In a landmark judgment, the Chhattisgarh High Court has held that women employees who adopt children are also entitled to childcare/child adoption/maternity leave since it is a fundamental right of every mother under Article 21 of the Constitution, irrespective of the mode of attainment of motherhood, to give motherly care and attention to their new-born children.Justice Bibhu Datta Guru...

Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten are raising adopted Black children – something he recently discussed on the "Flagrant" podcast. And they're hardly alone.

Scroll through TikTok and you'll find wholesome, heartwarming stories about White parents with Black children posting videos perfecting their children's hair. Many comments are encouraging: "omg her hair is beautiful and so is a mothers love." "A mother who TRIES is all our kids need." "You’re doing a great job caring for them."

Buttigieg alluded to plenty of advice he received on his children's hair from Black parents on social media. "They're like, 'let me tell you how to do it,'" he said.

Today, there are plenty of resources for parents who adopt children of a different race, a process known as transracial adoption. But that wasn't always the case.

For transracial adoptees who grew up in White families decades ago, these TikTok videos and the attention this subject is now getting bring mixed emotions. It's encouraging to see how far things have come in terms of adoptive parents working to better understand their children's needs. But these viral positive posts aren't reflective of what they experienced.

DAVANAGERE: A special-needs child from Amulya Orphanage in Davanagere will soon join his adoptive family in Italy, marking the tenth international adoption from the facility.

The child's adoptive parents were chosen through Central Adoption Resource Authority's (CARA) selection process after his teenage biological mother expressed her inability to raise him.

Tarun, 3, with walking disabilities, will be transferred to his adoptive parents through DC G M Gangadharswamy on May 13.

T N Kavitha, the district child protection officer, said: "Govt-specialised adoption agency Amulya Kendra, Davangere, rceives legally free adoption (LFA) recommendations from the district child welfare committee in keeping with rules for orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children."

The officer further said: "A 19-year-old unwed mother had surrendered Tarun about three years ago. When the Italian couple showed interest in adopting him, we completed the formalities." The couple had satisfied all adoption criteria.

While law prohibits direct adoptions, the process is based on an assessment of prospective parents' health, psychological well-being, social standing, and financial capability.

Post-adoption monitoring continues for two years with quarterly welfare updates.

Let me introduce myself!

This week, to everyone's great surprise, Dick Schoof was suddenly presented as intended prime minister, which means that Mark Rutte's  successor  seems to be known in one fell swoop. But while the VVD veteran kept his private life strictly  under wraps , a little more is known about Dick Schoof. Let me introduce myself!

Dick Schoof

Would the premiership rest on the shoulders of Geert Wilders ? Or would the role go to Ronald Plasterk ? Suddenly there was a name (unknown to many): Dick Schoof was put forward by the parties involved as intended prime minister.

Let me introduce myself!

This week, to everyone's great surprise, Dick Schoof was suddenly presented as intended prime minister, which means that Mark Rutte's  successor  seems to be known in one fell swoop. But while the VVD veteran kept his private life strictly  under wraps , a little more is known about Dick Schoof. Let me introduce myself!

Dick Schoof

Would the premiership rest on the shoulders of Geert Wilders ? Or would the role go to Ronald Plasterk ? Suddenly there was a name (unknown to many): Dick Schoof was put forward by the parties involved as intended prime minister.

Forced adoptions in Switzerland have so far received little research. According to historian Rahel Bühler of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and Arts (ZHAW), the procedures were mostly legally correct, but unmarried mothers were under enormous social and official pressure.

Young women were "put under severe psychological pressure and forced to consent to an abortion, sterilization, or adoption of one or more of their children." The Federal Office of Justice records this under the heading "Victims of Coercive Welfare Measures and Out-of-Home Care." 

Unlike, for example, indentured children, forced adoptions have received little public attention. From a scientific perspective, the events have also been little studied. "There are many unanswered questions," says Rahel Bühler (44) of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The historian has co-authored recent studies on adoptions in forced situations in Switzerland since the 1960s.

On July 21, 2022, the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) suspended the intercountry adoption accreditation of Promise Kids A Future, Inc. for failing to maintain substantial compliance with accreditation standards.

