Child Adoption - Tamil Nadu

• Accommodation, food, and health care to the babies till they are given in adoption.
• A family to the destitute child and a child to childless parents.

Special concessions are given to female government employees to adopt children:

• Special adoption leave of 270 days is extended to female government servants of the state government who adopt a child below one year. The leave is eligible only from the date of legalization of adoption.

1. The parents must have at least two years of a stable marital relationship.
2. The single prospective adoptive parents should be between 30-55 years of age.
3. An unmarried/single male persons are not eligible to adopt a girl child.
4. The parents should have adequate financial resources to upbring the child.
5. Age Criteria:

• For a child up to 4 years old:

1. Maximum composite age of the Prospective Adoptive Parents: 90 years.
2. For a single Prospective Adoptive Parent: Minimum age 25 years, maximum age 45 years.

• For a child above 4 years up to 8 years old:

1. Maximum composite age of the Prospective Adoptive Parents: 100 years.
2. For a single Prospective Adoptive Parent: Minimum age 25 years, maximum age 50 years.

• For a child above 8 years up to 18 years old:

1. Maximum composite age of the Prospective Adoptive Parents: 110 years.
2. For a single Prospective Adoptive Parent: Minimum age 25 years, maximum age 55 years.

Offline

Step 1: The interested applicant should visit (during office hours) the office State Adoption Resource Agency/Directorate of Social Defence/Concerned Probation Officer and request a hard copy of the prescribed format of the application form from the concerned staff. Step 2: In the application form, fill in all the mandatory fields, paste the passport-sized photograph (signed across, if required), and attach copies of all the mandatory documents (self-attest, if required). Step 3: Submit the duly filled and signed application form along with the documents to the State Adoption Resource Agency/Directorate of Social Defence/Concerned Probation Officer. Step 4: Request a receipt or acknowledgment from the concerned authority to whom the application has been submitted. Ensure that the receipt contains essential details such as the date and time of submission, and a unique identification number (if applicable).

• PAN Card/Passport.
• Proof of Residence (Aadhaar Card/Voter ID card/Passport /Driving License/ Electricity Card).
• Proof of Income of Last Year (Pay Bill/ Income Tax Certificate).
• Copy of Marriage Certificate & Photograph.
• Copy of Birth Certificate of the Prospective Adoptive Parents.
• Medical Certificate.
• Letter of Identification (from their friends/relatives).

The scheme "Child Adoption - Tamil Nadu" was launched by the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. The scheme aims to provide a family for orphaned, abandoned, destitute and neglected children. According to Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), “adoption is a process by which a child who is abandoned / separated from biological parents, becomes the legitimate child of a new set of parents referred to as adoptive parents, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that are attached to this relationship”.