1.

Pre-Adoption Process for Family

o In order to be eligible to adopt a child from India, a family must first complete a
home study with an approved agency. In a home study, a social worker assesses a
family's suitability via interviews and home visits. With an approved home study,
the family may then register with an adoption agency that has been approved by
the Central Adoption Resource Agency of India (CARA). Non-Indian families
who wish to adopt will need to assemble a dossier of required documentation to
be sent to the CARA.

Release for Adoption and Matching

o The Indian government follows a specific protocol when placing children for
adoption. First, CARA attempts to find an Indian adoptive family that has been
declared legally available for adoption. If no family is found within 30 days,
CARA issues a clearance certificate, which makes the child eligible for inter-
country adoption. The agency finds a match family from among those who have
applied to adopt and submitted a complete dossier.

Court Filing
o After a match has been made and the adoptive family has accepted the child, the
family must petition the Indian court for guardianship. Adoptive parents must
appear before the court and sign the appropriate paperwork at this time. The
Indian adoption agency files for a passport and visa for the child when the parents
reside in another country.

Post Adoption
o The adoptive parents take custody of the child after all paperwork, including visa
and passport processing, is completed. India requires that adoptive parents submit
post-adoption reports. These reports are prepared by a social worker on a
quarterly basis for the first two years, after which, at the discretion of the court,
parents may submit self-reports on the child's progress.