Central Adoption Resource Authority

Overview of CARA

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body of Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India. It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003. 

CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.

Functions of CARA

The Authority performs the following functions, in addition to the functions specified in section 68 (1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) 2015 (2 of 2016) Act, namely:- 

• Monitor and regulate the procedure for in-country adoption
• Receive applications of an Non-Resident Indian or Overseas Citizens of India or a foreigner living abroad through authorised adoption agency or Central Authority or the Government department or the Indian diplomatic mission concerned and process the same in terms of section 59 (5) of the Act;
• Receive and process applications received from a foreigner or an Overseas Citizen of India residing in India for one year or more, and who is interested in adopting a child from India in terms of sub-section (12) of section 59 of the Act;
• Issue No Objection Certificate in all cases of inter-country adoptions;
• Issue Conformity Certificate in the inter-country adoption cases under Article 23 of the Hague Adoption Convention in respect of inter-country adoption;
• Intimate the immigration authorities of India and the receiving country of the child about the inter-country adoption cases;
• Provide support and guidance to State Adoption Resource Agencies, District Child Protection Units, Specialised Adoption Agencies and other stakeholders of adoption in related matters, through trainings, workshops, exposure visits, consultations, conferences, seminars and other capacity building programmes;
• Coordinate with State Governments or the State Adoption Resource Agencies and advise them in adoption related matters;
• Establish uniform standards and indicators, relating to:-Adoption procedure related to orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and also related to relative adoptions;
• Quality child care standards in Specialised Adoption Agency and Child Care Institution;
• Monitoring and supervision of service providers;
• Standardization of documents in cases of adoptions; and
• Safeguards and ethical practices including online applications for facilitating hassle-free adoptions;
• Conduct research, documentation and publication on adoption and related matters;
• Maintain a comprehensive centralised database relating to children and prospective adoptive parents for the purpose of adoption in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System;
• Maintain a confidential centralised database relating to children placed in adoption and adoptive parents in the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System;
• Carry out advocacy, awareness and information, education and communication activities for promoting adoption and other non-institutional child care services either by itself or through its associated bodies;
• Enter into bilateral agreements with foreign Central Authorities as prescribed under the Hague Adoption Convention, wherever necessary;
• Authorise foreign adoption agencies to sponsor applications of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) or Overseas Citizen of India or foreign prospective adoptive parents for inter-country adoption of Indian children;
• Set-up counselling Centre in its Head Quarters and support State Adoption Resource Agencies for setting-up of counseling centre at State and District level for:-Counselling of the prospective adoptive parents;
• Counseling of older children, wherever required;
• Preparing post-adoption follow-up report, wherever required;
• Post adoption counselling of adopted children and adoptive parents; and
• Assisting and counselling of older adoptees in root search

Contact details

For more details, visit

• CARA Website : https://cara.nic.in/
• Toll free help line no. : 1800-11-1311. Available between 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on all working days (Mon-Fri)
• Email : carahdesk.wcd@nic.in