The Better Care Network (BCN) is an interagency initiative that facilitates global information exchange and collaboration among the growing number of organizations, governments, community groups, and individuals working to strengthen children’s care. BCN’s core purpose is to inform and influence global action for children without adequate family care and, as a dynamic interdisciplinary global network of organizations and individuals, share learning from the global to the local level to generate momentum and drive systemic change.

Today BCN is recognized as the preeminent global information hub and convener to influence action for children without adequate family care. The BCN website (bettercarenetwork.org) is the largest global collection of key research, tools, events and other documentation on issues related to strengthening family care and alternative care, designed to support academics, policymakers and practitioners alike. BCN convenes the Transforming Children’s Care collaborative (TCC), established as the primary convening mechanism to facilitate sector wide and cross sectoral collaboration to advance children’s care. 

Role purpose:

The BCN Senior Advisor, Evidence and Learning, plays a lead role in supporting BCN’s work to identify, capture, and share learning and evidence on children’s care and care reform globally. The Senior Advisor works with members of the network and the Transform Children’s Care collaborative (TCC) to support data collection, learning, and collaboration on system level change, to facilitate shared learning through BCN’s knowledge platforms, and to ensure that BCN’s work is supported by a strong organizational learning strategy and monitoring framework that underpin its approaches and impact.

This position requires maintaining a strategic understanding of key global, regional, and country-level factors that support or impede the appropriate care and protection of children who are at risk of losing family care or are outside of family care, as well as identifying potential points of intervention. It also requires contributing to continuous learning and collaboration to support the generation and application of evidence to improve care systems, and to strengthen BCN’s capacity to deliver on its role as the global hub of knowledge and convenor for the care sector. As part of this role, the Senior Advisor takes a leading role on specific projects and representational and liaison activities, including inter-agency working groups, advisory panels and joint initiatives.

According to South Tripura Deputy Collector and Magistrate Sukanta Dey, the baby girl's parents didn't follow the legal procedure for adoption.

A 23-day-old baby girl was on Wednesday rescued from a couple to whom she was allegedly handed over by her parents at Hrishyamukh in South Tripura district five days ago, officials said.

Shambhu Malakar, a resident of Haripur in Hrishyamukh, gave the baby to Gourango Shil, when she was 18 days old allegedly because of poverty.

After receiving information about the incident, a team comprising Deputy Collector and Magistrate Sukanta Dey, the block development officer, and Child Line members went to Gourango Shil’s home and rescued the baby.

“We visited Gourango Shil’s residence and found the baby. When asked about the baby, they claimed that they got the baby from Shambhu Malakar but denied giving money in exchange. We also visited Shambhu Malakar’s house and he claimed they have three children and that is why they gave the baby up for adoption,” Sukanta Dey said.

Justice Sachin Datta noted that the adoption was lawfully completed in 2020 and found no valid reason for CARA to withhold the NOC.

NEW DELHI: In a strong rebuke to bureaucratic delays, the HC has directed the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to immediately issue a no-objection certificate to an Australia-based couple who had been unable to take their adopted son abroad for over four years.

Justice Sachin Datta noted that the adoption deed was executed in 2020 and observed that the adoption had been lawfully concluded under the applicable legal framework. Hence, there was no legitimate reason for CARA to withhold the NOC.

CARA argued that, under the Adoption Regulations 2022, children adopted under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (HAMA) require documentation from the receiving country’s authority under the Hague Convention, 1993. It further claimed the adoption deed was registered using a General Power of Attorney (GPA), allegedly invalid under Queensland law.

The Court cited a recent Supreme Court case where CARA was directed to issue an NOC to a UK-based single woman. Justice Datta also referenced Article 37 of the Hague Convention, stating that adoptions under HAMA must be judged by its provisions and cannot be subjected to retrospective international conditions.

