The New Adoption Regulations, 2017 to be effective from today

The New Adoption Regulations, 2017 will be effective from today. The Regulations were framed by & lsquo Central Adoption Resource Authority' (CARA) as mandated under section 68 (c) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Salient features of the Adoption Regulations, 2017 a) Procedures related to adoption by relatives both within the country and abroad have been defined in the Regulations. b) Validity of Home Study Report has been increased from two to three years. c) The time period available to the domestic PAPs for matching and acceptance, after reserving the child referred, has been increased to twenty days from the existing fifteen days. d) District Child protection Unit (DCPU) shall maintain a panel of professionally qualified or trained social workers. e) There are 32 Schedules annexed to the Regulations including model adoption applications to be filed in the Court and this would considerably address delays prevalent in obtaining the Court order. f) CARA shall be facilitating all adoptions under the JJ Act, 2015 through Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS) and all kinds of adoptions, including adoptions by relatives shall be reported to CARA which would enable safeguards for all adopted children by maintaining their record and ensuring post adoption follow up.