CM releases 'guidelines for adoption'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 17. A married couple, wanting to adopt a child from the Sishu Vihar, should apply to the Director of Women Development and Child Welfare Department with a marriage certificate, medical fitness certificate, employment, salary, infertility certificates and give a declaration expressing willingness to adopt a child.

When an institution receives a child, its responsibility will be to trace the biological parents and restore the child to them, failing which it should try to give the child for adoption with Indian families. Only after exhausting the chances for in-country adoption should the application be processed for inter-country adoption.

These `guidelines for adoption,' published by the Department of Women and Child Welfare of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, were released today by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, at a meeting in the Secretariat. These guidelines come in the wake of a nationwide controversy recently over the sale of infants from poor families and their upkeep in homes run unauthorisedly by societies.

Relinquishment of a child by its biological parents on grounds of poverty, number of children and unwanted girl child will not be permitted. Such children should not be admitted in homes or orphanages; if admitted, the licence and recognition will be cancelled.

If a child is found abandoned or picked up as a destitute or abandoned by an unwed mother, or children whose parents expired in accident, they should get the child registered by any civil hospital authorities or police officials in the registers maintained by the Project Director, District Women and Child Development Agency. This agency will issue a letter of direction to admit the child in the Homes and Orphanages specified.

There will be a follow-up of children given for adoption upto six years and upto the stage of primary school education. In case of neglect of child, the institution shall take it back and prosecute the `adoptive parents' for neglect. In case of unsatisfactory care of children, the licence and recognition given to the institution can be withdrawn and the children transferred to other institutions at the direction of the Director of Child Welfare Department.

These `homes' should have a regular paediatrician or specialised doctor for the care of children. The `home' should have at least one qualified social worker on its staff. The institution should maintain growth-monitoring charts, immunisation details, periodical health check-up details fully attested by the doctor.

No institution registered under the Societies Registration Act is permitted to procure, detain, adopt children, and if it is noticed, the department shall have the power to take children into possession, seal the premises and prosecute those running the societies. Only institutions that have the licence or recognition will be permitted to keep children.

The Government will create a State Advisory Committee on Adoption, with the Secretary to the Government in the Women Development and Child Welfare department as Secretary and the Director of Women Development as convener. The Government will nominate as members two advocates, psychologist, sociologist, paediatrician, gynaecologist and two reputed Non-Governmental Organisations working in the field of child welfare.

This committee will meet at least once in two months to discuss child welfare measures especially the ways and means to promote, regulate and monitor the in-country adoption of children. It will review all cases of in-country and inter- country adoptions recommended by the State Government.

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