India Records Highest Child Adoptions in 12 Years with 4,515 in FY25

India has recorded 4,515 child adoptions in FY 2024-25, the highest in the past 12 years, according to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Of these, 4,155 were domestic adoptions, reflecting growing acceptance of legal adoption in the country.

This surge was driven by a strong identification drive by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which added 8,598 new children to the adoption pool. CARA, a statutory body under the ministry, also facilitated the setup of 245 new adoption agencies in partnership with state governments to streamline the process.

Key Initiatives Driving Adoption Growth
The ministry credited identification cells, training programs, and awareness campaigns for this progress. CARA conducted state orientations across 12 states and UTs, along with 45 virtual training sessions covering adoption timelines, foster care, and counseling for both children and prospective adoptive parents.

Between October 2024 and January 2025, CARA partnered with 16 states to hold adoptive parent meets, further strengthening adoption awareness. Additionally, it launched a comprehensive child identification exercise following Supreme Court directives, classifying children into five groups:

Orphaned

Abandoned

Surrendered

Children with no visitation

Children with unfit guardians

This effort aimed to bring more children into the legal adoption framework, ensuring their right to a secure and supportive home.

Digital Transformation in Adoption
To enhance alternate family-based care, CARA introduced foster care and foster adoption modules on its CARINGS portal, ensuring older children find suitable family placements. Digital interventions have also streamlined adoption procedures, improving transparency and efficiency.

Updates to the Adoption Regulations, 2022 on the CARINGS portal have further reduced processing times to 3-4 months, benefiting in-country relative and step-parent adoptions.

With these reforms, India is making significant strides in ensuring a faster, transparent, and more inclusive adoption process, giving children a better chance at a stable and loving home.