Surrogacy con�nues to be used as a method of family forma�on around the world. Children born through surrogacy have the same rights as all children under the United Na�ons Conven�on on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and the Op�onal Protocol to the Conven�on on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child pros�tu�on and child pornography (OPSC). However, because of the way that the prac�ce of surrogacy has evolved, the fundamental rights of these children are at risk, especially in interna�onal arrangements.

 The Delhi High Court recently came to the rescue of an Australia-based couple, who were precluded from taking their adopted son back to the country for over 4 years, due to inaction of CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority).Justice Sachin Datta observed that the Adoption Deed was executed in 2020 and thus directed the Authority to forthwith issue a NOC enabling the Petitioner-couple to...

https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/noc-for-inter-country-adoption-held-up-for-over-4-years-delhi-high-court-directs-cara-to-take-steps-within-4-weeks-295574

• 12 people appointed to Western Australia's inaugural Forced Adoption Reference Group
• Established as part of the State Government's response to Report 66 - Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia
• Will guide the implementation of the State Government's response to recommendations

Twelve people have been appointed to Western Australia's first Forced Adoption Reference Group as part of the State Government's commitment to addressing the impact of historic forced adoption policies and practices.

The establishment of the Reference Group was announced during the tabling of the State Government Response to Report 66 - Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia.

The Reference Group will play an important role in guiding the implementation of the recommendations supported by the State Government. The Forced Adoption Reference Group will be co-ordinated by the Department of Communities.

The State Government supports 19 recommendations to improve the lives of people impacted by forced adoption, including mothers, fathers, adopted people and their families.

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court recently dismissed a petition filed by a couple seeking custody of a male infant they purchased from the infant's biological mother through an agent. The baby was rescued by police at Chaitanyapuri when they busted an interstate baby trafficking racket. Along with the infant's adoptive parents, the infant's biological mother also sought custody. However, the court noted that the child's adoption did not occur through the proper adoption guidelines

Rachakonda police, in March 2025, busted a child trafficking racket, rescuing 16 infants and arresting around 15 persons. The accused included the kingpin of the racket, K Krishnaveni, a 'supplier' from Gujarat named Vandana, their associates, and adoptive couples.

The petition seeking the child's custody was filed by a Jeedimetla resident couple as well as the child's biological mother.

Biological mom, adoptive couple were family friends

Their counsel alleged that since the child's biological mother and the adoptive couple were family friends, they gave the child in adoption, a process approved by the Supreme Court in a similar case. Arguing that the child should not be deprived of parental care, they sought the child's custody

Amsterdam, June 23, 2025 – Today, on World Whistleblower Day 2025, we honor the courage and determination of people who speak out against abuses and celebrate the positive changes they bring about. In that light, Transparency International Netherlands tells the story of whistleblower Ina Hut who, as director of Wereldkinderen, exposed the abuses and dangers of child trafficking in the adoption world. After a long battle full of resistance and intimidation, twenty years later she has finally achieved what she wanted: no new intercountry adoption procedures have been started since May 2024. In recognition of the courage and perseverance that Ina Hut has shown in addressing abuses in the adoption world, Transparency is presenting her with the Spotlight Award today.

Hut speaks out after receiving signals about serious abuses in the adoption world at the beginning of the 21st century. The demand for adopted children is many times higher than the supply, with all the risks of child trafficking. At the time, Ina Hut still thought that she could improve the system from within, but it is a losing battle. She tries to raise the issue with various authorities and for six and a half years she speaks out publicly and very critically about adoption on many occasions. She is not appreciated. She encounters a lot of resistance from adoptive parents, from the Ministry of Justice and Security, but also from fellow permit holders and direct colleagues.

Adoption full of market forces and corruption

Ina Hut studies pedagogy and business administration. She has her own company, is an advisor to employers' organisation VNO-NCW and a board member of Nyenrode University. Because Hut wants to do something for the less fortunate, she makes an early switch to the non-profit sector in early 2003: the adoption world. Early, partly due to the death of her first child during birth. Ina Hut starts as director of Wereldkinderen with the idea that children were adopted in the interest of the children, but was disappointed. She herself is also registered for adoption. After a look behind the scenes, she is shocked by what she finds: a harmful system of market forces and corruption in which the demand for adopted children stimulates the supply. It is even reason for her to stop her own adoption procedure a year after her appointment as director of Wereldkinderen, after having been on the waiting list for 12 years.

