.:: Kohima Orphanage ::.

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Adoption Information

Children Available
Infants, toddlers, school aged children and sometimes sibling groups are available for adoption. Waiting children include older, healthy children as well as infants and toddlers with minor medical ailments.

Adoptive Parent Requirements
Couples between the ages of 25-45 years, with a combined age of no more than 85 years, may apply to adopt an infant; couples up to age 55, with a combined age of no more than 90 years, may apply to adopt a toddler or school age child. Children up to 12 years of age may be adopted. Single women up to age 45 can adopt on a case by case basis.
Five years of marriage and proof of infertility may be required. Preference will be given to childless couples or those with 1 child in the family. Families with 2 children are preferred over families with 3 children; families with 3 children may apply to adopt special needs children or older children on a case by case basis. Families with 4 or more children would not be eligible to adopt.

Waiting Time
Waiting time for referrals is 6-12 months or more, with travel occurring 5-6 months later. Parents have the option of traveling to India or having their child escorted home. Recent changes within India are expected to lengthen waiting times for international families.

Adoption Laws Simplified
Foreigners who seek to adopt an Indian Child, do so under the THE GUARDIAN AND WARD ACT (GWA) to assume legal Guardianship of the child, after giving an assurance to the court, that they would legally adopt the child as per the laws of their country, within two years after the arrival of the child in their country.

THE GUARDIAN AND WARD ACT (GAWA)

Personal law of Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews does not recognise complete adoption. As non-Hindus do not have an enabling law to adopt a child legally, those desirous of adopting a child can only take the child in 'guardianship' under the provisions of The Guardian and Wards Act, 1890.

This however does not provide to the child the same status as a child born biologically to the family.

Unlike a child adopted under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 the child cannot become their own, take their name or inherit their properly by right. This Act confers only a guardian-ward relationship. This legal guardian-ward relationship exists until the child completes 21 years of age.

HINDU ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE ACT (HAMA)

This Act came into force in 1956 and is applicable to:

Ø Any person who is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms or development.
Ø Any person who is a Buddhist, Jain or Sikh
Ø Any person who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew
Ø Any child legitimate or illegitimate whose parents are Hindus, Buddhists, Jains or Sikhs.
Ø Any child legitimate or illegitimate one of whose parents are Hindus, Buddhists, Jains or Sikhs and has been so brought up.
Ø Any abandoned child, legitimate or illegitimate of unknown parentage brought up as a Hindu, Buddhist, etc.
Ø Any person who is a convert to the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh religion.

YOU CAN ADOPT IF.
1. You are a Hindu male, over twenty one years, single and of sound mind.
2. If you are a married Hindu Male, only with the consent of the wife.
3. If you are a female Hindu of sound mind and single viz. either married, widowed or divorced.

WHO CAN YOU ADOPT
1. a son-if you do not have a biological son, grandson or great grandson.
2. a daughter - if you do not have a biological daughter or a son's daughter. The adopted child enjoys all the rights of the biological child.

I have further doubts. Who can I contact?
You can write in to us at [email protected] with all your doubts and queries regarding adoption.

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