INDIA ADOPTIONS
India is a signatory to The Hague Adoption Convention.
Sunrise is accredited by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to help find families for children in India.
We are currently accepting applications from families across Canada, except Quebec and Ontario.
The Parents
The eligibility criteria to adopt from India is:
Must be residents of British Columbia or certain other provinces in Canada.
Married couples and single applicants may adopt from India. Couples must be married for at least two years. Common law marriage is not accepted. Unfortunately, India does not permit same sex applicants to adopt.
The age of parents at the date of registration in India should be as follows:
The maximum combined age of adoptive parents is 85 to adopt a child under 2 years of age and for a single parent it is 40 years.
The maximum combined age of adoptive parents is 90 to adopt a child between 2- 4 years of age and for a single parent it is 45 years.
The maximum combined age of adoptive parents is 100 to adopt a child between 4 to 8 years of age and for a single parent it is 50 years.
The maximum combined age of adoptive parents is 110 to adopt a child over 8 years of age and for a single parent it is 55 years.
The minimum age difference between the child and either of the prospective adoptive parents should not be less than 25 years.
Families of Indian heritage are given priority for international adoption although foreign families can adopt too. To qualify as Indian heritage at least one spouse must be a non-resident Indian who holds either an Indian Passport (NRI) or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card.
Couples with 2 or more children will only be eligible for the Immediate Placement list
Applicants should have adequate financial resources.
Must be in good mental and physical health with no known life-threatening medical conditions or current mental health diagnosis.
India is unlikely to accept applicants with a significant history of mental health.
Not currently using cannabis.
The Children
Most families who apply to adopt from India will adopt through the Immediate Placement list.
Children typically between the ages of 1 – 4 years of age.
The children live in orphanages and are typically abandoned at birth therefore there is little to no background information known about the child’s birth parents or pre-natal risk factors.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
OCI is an immigration status permitting a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work outside India indefinitely. The Constitution of India prevents Indian citizens from holding dual citizenship. As such the OCI is not actual citizenship of India. To apply for and use an OCI document, a holder must be a citizen of and hold a passport of another country. OCI cards can be obtained by contacting the Consulate of India in your Canadian province.
Relative Adoptions
Sunrise facilitates relative adoptions from India. In India the term relative refers to a child that is either a niece, nephew or grandchild. India Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) states that according to the laws of India, all those who are applying to adopt children who are relatives must follow the same procedures as those seeking to adopt non-relative children.
In September 2021, new regulations were implemented with respect to the adoption of a Hindu relative child by Hindu adoptive parents.