is, you have to face the costs of adoption yourself and prove that you can raise the child without any major struggles.
Is it cheaper to adopt or give birth?
It is cheaper to adopt than to give birth, but with adoption, there is no guarantee that you are actually going to keep the child.
References
Cara.nic.in
Indiaparenting.com
Chlss.org
