India faces a silent adoption crisis where nearly 70% of children waiting for families are children with disabilities, according to shocking new data from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). This hidden emergency remains largely unseen behind the walls of child-care institutions across the country.
The Stark Reality of Adoption Numbers
The latest CARA figures reveal a troubling disconnect between available children and waiting parents. While approximately 2,000 children are currently listed for adoption nationwide, more than 33,000 prospective parents remain waiting in the queue. CARA officials openly acknowledge that these numbers don't reflect the actual situation on the ground.
Bhavana Saxena, CARA member secretary and CEO, stated at an Adoption Awareness Month program in Bengaluru that in a country of India's size, it's impossible that only 2,000 children need adoption. She indicated significant gaps in reporting that may include trafficking networks, illegal markets, and institutional failures to register children properly.
Karnataka's Specific Challenge
The situation in Karnataka highlights the national problem. During the 2024-25 period, only 22 adoptions of children with disabilities were completed in the state. Of these, merely 7 were domestic adoptions within India, while 15 were inter-country adoptions. Currently, 55 children with disabilities await adoption in Karnataka alone.
CARA has specifically urged the Karnataka government to intensify vigilance measures and widen the safety net for vulnerable children. One key recommendation involves encouraging parents who cannot care for their children to voluntarily surrender them to state protection, preventing potential exploitation and ensuring these children enter a system where they might eventually find permanent homes.
The Transformative Power of Family Care
Despite growing awareness, adoption rates for children with disabilities remain disappointingly low. Most of these children remain stuck in institutions because very few Indian parents come forward to adopt them, according to Saxena.
She shared inspiring success stories that demonstrate the life-changing impact of adoption. In Punjab, two boys regained up to 70% of their abilities after being adopted. Even more remarkably, a girl adopted in Belgium—despite having no limbs—became a world champion rock climber thanks to her adoptive mother's encouragement and support.
These examples underscore what Saxena called the transformative power of family care, showing how the right environment can help children with disabilities achieve extraordinary things.
CARA has called for improved coordination between women and child development departments and health departments, along with more rigorous tracking of abandoned and orphaned children. The authority also emphasized the need for timely declaration of children as legally free for adoption to streamline the process and give more children the chance to experience family life.
