In an office memorandum issued last week, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) pointed to Rule 23(3) of the Juvenile Justice Rules and point 4(1) of the Model Foster Care Guidelines, which states that only children aged six years and above are eligible for placement in foster care, under circumstances defined in Rule 44 of the Act

The government has clarified that children aged below six are not eligible for placement in foster care, following concerns over differing interpretations of the new regulations.

In an office memorandum issued last week, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) pointed to Rule 23(3) of the Juvenile Justice Rules and point 4(1) of the Model Foster Care Guidelines, which states that only children aged six years and above are eligible for placement in foster care, under circumstances defined in Rule 44 of the Act.

The statutory body noted that some agencies had raised issues regarding the interpretation of the regulations, prompting the clarification.

Oslo, September 23, 2025 – Korean adoptee Uma Feed delivered a formal notice of intent to sue the Norwegian state through a dramatic performance art piece at the Ministry of Children and Families today. Feed alleges her international adoption was illegal and demands both declaratory judgment and compensatory damages.

She alleges that the Norwegian state violated her rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects the right to private and family life. She also claims that Norwegian authorities contributed to her being subjected to human trafficking in violation of Article 4 of the ECHR.

The case references a September 28, 2022 joint statement on illegal intercountry adoptions from UN committees, including Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), which established that illegal adoptions violates numerous international human rights laws, and can constitute human trafficking. Additional supporting arguments cite the Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts.

The legal notice was delivered through a performance piece titled “ARV” (Norwegian for Heritage/Legacy), performed by Feed herself at the ministry’s reception. The performance referenced the tragic deaths of other international adoptees in Norway, including victims of drowning, shooting, and domestic violence by adoptive parents.

“These three fates are not mine, they belong to other international adoptees who had to pay with their lives,” Feed stated in her performance. “The dead cannot return, but from today we adoptees will no longer carry them! Norwegian State! The notice has been given – from today it is you who must carry them.”

Latest investigations found that 15 babies had been sent to Singapore “under the guise of adoption”, with each sold for around S$20,000 (US$16,000).

JAKARTA: The Indonesian National Police (Polri) are working with their counterpart in Singapore to investigate an alleged cross-border baby-trafficking syndicate based in West Java, in which three Singaporeans are suspected to be involved.

The syndicate’s operations allegedly spanned the areas of Bandung, Jakarta, Pontianak in West Kalimantan as well as Singapore, according to Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpol's National Central Bureau (NCB) in Indonesia. 

“We are tracing the trafficking of these babies all the way abroad,” Untung was quoted in a Polri statement that was updated on Monday (Sep 22). 

The world’s most successful entrepreneurs often captivate us with their business acumen, vision, and relentless drive, but there’s one factor in the early lives of Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison that many people overlook: they were all adopted. Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Larry Ellison, the Oracle co-founder, each grew up in adoptive families that provided stability, guidance, and emotional support. While adoption is not the sole reason for their extraordinary achievements, it may have shaped their resilience, ambition, creativity, and determination to succeed against the odds. These inspiring stories offer a glimpse into the unknown early lives of billionaires and highlight how early life experiences can influence lifelong success.
 

Steve Jobs: Parents who adopted him nurtured his creativity

Steve Jobs was born to Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian student pursuing a PhD, and Joanne Schieble, an American Catholic of Swiss-German descent. Because Joanne’s parents opposed the relationship and pregnancy, she opted for a closed adoption. The couple originally selected to adopt Jobs backed out after learning the baby was a boy. He was eventually adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, a working-class couple who promised to save for his college education. Jobs was fiercely loyal to his adoptive parents, viewing them as his true family. Throughout his life, he often referred to his biological parents as “my sperm and egg bank.” The nurturing environment provided by Paul and Clara helped cultivate his creativity, curiosity, and relentless pursuit of innovation, which later defined his career at Apple and Pixar.

Jeff Bezos: From Jeffrey Jorgensen to Amazon founder

Names remain blackened - unlike in 2013 when all names were exposes. 

