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Chandigarh: Taking an important step towards making the process of child protection and legal adoption of children more streamlined, transparent and strong in Punjab, Chief Minister S. A one day state level training program on ‘Adoption Regulations, 2022’ was organized today by State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), Punjab under the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development of Punjab Government led by Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Dr. Baljeet Kaur reiterated the government’s commitment

Addressing the press conference organized after inaugurating this special training program, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur, who was present as the chief guest, said that the Punjab Government is fully committed to ensure that no child in the state is deprived of the love, care and security of the family.

He said the government is translating this commitment into a more robust, transparent and child-centric system that ensures the rights and best interests of every child are protected.

Specialized adoption agency established in every district

Sharing an important achievement, the Minister said that Punjab has become the first state in the country where Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA) has been established in every district. At present, a total of 26 specialized adoption agencies are working successfully in the state, out of which 16 are run by government and 10 by non-government organizations (NGOs).

134 children found families in three years

While sharing the figures, he said that during the last three years, a total of 87 orphan, abandoned and surrendered children have been legally adopted in Punjab. Of these, 66 children found families within the country, including 18 boys and 48 girls, while 21 children were adopted abroad, including 5 boys and 16 girls. During the same period, 10 children with special needs were also provided a warm family environment.

Apart from this, 47 children were also legally adopted through relatives and step-parents, giving a total of 134 children permanent family security and a loving environment. The Cabinet Minister said that these figures reflect the state government’s continued commitment towards providing a safe home to every needy child.

Emphasis on better coordination between departments

He particularly emphasized that better coordination between the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner, Chief Medical Officer, Child Welfare Committees (CWC), District Child Protection Units (DCPU) and Specialized Adoption Agencies is essential for timely rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection and to make the entire process transparent, effective and legally regulated.

Participation of officials and stakeholders from across the state

Representatives of Deputy Commissioners from all the districts of the state, representatives of Civil Surgeons/Chief Medical Officers, members of Child Welfare Committees, officers of District Child Protection Units, officers of Specialized Adoption Agencies and other concerned stakeholders participated in this training program.

Adoption Regulations, 2022 and Training on CARINGS Portal

During the training, Mr. Syam Bin Khalid, representative of Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), gave detailed information on the key provisions of the Adoption Regulations, 2022, usage of CARINGS portal, documentation, time bound action and roles of various stakeholders. Along with this, Dr. Bhavneet Bharti, Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics, PGI, shared detailed information on medical examination of children, health assessment, identification of children with special needs and the importance of their medical records.

Challenges and solutions were also discussed

While interacting with the participants during the training program, the challenges faced during the adoption process, their solutions and also to establish better coordination between various departments were also discussed, so that all the stakeholders associated with the adoption process can remain fully aware and updated about the legal provisions and latest guidelines.

Senior officers were also present

On this occasion, Director of Social Security, Women and Child Development Department, Mrs. Shena Agarwal, Special Secretary Mr. Keshav Hingonia and other senior officers of the department were also specially present.