The laws that usually govern the whole legal process of adoption in India include allowing citizens in India who are Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus and Jains to undergo the formal adoption procedure. This legal process is usually governed by the 1956 Act called Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act. This Act prevents married couples and single parents to legally adopt over one child who have similar gender. For Jews, Christians, Parsis and Muslims who are Indian nationals, foreign citizens or non-resident Indians desiring to adopt, the 1890 Act called Guardian and Wards Act govern them. This Act only allows adoptive parents to act as the legal guardian until the child reaches the age of eighteen.
If you are a foreign citizen, then be aware that selecting the right agency for adoption governed by an Indian program is crucial in undergoing a smoother process of adoption in India. A wise tip is to look for a reputable and legitimate agency which can provide you with credentials regarding their previous records of child placement and their connections to reputable agencies within the country. Make sure, however, that you do not believe everything that the agency's representative says. You should consider doing your own independent research by getting the addresses of those parents who adopted kids through the agency and talking to them. You have to know exactly if these parents experienced a smooth-sailing or a rough adoption process when dealing with the agency.
If you want to be able to enjoy a smooth-sailing process of adoption in India, then you have to be really careful in finding an adoption agency. Keep in mind that not all of the accredited Indian agencies can offer you excellent service. If you are not careful, then you will end up dealing with an agency run by people who may badly look after the child you are planning to adopt while you are still waiting for the legal papers to be completed.
It is also important for you to note that you will become eligible to adopt after your chosen agency completes a home evaluation or study. This means that a social worker will be in charge in assessing your suitability for adoption through home visits and interviews. If you gain approval after the home evaluation or study, then you will be able to register with your chosen adoption agency. Just make sure that this agency gains approval from CARA in India which stands for the country's Central Adoption Resource Agency. For non-Indian residents or families who plan to adopt, the requirement is to assemble files of required documentation and send these to CARA.
The process of adoption in India is also governed by the Indian government which requires agencies and prospective parents to strictly follow a protocol for child placement. In most cases, the process starts by requiring CARA to look for an Indian family who is qualified to adopt. If after thirty days no suitable family or adoptive parent is still found, CARA is going to issue a certificate of clearance, qualifying the child for inter-country adoption. A suitable family which meets the specific requirements and submits the required files of documentation gets the chance to bring home the child.
Learning the Whole Process of Adoption in India