Children taken away and resold

To say that Pauline was surprised is an understatement, rather stunned when she heard Mayor Stemerdink say her name. The Voorschoten native is the initiator and co-founder of Villa Voorschot, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday afternoon. A great opportunity for a medal and Pauline was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau.

“But I didn’t do it alone,” Pauline quickly exclaimed. “My husband Marcus, family, friends, they all helped.” That was true, but Pauline got things rolling. The supporters of the application for a medal called her ‘tireless, involved and dedicated’.

The adventure started 15 years ago. Pauline was looking for a place for her multiply handicapped son with autism. “He was a young adult and wanted to leave home just like everyone else, but living alone was of course not an option.” So Pauline thought she would build it herself. She got to work with a large group of parents. She negotiated with the municipality, found a housing corporation that could take over the land from the municipality, brought in ASVZ to supervise the residents, looked for and found sponsors and on 20 June 2015 Villa Voorschot opened its doors, a small-scale residential and work location for 16 young adults where living, working, supervision, care and social entrepreneurship came together.

Pauline was chair of the board from the start, after seven years she became an advisor. Since July 2022, Pauline has been chair of the Care Committee at Stichting Voorschot. She was involved in setting up the committee and introduced the committee to healthcare institution ASVZ, the supervisors and parents of the residents and those involved outside the foundation. Last year, the board was commissioned to put together a project group 'Complete Package Home'.

In this setup, living and working, Villa Voorschoten was quite unique in the Netherlands. Even then Prime Minister Mark Rutte came by to hear more about the project. Pauline also used her knowledge and experience in the board of Stichting Hethuis in Leidschendam. A living and working place for 18 young adults with multiple disabilities was opened there in 2021. Pauline also founded Stichting Dienstverlening Ouderinitiatieven (SDOI). Parental initiatives are small-scale residential facilities (such as Villa Voorschot and Hethuis), set up by parents for their disabled children. She was and is also active as a mediator in conflicts within parental initiatives, and she is a member of the complaints committee of the SDOI.

On Wednesday 18 June, Minister Norma Foley officially launched a project to develop a best-practice framework and a roadmap for the reform of domestic adoption in Ireland. The project is being led by the Adoption Policy Unit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in partnership with the Child Protection Section of UNICEF Europe & Central Asia and the European Commission Reform and Investment Task Force and is funded by the European Union through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI).

This project will develop an evidence-based, best practice framework and roadmap to make sure that the child’s best interests are the paramount consideration at all stages of the adoption process. Learnings from other European Union and non-EU countries and engagement with stakeholders locally will help inform the project and provide a chance to reflect on how the lessons learned can best be applied in Ireland. The ultimate goal is to achieve better outcomes for everyone involved, most importantly, the child.

The TSI project is one part of a wider European initiative in which Ireland is joining with Croatia, the Czech Republic and Portugal to strengthen child protection systems and uphold children’s rights across the region.

The launch event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including professionals in child protection and adoption services, academics and people with lived experience, ensuring that a wide range of voices will help shape this work. Representatives from the other countries who are part of this initiative, and staff at the EU Commission, also attended the event online. In addition to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, the meeting was addressed by UNICEF’s Senior Child Protection Regional Advisor for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), Aaron Greenberg UNICEF ECARO’s Ina Verzivolli and Martin Punaks Head of Sector (Labour market, social services and inclusion) with the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force, Florin Popa and Principal Officer Seosamh Mac Carthaigh of the Department’s Adoption Policy Unit. The keynote address, “Domestic adoption and international human rights standards and principles”, was given by the Lead Consultant on the project, Mia Dambach. Judit Rozsa, Director of the Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force provided a pre-recorded message.

Launching the project, Minister Foley said: