Himachal Government Facilitates Adoption of 'Children of the State'

Shimla, 16 Feb 2025: The Himachal Pradesh government continues its efforts to provide a better future for orphaned children under its ‘Children of the State’ initiative. Two children from the state-run shelter home in Tutikandi, Shimla, were adopted by families from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in a process facilitated by Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap.

Kashyap urged affluent citizens to come forward and adopt children from orphanages, ensuring them a bright future. He highlighted the state’s commitment to the welfare of over 4,000 orphaned children under the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Yojana. Himachal Pradesh is also the first state to legislate child welfare laws and has established the Mukhyamantri Sukh Aashray Kosh to support these children’s education and upbringing.

Additionally, the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana has been launched to assist children (aged 0-27) of widows, divorcees, and differently-abled parents with education, healthcare, and nutrition.

Adoption Process in India
The adoption process in India is regulated under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, overseen by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Interested parents must meet specific eligibility criteria, including a minimum 25-year age gap between the child and adoptive parent, financial stability, and medical fitness.

The legal adoption process includes:

Registration: Parents must register on CARA’s website.
Home Study Report (HSR): Social workers assess the adoptive parents’ ability to raise the child.
Referral & Acceptance: Parents receive a child’s profile and must decide within 48 hours.
Pre-Adoption Foster Care: The child stays temporarily with the parents before finalization.
Legal Adoption: After document verification, custody is granted.
Post-Adoption Follow-up: Regular checks continue for two years.