New Delhi, 11 September (H.S.): l Bhavana Saxena, CEO of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, said that widespread awareness and vigilance across the entire child protection system are essential to safeguard children from illegal adoptions. She stressed that every child deserves a safe childhood, a secure future and protection under the law.

Saxena made the remarks at an adoption awareness workshop held at the Delhi Secretariat on Thursday evening to strengthen children’s rights and safety and prevent the illegal adoption of children. She said there could be no shortcuts in the adoption process and that prospective adoptive parents must follow the prescribed legal procedure.

Around 200 participants associated with the child protection and adoption system attended the workshop. They included officials from the health and police departments, members of Child Welfare Committees, representatives of District Child Protection Units, adoption agencies, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), Anganwadi workers and other stakeholders.

CARA CEO Bhavana Saxena, Delhi Government Women and Child Development Department Secretary Rashmi Singh, Delhi Police DCP Neha Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police Monica Bhardwaj, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairman O.P. Vyas and Outer North district Chief Medical Officer Dr Anil Yadav, among several other senior officials, were present at the programme.

Delhi Government Secretary Rashmi Singh said that the participation of all stakeholders, ranging from the health and police departments to ANMs, Anganwadi workers, District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees, is an important step towards creating broader awareness. She said collective efforts strengthen institutional commitment to ensuring a safe and protected childhood for children.

Three technical sessions were conducted during the workshop on preventing and addressing illegal adoptions. The first session focused on emerging trends and challenges related to illegal adoption, as well as action being taken at the state and national levels. The second session examined the roles of hospitals, nursing homes, the healthcare system, police and the judiciary. The third session focused on the legal aspects of adoption.

As part of the awareness campaign, a film on legal adoption was also released at the workshop. The film sought to explain in a simple and effective manner the importance of following the authorised adoption procedure and the risks associated with illegal adoption.

The workshop also featured ground-level initiatives and real-life experiences in combating illegal adoptions. The programme concluded with an interactive quiz, through which participants tested their knowledge of legal provisions and their respective responsibilities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar