Linking of CCIs to adoption agencies lauded

Having come across a childless couple in Kerala, he introduced the woman to the couple, which even decided to feed her until her delivery. He saw to it that the child was registered in the name of the adoptive parents in Kerala. While registering a child in a registrar’s office is illegal, such activities continue to exist unless brought to the notice of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

Even though there are several guidelines when it comes to adoption, child trafficking continues to be an issue in the state. Child rights activists therefore welcomed the recent move by the Department of Women and Child Welfare which has instructed all the state governments to ensure that all registered Child Care Institutions (CCIs) are linked to specialised adoption agencies.

“Law enforcing authorities are very lethargic. They do not spare a thought about these children. Illegal adoption is being felicitated by touts who should be brought to book. However, the authorities leave them instead of giving them stringent punishment,” said Md Zaheeruddin of the CWC, Kancheepuram. “In the case of Parvathy, we learnt about the issue only when she approached us, stating that her child had been illegally adopted by parents in Kerala. We asked her to approach the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, who ordered an enquiry by the CBCID. 

The adoptive parents were brought from Kerala and produced before us (according to a High Court order).” While the child was eventually given to the adoptive parents, he said, “A child is not a commodity to be registered in someone’s name. Registrars should not indulge in such activities and instead, go through proper channels – through the court. 

All these illegal adoptions are seen mostly in the southern and south western parts of the state, where specialised adoption agencies too are found indulging in such illegal activities.” In order to address the grave concerns that have come to the forefront in the recent past of organizations propagating illegal adoption outside the domain of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, which is tantamount to child trafficking, the Ministry had instructed that all the state governments/UTs should ensure that all the registered CCIs - whether run by a state government or by voluntary or non-governmental organizations - are linked to Specialized Adoption Agencies and are reflected in the online portal, CARINGS, within one month.

It may be noted that, until March 2018, only 51 out of 1296 existing Child Care Institutions in Tamil Nadu had been linked to the online portal.

“Only if all the organisations are linked, will the child welfare committees be able to keep a track of adoptions that are taking place. Trafficking needs to be stopped and the only way to do so is to take stringent measures,” said child rights’ activist Irene G.