Specialised Adoption Agencies in Maharashtra are unhappy with a recent circular issued by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which makes the agencies bear the medical and travel cost of prospective couples, if there is a medical problem detected in the child and a ground to reject adoption can be proven.
Kala Sundarvedha,President, Federation of Adoption Agencies (Maharashtra), said, "The circular is arbitrary in nature. Children who are brought to us, mostly come from impoverished backgrounds at the time when we refer them for adoption. Standard test as prescribed are carried out by each agency by the respective consulting doctors. However, if the child develops some medical issues at a later stage, how is the agency to be held responsible?"
The association, which has 22 adoption agencies as its members, is going to meet to gather feedback from individual adoption agencies and then communicate the consensus along with the difficulties that may be faced, to CARA.
As per the circular dated October 9, "Often it happens, that a child referred under normal category has medical problems, which is not reflected in the MER. When parents come to take custody of these children, they are dteected through supplementary tests. In such cases, the medical charges and travelling cost of the parents shall be reimbursed by the adoption agency (both Government-run and NGO-run), if they are responsible for the laxity
Kala said, "There is always two or more different opinions among different doctors, if the doctor of the agency gives 'A' opinion, the doctor of the parents may have 'B' opinion. In sucha case, whom should we believe. If CARA, by issuing this circular, has shown distrust in doctors appointed by the agencies, then they should appoint a panel of doctors."
The circular also states that since integration of older children with adoptive family takes more time, agencies are required to allow meeting of children over three years of age at least twice before acceptance. In case of disruption in in-country adoption, agencies are asked to ensure at least two counseling sessions, before the parents are permitted to return the child.
