Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Child Welfare Council will challenge the order issued by the Social Justice Department in 2012 to hand over abandoned children to unaided adoption agencies. The authorities have decided to approach the court to get the order revoked so that children are transferred to the council.
Around 800 prospective adoptive parents are on the council’s waiting list. Because of the order, the children are being sent to the nearest private specialised adoption centres.
The council has also raised its apprehensions over the inter-country adoption promoted by such private centres.
Kerala State Child Welfare Council Employees Union presidents S.S.Anil Kumar alleged that the order had become a threat to the very existence of the council – which was the only authorised agency under the Government in the State.
“We have decided to approach the court against this order, which was issued in 2012. Even children owned by the council are being sent to private charitable trusts by the respective Child Welfare Committees. The private centres are exploiting this and are using it as an opportunity to make money through inter-country adoptions”, alleged Anil Kumar.
However, State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) - the authorised agency under Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) - denied the allegation and said that all cases of adoption in the State were carried out based on the guidelines issued by the Centre.
“There is absolutely no malpractice involved. The procedures for inter-country adoptions are absolutely transparent. It is impossible to transport children from the centralised facility of the council in Thiruvananthapuram.”said SARA programme officer Cicily Baby of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences.
