Adopt legally, prospective parents told in Hanamkonda

Hanamkonda: It's mandatory for the parents, who are willing to adopt children to follow the guidelines strictly laid down by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), District Welfare Officer B Santhosh said.

Delivering the keynote address at a workshop on 'Adoption to the Prospective Adoptive Parents' organised by the Warangal Rural District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) at the Bala Raksha Bhavan in Hanamkonda on Thursday, he said that the rules pertaining to adoption are stringent to avoid misuse, and also aimed at the safety of children.

"If the prospective parents fail to comply the guidelines of the CARA, a statutory body of Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, there is a danger of adoption landing in a tangle," Santhosh said.

He emphasised the need for sensitising the people about the CARA guidelines to prevent the illegal adoptions. He said that Anganwadi teachers should be made aware of legal adoption procedures so that they can report to toll free number 1098-Childline. The details of those informing about the malady will be kept secret, he assured.

Santhosh said that they have plans to organise a workshop on legal adoption procedures under the aegis of District Collectorate and District Registration wing. Parents adopting a child could soon be required to mandatorily register the adoption with country's apex adoption body as part of efforts to check trafficking, a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairman Mandala Parashuramulu said that those involved in the illegal adoptions would be punished with imprisonment up to three years or Rs 1 lakh fine or both under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

CWC member K Manjula has advised the parents to take care of their adopted child and inform the authorities if the child has any health issues.

District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) G Mahender Reddy gave an account of illegal adoptions, online enrolments, foster care etc through a power point presentation, while explaining the legal adoption procedures.

CDPOs Swarnalatha, Padma, Bhagyalaxmi, DCPU officials Raju Harikrishna, Padmalatha, Rajkumar, Narsimha Swamy, Childline Coordinator Veerababu, Sishu Gruha Social Worker Chaitanya and prospective parents were among others present.