India

India is a country which is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption 1993. All adoptions from India are regulated through Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Since 2011 Coram IAC has been enlisted as an Authorised Foreign Adoption Agency by CARA.

India can offer prospective adopters with Indian heritage the opportunity to adopt a child of the same background. Prospective adoptive parents who are not of Indian heritage are also eligible. Our India Country Programme is our most popular and successful programme to date.

The India adoption process is very familiar to Coram IAC and we work together with our colleagues in India to support adopters through the process. Children come from across the Indian continent and most are usually living in orphanages prior to being placed.

CARA require that approved adoptive parents must be registered on line with them. Coram IAC is able to register prospective adoptive parents and support them through the waiting period. CARA will then review the application, and once accepted onto the waiting list a child’s files will be shared with the prospective adoptive parents via Coram IAC. Once in country Coram IAC is able to support prospective adopters through the India process through regular contact with the institution where the child is living.

The Children Waiting

India has many children living in institutions who would benefit from family life. As India is a Hague Convention country, the first option is for children to be placed within families living in India (domestic adopters). CARA regulations state that non-resident Indians (NRIs) and those holding Overseas Citizenship of India status living overseas are treated on a par with domestic adopters. Any UK resident wishing to adopt from India will need to process an application through the Hague procedure.

Eligibility for India

Both single adopters and heterosexual married couples may adopt.
A married couple with a combined age of up to 90 years, or a single adopter up to 45 years may apply for a child up to 4 years of age.
A married couple with a combined age of up to 100 years, or a single adopter up to 50 years may apply for a child between 4-8 years of age.
A married couple with a combined age of up to 110 years, or a single adopter up to 55 years may apply for a child up to between 8 and 18 years of age.

Please see the Information Pack for details of further eligibility criteria.

Who Can Use the Special Programme?

Coram IAC is able to register any eligible family with CARA provided that the prospective adopter is:

Eligible to adopt from India. The Coram IAC Information for Prospective Adoptive Applicants (India Special Programme) provides full details of eligibility criteria
Lives in an area where Coram IAC is able to undertake an adoption assessment or where the Local Authority agrees to commission Coram IAC to undertake it
Is not adopting an identified child*
Willing to work exclusively with Coram IAC for assessment and approval.

*If you are already in the process of adopting an identified child from India, or wish to, please speak to the Advice Line for information about the process.

Although it is possible for the Department for Education to register any approved adopter seeking to adopt from India with CARA, Coram IAC registers any prospective adopter approved directly by the agency. This ensures that Coram IAC is able to liaise directly with both CARA and the Specialised Adoption Agencies in India about your case and about the child matches proposed.

There is a charge for this service and further details concerning the service and the costs can be found in the Information for Prospective Adopters: India Special Programme.

For further information about the special programme please contact the Coram IAC Advice Line.