India: Country and Program Overview

United States citizens have been adopting children from India for a number of years, although the program is small. In 2006 there were 320 U.S. visas issued to children adopted from India. Most of the children who are available for adoption in India are relinquished because their mothers were unwed or their families were too poor to care for them. As a result of gender discrimination in India, the majority of children available to be adopted are girls. India gives preference to adoptions by Indian families, particularly those who still hold an Indian passport. Citizens of countries other than India must work through an adoption agency in their home country that appears on a list of agencies that are approved by the Indian government. Only an Indian agency recognized and listed by the Indian Government may make children available for adoption by foreigners.

Children Available

The children who are available for adoption range in age from infants to preteens. Occasionally siblings are available. Most children are placed directly from child welfare institutions, and the youngest children often have diagnosed medical concerns associated with low birth weight and prematurity..

Parent Requirements

Guidelines in India are flexible and are based on the needs of the child. Married couples and single women may adopt. There must be no more than three children already in the home. Couples adopting infants must have a combined age that is no greater than 90, and neither parent should be older than 55. (This rule is flexible for couples who wish to adopt older children.). Couples must be married for at least 5 years. Single persons up to the age of 45 may also adopt, but it is preferable to be 30-35 years of age.

Once a family accepts a child, the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), the governing authority in India, must approve the match. The actual adoption of the child takes place in the U.S., according to the laws of the state in which the family is domiciled.

Travel

The government of India requires at least one parent to travel to India to pick up the child. Time spent in the country can vary from 5-10 days.

Timelines

From completion of dossier to placement, approximately 18 months, but it can be longer.

Fees

Approximate total cost for an adoption from India is $20,000-$25,000. These fees include your home study, travel, stay in country, agency fees, foreign program costs and legalization of paperwork.