15. Registration and Home Study Report for prospective adoptive parents for inter-country adoption.
(1)Any Non-Resident Indian, Overseas Citizen of India or foreign prospective adoptive parents, living in a country which is a signatory to the Hague Adoption Convention and wishing to adopt an Indian child, can approach the Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or the Central Authority concerned, as the case may be, for preparation of their Home Study Report and for their registration in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System.(2)In case, there is no Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or Central Authority in their country of habitual residence, then the prospective adoptive parents shall approach the Government department or Indian diplomatic mission concerned in that country for the purpose.(3)The Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or Central Authority or the Government department or the Indian diplomatic mission concerned, as the case may be, on ascertaining the eligibility of the prospective adoptive parents for adopting a child, shall get their Home Study Report completed and register their application in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System in the format along with the required documents as specified in Schedule VI.(4)The seniority of the prospective adoptive parents shall be counted from the date of their registration and uploading of requisite documents in the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System.(5)The Home Study Report and other documents of the prospective adoptive parents, referred to in this Chapter, shall be scrutinized at the Authority in order to determine their eligibility and suitability and be forwarded to the Specialized Adoption Agency where children legally free for adoption are available.(6)The profiles of two children, in one or two referral(s), shall be forwarded by Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System to the Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or Central Authority or Government department or Indian diplomatic mission, as the case may be, which may further forward such profiles to the prospective adoptive parents concerned as per local rules and in case of a foreigner or Overseas Citizen of India, the profiles of children shall be referred to the prospective adoptive parents.(7)The prospective adoptive parents may reserve one of the referred children within ninety-six hours and the profile of the other child shall stand automatically withdrawn.(8)In case the prospective adoptive parents fail to reserve any of the children within ninety-six hours, then the profiles of both the children shall stand automatically withdrawn.(9)Preference of the prospective adoptive parents shall be taken into consideration when sending referrals to them.(10)If the prospective adoptive parents reserve one of the children shown, they shall accept the child by signing the Child Study Report and Medical Examination Report of the child within thirty days from the date of reservation.(11)The Child Study Report, Medical Examination Report and photograph of the child, in original, shall be sent by the Specialized Adoption Agency to the Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or Central Authority or the Indian diplomatic mission concerned.(12)In case the prospective adoptive parents fail to accept the reserved child within thirty days, then the profile of the child shall stand withdrawn by the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System and the seniority of the prospective adoptive parents shall be relegated to the bottom of the list; and shall be given another opportunity to reserve and accept a child when their turn becomes due, provided that their Home Study Report remains valid.(13)If the prospective adoptive parents desire to visit the Specialized Adoption Agency to see the child in person, before accepting him for adoption, such visit may be made after their adoption application is approved by the Authority and the prospective adoptive parents may also get the Medical Examination Report of the child reviewed by a medical practitioner of their choice.(14)The Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency shall forward the original documents of the prospective adoptive parents, as specified in Schedule IX, to the Specialized Adoption Agency concerned for their scrutiny.(15)All documents forming part of the Home Study Report shall be notarized and the signature of the notary is to be apostilled by competent authority of the receiving country in cases of Hague Adoption Convention ratified countries, however the documents originating from India shall be self-attested.(16)If the documents are in any language other than English, then the originals must be accompanied by translations in English, duly attested by the agency or authority in the country of residence of the prospective adoptive parents designated for the purpose of attestation or apostle.
