NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 4, 2011: In 2010, 5,693 children found homes in the country, up from 2,169 in 2008, the latest government data shows. There has been a fall in adoptions by foreigners — 804 in 2008 and only 587 last year. ‘Adopting children from poorer nations in Africa is much easier. Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has been a great ambassador for the continent,’ a government official said on condition of anonymity.
‘The guidelines are cumbersome. It takes two to three years to get court clearance,’ said J.S. Mittal, chairperson of Central Adoption Resource Agency. But that hasn’t deterred young Indians in metros except those in Delhi. Mumbai saw the maximum adoptions, followed by Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The states of which these cities are capitals have the least skewed sex ratio in the country for children below 6.
What is heartening is that more girls than boys are finding parents in young couples in big cities. More than 55% couples have adopted girls–a trend which is catching up. Still, it’s a long road ahead. Still, only a fraction of children who end up in orphanages — those run by the government and private bodies — are fortunate enough to find a home.