CARA chief stresses awareness, vigilance for curbing illegal adoption practices

New Delhi: Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) CEO Bhavna Saxena said that awareness and vigilance across the entire child protection ecosystem are essential to safeguarding children from illegal adoption practices, an official said on Friday.

Speaking at a workshop held at the Delhi Secretariat, Saxena added, "Every child deserves a safe childhood, a secure future and the protection of the law."

Addressing around 200 participants involved in child protection and adoption on the issue: "Legal Adoption. Safe Childhood. Secure Future. Say No to Illegal Adoption", CARA CEO said that there can be no shortcuts when it comes to adoption.

Through this year's campaign, CARA seeks to ensure that every stakeholder understands their role in preventing illegal adoption and that every prospective adoptive parent follows the legal adoption process.

"Together, we must ensure that the best interests, rights and dignity of every child remain at the heart of adoption," she added.

During the workshop held on Thursday, 200 participants involved in child protection and adoption discussed issues related to strengthening awareness about the legal, transparent and child-centric adoption process, an official statement said.

The workshop was organised by the CARA, under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, in collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of NCT of Delhi, and the Delhi State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA).

Rashmi Singh, Delhi Department of Women and Child Development Secretary, said that the participation of stakeholders across the child protection ecosystem — from the Health and Police Departments, ANMs and Anganwadi workers to District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees — marked a significant step towards wider sensitisation.

She emphasised that such collective efforts reflect a strong institutional commitment to ensuring safe and secure childhoods.

As part of the awareness initiative, a fiction film on legal adoption was launched during the workshop.

The film seeks to communicate the importance of following the authorised adoption process and highlight the risks associated with illegal adoption in an accessible and impactful manner.

The workshop featured three focused technical sessions covering critical aspects of prevention and response to illegal adoption: Session 1 "Illegal Adoption: Emerging Trends, Challenges and State/National Response", Session 2 "Role of Hospitals/Nursing Homes, Health Systems, Police & Judiciary in Preventing Illegal Adoption" and Session 3 "Strengthening Child Protection System: SARAs, CWCs, DCPUs, CCIs".

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