See text

The Delhi High Court also said the question of how a minor child came to the custody of the alleged adoptive parents was not inquired into.

The Delhi High Court, while upholding the conviction of adoptive parents accused of subjecting a six years old girl to physical abuse and sexual assault, observed that is the duty of the investigating agency to ensure that every aspect of a case, particularly one relating to trafficking or unlawful custody, was investigated and placed before the Court.

The Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed, “While it is true that Courts cannot direct the manner of investigation, they nevertheless bear the responsibility to point out glaring lapses where essential aspects of a heinous crime are ignored. It is the duty of the investigating agency to ensure that every aspect of a case, particularly one relating to trafficking or unlawful custody, is investigated and placed before the Court. This responsibility assumes even greater significance in cases involving children, who are the most vulnerable members of society and deserve the highest degree of protection under law. The present case, therefore, should have been treated initially by the investigating agency, not only as one involving offences of rape/sexual assault and hurt/physical assault but also as one involving grave suspicions of human trafficking or illegal custody.”

Advocate Arjun Malik represented the Petitioner, while Advocate Naresh Kumar Chahar represented the Respondent.

Case Brief

Greenlandic Woman Wins Her Baby Back in Denmark

A young Greenlandic woman living in Denmark will regain custody of the infant girl taken from her shortly after birth. The case has become the latest flashpoint between Denmark and Greenland.

Ivana Bronlund at her home with a sonogram of her child in Hedehusene, Denmark, in September.Credit...Hilary Swift for The New York Times

You have the right to know the whole truth about your origins and the circumstances of your departure from Romania.

Leagănul De Copii Nr. 1, București

PUNE: Maharashtra clinched the pole position in India with 849 inter-country and domestic adoptions in the last financial year - accounting for nearly 20% of the total count and a 38% surge from the state's previous fiscal's tally of 522.
 

Across India, 4,515 children found families - the highest number in over a decade - while over 36,000 prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) are on the waiting list at present, hoping to adopt one of just 2,749 children legally available, according to data from Central Adoption Resource Authority (Cara). Of these, 1,808 are categorised as special-needs children.

Of the 4,515 adoptions, 4,155 children found families within the country while 360 were international/inter-country adoptions. Maharashtra, where the domestic adoption count was 790, was followed by Tamil Nadu (438) and West Bengal (297). In international adoptions, Maharashtra led with a tally of 59, followed by Punjab (41) and Bengal (31).

The average waiting time for PAPs is three-and-a-half years. Most PAPs seek girls and those aged 0-2 years, leaving older children and those with special needs under-placed. As many as 2,554 children adopted in FY 2024-25 were girls, accounting for 56% of all adoptions in India.
 

"One reason is, more girls are given up than boys, making them available for adoption," said Vinita Bhargava, formerly with Cara as its founder member.

A senior women and child development (WCD) dept official said, "Some parents believe girls are more caring and affectionate, and are more likely to look after their parents in old age. Some feel girls adapt more easily to family life. Social awareness and single women often preferring to adopt girls are other reasons."

Many PAPs believe it is easier to build emotional connections with infants and younger children. The official said, "For some, adopting younger children provides greater scope to shape their values, personality and upbringing. Others want to experience the entire parenting journey - from infancy to adulthood."
 

Wait for adoption longest for special needs children: Data

New Delhi, Nearly two-thirds of children waiting for adoption in India are those with special needs, even as the overall adoption numbers have seen a record rise over the years, government data shows.

According to the Union Women and Child Development Ministry's latest annual report accessed by PTI, 3,684 children were declared legally free for adoption in 2024 and 2,177 were available for placement through the Central Adoption Resource Authority “. Of the 2,177 children, 1,423 or 65 per cent were those with special needs.

Despite sustained efforts and awareness campaigns to encourage adoption of children with special needs, official records accessed by PTI through an RTI query show that the numbers remain much lower.

Special needs adoptions peaked at 401 in 2018-19, plunged to 166 the following year, and the number has since remained between 300 and “370 annually.