New Delhi/ Divya Agarwal: Motherhood is a gift to womanhood, almost every woman at one point in her life wishes to be a mother. Having a child in a family brings a sense of wholeness and fulfilment. However, it is not always easy for a woman to conceive a child naturally due to various factors. Despite that, it is not impossible to have a child, one willing to have a  child can opt for adoption.

Around September 2022, continuous efforts were made to ease the adoption procedure, for which suggestions were taken from prospective adoptive parents for faster resolution. During this time, emphasis was made on amendments to the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and Rules and Regulations on adoption.

Schemes for the betterment of children

So far, the JJ Act has been amended and the adoption process has been simplified by empowering the DM to undertake adoptions. Along with it, the same Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) was included in the Mission Vatsalya scheme and a new scheme was started in which the honorarium and financial norms have been simplified. It has also been linked to the CARINGS portal to make the adoption process transparent and simple.

For a clear procedure of adoption, the government of India has set up a particular pattern. The reason behind forming a proper structure is that there are only 2,188 children in the adoption pool, while more than 31,000 parents are waiting in queue to adopt a child. Amidst the waiting procedure, child traffickers are benefitted, leaving parents to wait for more than 3 three years in line.

Seeing all the malpractices going on in the name of adoption, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is continuously making efforts to facilitate the process. Regarding this, a conference was held in Varanasi after which the important measure have been taken.

Even the Kerala government has linked the child helpline in Kerala with ERSS 112, to ease the process for adoptive parents.

In addition, at present, it has become easier to adopt a child, thanks to Mission Vatsalya. The mission was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure the safety of children in India.

Under the Mission Vatsalya, the Village Level Child Welfare and Protection Committee will identify children in difficult circumstances, orphaned or living on the streets. These children will be provided with proper amenities.

The facilities will be provided based on the recommendations of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and approval from the Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee.