Kottayam: Kerala has only 36 children legally available for adoption, while 1,119 prospective adoptive parents are waiting after registering their applications. NGOs and legal experts working in the child welfare sector say this huge gap is one of the key reasons behind the persistence of illegal child trafficking and unauthorised adoption networks in the state.

Prospective parents must submit adoption applications through the Mission Vatsalya portal to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). At the state level, the process is coordinated by the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA).

Age criteria for adoptive parents
The combined age of the adoptive parents determines the age group of the child they are eligible to adopt.

• Combined age up to 85 years: Eligible to adopt children aged 0-2 years
• 85-90 years: Eligible to adopt children aged 2-4 years
• 90-100 years: Eligible to adopt children aged 4-8 years
• 100-110 years: Eligible to adopt children aged 8-18 years

Children can be adopted both within India and by families living abroad. Details of children available for adoption are provided based on the applicants' registration date, following the prescribed order of priority.

Child protection authorities in districts including Kottayam have received complaints of infants being purchased through illegal agreements outside the legal adoption framework.

Adoption applicants by child age group

• 0-2 years: 443 applicants
• 2-4 years: 167 applicants
• 4-8 years: 343 applicants
• 8-18 years: 166 applicants
• Total applicants: 1,119

Legal adoptions in recent years

• 2023-24: 114 domestic adoptions; 15 inter-country adoptions
• 2024-25: 154 domestic adoptions; 16 inter-country adoptions
• 2025-26: 163 domestic adoptions; 20 inter-country adoptions