Central Adoption Resource AuthorityMinistry of Women & Child DevelopmentGovernment of India
Regulation 5: Eligibility criteria for prospective adoptive parents
- The prospective adoptive parents shall be physically, mentally, emotionally and financially capable, they shall not have any life threatening medical condition and they should not have been convicted in criminal act of any nature or accused in any case of child rights violation.
- Any prospective adoptive parents, irrespective of their marital status and whether or not they have biological son or daughter, can adopt a child subject to following, namely:-
- The consent of both the spouses for the adoption shall be required, in case of a married couple;
- A single female can adopt a child of any gender;
- A single male shall not be eligible to adopt a girl child;
- No child shall be given in adoption to a couple unless they have at least two years of stable marital relationship except in the cases of relative or step-parent adoption.
- The age of prospective adoptive parents, as on the date of registration, shall be counted for deciding the eligibility of prospective adoptive parents for children of different age groups as under:-
Age of the child
Maximum composite age of prospective adoptive parents (couple)
Maximum age of single prospective adoptive parent
Upto 2 years
85 years
40 years
Above 2 and Upto 4 years
90 years
45 years
Above 4 and upto 8 years
100 years
50 years
Above 8 and upto 18 years
110 years
55 years
- In case of couple, the composite age of the prospective adoptive parents shall be counted.
- The age criteria for prospective adoptive parents shall not be applicable in case of relative adoptions and adoption by step-parent.
- Couples with two or more children shall only be considered for special needs children as specified in clause (25) of regulation 2, and hard to place children as stated in clause (13) of regulation 2 unless they are relatives or step-children.
- The prospective adoptive parents have to revalidate their Home study report after a period of three years.
- The seniority of the prospective adoptive parents who have not received a single referral within three years shall be counted from their date of registration except those who have crossed composite years of one hundred ten years.
Provided that the minimum age difference between the child and either of the prospective adoptive parents shall not be less than twenty five years.
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