VedTimes.com | News Desk
CARA’s Fifth Regional Workshop: The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has called for stronger coordination among stakeholders to expand adoption opportunities for children with special needs.
The authority held its fifth regional consultation workshop for Eastern India in Ranchi on Tuesday.
CARA organised the workshop with the Jharkhand government and the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), Jharkhand.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, oversees CARA.
The workshop reaffirmed CARA’s commitment to family-based care.
It also focused on helping children with disabilities find safe, loving and permanent families.
Workshop Focuses on Family-Based Rehabilitation
The consultation formed part of the Adoption Awareness Campaign 2025.
The campaign focuses on promoting non-institutional rehabilitation for children with special needs.
The workshop aimed to improve coordination among stakeholders.
Participants discussed regional challenges and practical ways to make adoption easier for these children.
The Eastern region includes Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Sikkim.
Around 175 stakeholders from nearly 115 districts across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal attended the workshop.
Their participation created a platform for sharing experiences and effective practices.
The discussions also explored ways to strengthen inclusive, family-based rehabilitation across the region.
Senior Officials Emphasise Collective Action
CARA Chief Executive Officer Bhavna Saxena attended the workshop.
Other senior officials included Umashankar Singh, Secretary of DWCD&SS, and Kirti Shri Ji, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Kiran Pasi, Director of Social Welfare, Jharkhand, and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Director and Member Secretary of JSCPS, also participated.
Addressing the gathering, Saxena highlighted the encouraging progress achieved through targeted awareness and active stakeholder participation.
She stressed the need for sustained collective efforts to overcome adoption barriers.
Saxena also called for stronger support for prospective adoptive parents.
She said continued awareness and a sensitive, child-centred approach could help more children find permanent families.
Umashankar Singh stressed that awareness alone cannot deliver meaningful change.
Authorities must take consistent, result-oriented action to ensure children with special needs enjoy family life, care and belonging.
He emphasised continued cooperation among child protection authorities, healthcare professionals and adoption agencies.
Such collaboration, he said, must translate commitments into tangible outcomes for children.
Discussions Address Key Adoption Challenges
Representatives from several child protection and healthcare institutions joined the consultation.
These included SARAs, Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs), Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs).
Chief Medical Officers, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), healthcare institutions and child protection organisations also participated.
The discussions covered medical assessments, legal requirements, procedural hurdles and financial concerns.
Participants also examined grievance redressal and administrative coordination.
They highlighted the need for closer cooperation between healthcare institutions and child protection authorities.
Better coordination can support timely medical assessments and appropriate care plans.
It can also help adoption agencies navigate procedures more efficiently.
These improvements could make the adoption process more accessible to children with special needs.
Group discussions gave participants an opportunity to develop practical, time-bound recommendations.
They explored ways to expand public awareness, strengthen institutional capacity and remove procedural barriers.
Participants also discussed how authorities could provide better support throughout the adoption process.
Short Film Highlights the Impact of Adoption
The workshop also unveiled a short documentary about the successful adoption of a child with special needs.
Based on a real-life experience, the film highlighted the positive impact of family-based care.
It showed how a loving and supportive family can offer children security, emotional support, dignity and a lasting sense of belonging.
The film reinforced the message that every child deserves more than basic care. Children also need an environment where they can grow with love, respect and appropriate support.
CARA Continues Regional Consultation Initiative
The Ranchi workshop marked the fifth consultation in CARA’s regional series.
Earlier consultations covered the Northern region in Rajasthan, the North-Eastern region in Assam, the Central region in Madhya Pradesh and the Western region in Maharashtra.
These consultations helped stakeholders identify regional challenges and share effective practices.
They also created opportunities to strengthen cooperation across adoption and child protection systems.
CARA expects the recommendations from Ranchi to guide future improvements in adoption procedures.
The findings may also help strengthen coordination between healthcare services and child protection authorities.
VedTimes.com | News Beyond Boundaries
