India Adoption Program

India is a land of constant contrasts: where the ancient traditions of the past are preserved and practiced alongside the sophisticated urban jetsetters. Temple elephants lumber along in the middle of the world of the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world's largest democracy where atomic energy is generated and industrial development has brought the country within the world's top ten nations. Today, fishermen along the country's coastline fashion simple fishing boats in a centuries old tradition while, a few miles away, motor vehicles glide off conveyor belts in state-of-the-art factories.

Amid all of the colorful splendors of India, there are many children who have not been so fortunate to have their own families, and one of the options for these children is international adoption. The Government of India has many well-functioning programs for their abandoned children and makes every effort to place these children inside of India with Indian families. So, although there are many abandoned children, there are not so many children who are eligible for intercountry adoption.  

Illien Adoptions International, Inc. is recognized by India’s Central Authority, CARA (Central Adoption Resource Agency) and works with orphanages all over India.  The Executive Director of the Agency, Anna Belle Illien, adopted two children from India over twenty-eight years ago and is dedicated to the children in India who are deprived of permanent families.  Illien staff travels regularly to India and maintains good relationships with CARA and the orphanages that we have worked with.  

Qualifications to Adopt from India:
  • Married couple with 5 years of a stable relationship.
  • Prospective adoptive parents having composite age of 90 years or less can adopt infants and young children. These provisions may be suitably relaxed in exceptional cases, such as older children and children with special needs, for reasons clearly stated in the Home Study Report. However, in no case should the age of any one of the prospective adoptive parents exceed 55 years.
  • Single persons (never married, widowed, divorced) up to 45 years can also adopt.
  • Age difference of the single adoptive parent and child should be 21 years or more.
  • Parent(s) in no case should be less than 30 years old or more than 55 years old.
  • A second adoption from India will be considered only when the legal adoption of the first child is completed.
  • Same gender couples are not eligible to adopt.
  • India gives preference to people of Indian origin, especially those holding the status of “Overseas Citizen of India.”  

Children:
The orphanages in India which are permitted to do intercountry adoption are licensed and approved by CARA. The standards of care for the children are typically very good. Many orphanages have a good child-to-caregiver ratio.

Babies abandoned at birth come right into orphanage care unless hospitalization is needed. However, abandoned toddlers and older children have oftentimes suffered from malnutrition and/or maltreatment which might affect their future development. Persons of India origin are preferred for the babies and very young children. Non-Indians are considered for the other children as a general rule.