Eager to embrace parenthood after experiencing a miscarriage, Moumita Das and her husband, in their 30s from West Bengal, registered with the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) in September 2021 to adopt a child. Now, in 2025, despite moving up the waiting list, they are still anxiously awaiting a match for a child in the 0-2 years age group.
Even as adoptions in 2024-25 reached over 4,500—the highest in 11 years—many prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) continue to face long waiting periods. The average wait for those seeking infants or young children stands at approximately three and a half years. Most PAPs prefer adopting children under the age of two, leading to extended delays.
Swarnamala Arunachalam and her husband, Prasanna Sukumar, from Chennai, share a similar ordeal. Choosing adoption of siblings over biological parenthood, they registered with CARA in December 2021. More than three years later, they remain hopeful for a referral, though the prolonged wait has left them anxious.
For many PAPs, time feels like an opponent, with age advancing and uncertainties increasing. The data reflects the distress—CARA’s dashboard, as of March 31, shows over 35,500 PAPs registered for adoption, while only around 2,400 children are available. Of these, 943 are classified as “normal,” while the rest are categorized as children with special needs.
Acknowledging the backlog, a parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth, and sports, chaired by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, has urged the government to revisit adoption protocols. The committee has also called for a review of the dual adoption laws under CARA and the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act to address existing gaps.
Decline in Child Mortality in The State; Achieves SDG Target for Neonatal Mortality
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has recognized the concerns, stating that while the adoption process has been streamlined under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, with the online CARINGS system, the primary grievance remains the prolonged waiting list. The ministry noted that PAPs overwhelmingly prefer younger children, resulting in a large number of older children remaining unadopted.
With the current child-to-PAP ratio, the average waiting period for adopting infants and young children is expected to remain lengthy unless systematic changes are introduced. As hopeful parents continue their wait, they seek urgent reforms to make adoption a smoother and quicker journey toward parenthood.
(Source: Times of India)
