KOZHIKODE: The implementation of JJ Act will help another important stakeholder besides the child- the childless couple who are waiting in the queue for adoption. In Kerala, over 700 prospective parents are waiting for kids whereas there are only 25 legally fit children for adoption.
This glaring gap could be bridged by exposing these children to adoption, foster care, sponsorship etc. “Actually JJ Act ensures security for all orphanages. The child is the biggest beneficiary. The institution also benefits as there would be government protection. Once they come under the Act, all orphanages must take the children recommended by the CWC. That might be the reason some orphanages are hesitant,” observed Sister Jane Augustine, director of St Vincent Home.
She added that childless couple would find the Act a boon as there is a shortage of children fit to be adopted. This had forced couples to seek children from other states. According to the data from the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), 41 kids were adopted from out of Kerala in 2014 and 20 of them are from Odisha followed by Maharasthra, Karnataka and Jharkhand.
The shortage of adoptive children has spurred the kids’ sale racket. The childless couples fall prey to the sinister designs of the racket which often involves advocates and doctors. In 2014 alone, five such sold-out incidents were tracked and in all cases, the children were bought by childless couples.
