The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is organizing its second Regional Consultative Workshop in Guwahati on January 30, aimed at enhancing India’s adoption and child protection ecosystem. The workshop’s theme, part of CARA’s Adoption Awareness Campaign, is “Promoting Non-Institutionalised Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs (Divyaang Children)”. It underscores CARA’s commitment to ensuring that children with special needs receive family-based care rather than being placed in long-term institutions, in line with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (amended in 2022), which emphasizes the child’s best interests through adoption and non-institutional care methods.
Key stakeholders, including State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs), Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs), Child Care Institutions (CCIs), District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), Chief Medical Officers (CMOs), healthcare professionals, and child protection practitioners from the Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura, will participate in the workshop.
The program features thematic sessions addressing the state-wise status and best practices in adopting children with special needs, sharing of success stories and evidence-based interventions, as well as group discussions aimed at developing actionable recommendations and tackling medical, legal, financial, and grievance-related challenges. A special film is planned to showcase successful adoptions of children with special needs, demonstrating the positive impacts of family-based care.
Additionally, the workshop will focus on identifying existing gaps, enhancing inter-departmental coordination, and generating policy-level recommendations to advance the adoption and rehabilitation of Divyaang children. Overall, the event is poised to significantly contribute to the development of a more inclusive, responsive, and child-centric adoption framework in India.
