Child Adoption Crisis in India : Report
A new RTI-based report reveals a widening gap between adoptable children and prospective parents in India, with 13 families waiting per child, triggering concern over delays, legal bottlenecks, and policy inaction.
Child Adoption Crisis in India:
- 13:1 Ratio (2025): For every 1 child legally free for adoption, 13 prospective parents are waiting — up from 11:1 in 2021.
- Parents Waiting (2025): 36,381 families registered on CARA portal.
- Children Available: Only 2,652 declared legally free for adoption.
- Delay in Referrals: Average wait time has increased from 1 year (2017) to 5 years (2025).
- Children in CCIs: Over 22,000 children live in Child Care Institutions, but only a fraction (12%) are cleared for adoption.
- Himachal Pradesh: Only 1 child free for adoption, while 829 are in CCIs.
- Maharashtra: Only 236 children adoptable out of 5,284 in CCIs.
- Age Group Concern: Nearly 34% of children in the adoption pool are aged 14–18, a group less likely to be adopted.
