Ranchi: Faster adoption procedures, stronger coordination between healthcare and child protection systems, and family-based rehabilitation for children with special needs were discussed at Central Adoption Resource Authority’s fifth regional consultation workshop in Ranchi on Tuesday.Organised with Jharkhand govt and State Adoption Resource Agency, the workshop brought together about 175 stakeholders from nearly 115 districts across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal to improve adoption outcomes for children with disabilities and special needs.Participants identified delays in medical assessments, procedural hurdles, legal formalities and coordination gaps among child welfare and adoption agencies as key challenges. Consultations focused on practical, time-bound solutions to streamline procedures and reduce the time children spend in institutional care.CARA CEO Bhawna Saxena said targeted awareness campaigns and active stakeholder participation had helped promote adoption of children with special needs. She called for sustained efforts to remove barriers, strengthen support systems for prospective adoptive parents and adopt a child-centric approach to help more children find permanent families.Uma Shankar Singh, secretary of the department of women, child development and social security, said awareness must be accompanied by result-oriented action to ensure children with disabilities receive equal opportunities for care, family life and belonging. He sought closer collaboration among child protection authorities, healthcare professionals and adoption agencies.Representatives of specialised adoption agencies, childcare institutions, district child protection units, child welfare committees and healthcare institutions discussed strengthening institutional capacity, grievance redressal and interdepartmental coordination.
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