Do you know this?

There are approximately 18000 parents registered with CARA, while the number of children in the Government's adoption pool is less 1800.

Friday, June 15, 2007

A sad incident to remember

I may be wrong but I think our state (Tamilnadu) probably is the only state in India that has a scheme called "Cradle Baby Scheme" where a family can safely relinquish the rights on their child to the government which in turn places the child for adoption. This scheme is initiated to prevent people from going for gender selective abortions and to prevent abandonment in unhygienic conditions.

Last year I was visiting our district social welfare officer on an administrative work. I have seen this cradel in the office several times before. This time, there was a little boy baby wrapped in a thin sheet of cloth. When I enquired, I was told that this baby is been relinquished under the cradle baby scheme. My heart sank and my thoughts were running faster than a freight train. Child looked like a few days old. I felft disrespectful to ask anymore details but I asked the officer about the future course of action and she said that the child will be taken to the district collector where the family relinquishes (I guess they might have to sign the documents) and then the child will be sent to an adoption agency.

I still remember becoming emotional there because I remembered my children and thuoght that this child might travel mile after mile from now on for no mistake of his. I quietly said in my heart to him "Bon Voyage".

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