During this suspension, Promise Kids A Future, Inc. must cease to provide all adoption services in connection with intercountry adoption cases.  Promise Kids A Future, Inc. is not required to transfer their cases to another accredited or approved adoption service provider.  If you have an open case with Promise Kids A Future, Inc., please contact them directly to find out how the suspension will affect your case.  We also encourage families to review the information published by IAAME about selecting a primary provider/adoption service provider and the accreditation/approval requirements. 

The Department of State does not review or approve case or record transfer plans and has a limited role in their execution.  The Department does, however, communicate with competent adoption authorities about the accreditation status of agencies and persons and case transfer plans, as needed.

Affected families may wish to review information about Case Transfer Responsibilities on the Department of State’s website and information about If Your Agency is No Longer Accredited/Approved on the USCIS website. 

We also encourage families with outstanding post-adoption reports to contact their adoption service provider for guidance on how to proceed.  Information about post-adoption reporting requirements is available on the country-specific information pages on the Department of State’s website.  Requirements vary by country with respect to frequency of submission, information to be included, and methods of submission.

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Alappuzha has rescued a newborn boy after uncovering an illegal adoption arrangement involving a woman who allegedly handed over her baby to a childless couple in Muhamma.

According to Alappuzha CWC chairperson G. Vasanthakumari, the woman, a native of Alappuzha and married with three children, gave birth to the baby on February 25 at the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam. Conceived through an extramarital affair, she had kept the pregnancy secret from her family. "The woman, reportedly working in the UAE, returned to Kerala solely for the delivery. She was accompanied at the hospital by another person, believed to be the woman from Muhamma who later took custody of the baby," said Vasanthakumari.

After the birth, she briefly returned to her home in Alappuzha while the couple took the newborn to their residence in Muhamma. The case came to light on March 7 when an Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supervisor from Muhamma reported the suspected illegal adoption to the authorities. The District Child Protection Unit launched an inquiry, and the CWC summoned both parties. Officials explained the legal consequences, urging the mother to either raise the child herself or allow the CWC to take custody.

She initially agreed to take the child back. "However, a follow-up revealed that the child had been handed over to the couple again. After a second round of counselling, the mother once more promised to care for the child. Yet, the pattern repeated, and the child was transferred to the couple a third time," Vasanthakumari added.

In India, adoption has witnessed a significant transformation, driven by government initiatives like those of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). In the financial year 2024-25, a record 4,515 legal adoptions were recorded, showcasing the growing societal shift towards open-hearted, legal adoptions and offering hope to many children in need of a loving home......

Sometimes, love comes looking for you, even when you least expect it. 

Little Moksh, left at a Child Care Institution just one day after he was born, had no way of knowing that his life was about to become a beautiful story of hope and belonging. 

Moksh was born with a condition called knock knees, where his legs bent inward. For four long years, he watched families walk past him. Some paused, some smiled, but most moved on once they saw the mention of his condition on the papers. For Moksh, every passing face was a silent goodbye. 

But in 2021, everything changed. Amidst the fear and distance brought by COVID-19, a couple saw him not his diagnosis, not his “defects,” but simply, their son. 

Even though the pandemic delayed the adoption process, they refused to give up. From afar, they told him bedtime stories over video calls, made him laugh through screens, and promised they would be together soon. 

"I love you Mom because you take me out to play…"

Moksh's mother had tears in her eyes when she read this simple, loving, and heartwarming note written by her son in uneven letters and wobbly handwriting. Though it seems like just ten simple words written by a kid to his mother. But behind those words lies a powerful story of love, waiting, and hope.

Moksh was born with a condition called "knock knees," which made his legs bend inward. He was left at a Child Care Institution when he was just a day old unaware of anything in this new world. He was put up for adoption. For four years, families walked in and out of his life—pausing, hesitating, moving on. His condition was listed on the form. And that was often the end of the conversation.

Until one day, it wasn't.

In 2021, a couple saw him, not the label, not the diagnosis, but 'Their child.' To them, he wasn't a problem to solve, he was their son, waiting for them from the day he was born. The second wave of COVID-19 made the wait even longer. But they didn't let him go, they stayed—through video calls, telling him bedtime stories through screens, making him smile from far away and patiently waiting to hold him in their arms.