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India
Adoption Program
Children available for
adoption
* Infants and toddlers are in need of families.
* The average age of infants at referral is five
months, average age at arrival is 8-10 months.
* Parents may travel or children may be escorted.
Eligibility requirements
* Note: We are not accepting applications for
the India program at this time.
* Couples and singles accepted.
* Parents must be under 42 years of age, and have
no more than two children in the family in order
to adopt an infant. Parents ages 42-45 may adopt
toddlers. Parents 45-50 may adopt children ages
three and older.
* For couples, there is a minimum marriage length
of two years, with no more than one previous marriage.
Process
* Apply to INS for advanced approval to be eligible
to adopt from India.
* Satisfy the laws of the state where applicant
resides.
* Complete a homestudy by a licensed agency or
social worker.
* Provide documents that Indian adoption laws
require.
* Have these documents notarized, state sealed,
and authenticated with the assistance of this
agency.
Time Frame
* It takes approximately three months to obtain
INS approval, complete a homestudy, and prepare
a dossier.
* The time between the dossier being sent to India
until the family receives an assignment is approximately
1-3 months.
* Children are escorted to the United States 3-5
months after acceptance of the referral or parents
may travel for a stay of approximately 3-4 weeks.
An expedited travel option (for an additional
fee) allows parents to stay in India for only
7 – 10 days.
General information
about India
(Statistical information taken from the 2000 CIA
Fact Book)
India, roughly a third the size of the United
States, is situated in southern Asia. It is bordered
by China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, and
Pakistan. India has the same varied climate that
many countries in southern Asia have. The south
is prone to monsoons and experiences tropical
climates, while the northern areas enjoy a more
temperate climate.
The major environmental stressors in India are
attributed to overpopulation and severe natural
disasters like floods, droughts, and earthquakes.
The extremely high poverty level makes it difficult
to recover quickly from disasters.
The economy relies on its production of textiles,
the abundance of ores and fossil fuels, and its
agriculture. India's major crops are rice, wheat,
cotton, and tea. However, due to the sheer size
of India's population, which is now over one billion,
a third of the nation is unable to provide adequate
nutrition for their family.
Indian people and culture
The demographic breakdown of India's one billion
plus population is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian,
and 3% other. There are 18 official languages
in India, but there are over 1600 other languages
and dialects spoken. India's diversity does not
end with the spoken differences. About 80% of
the population is Hindu, 14% Muslim, and 2.5%
Christian, and smaller percentages of other religions
such as Sikh and Buddhist.
Contrary to the popular belief that all of India
is vegetarian, the strictest vegetarians are in
the south. The vegetarian diet is based around
vegetables, rice, grains and bread, with various
spices and curries that are usually found to be
among the spiciest in India. In the north, some
meat and bread are eaten and the rich curries
are also served often. The dietary differences
are linked to religious beliefs regarding certain
foods and beverages. For example, the Islamic
community does not eat pork or drink alcohol.
Sports in India are usually played by males, with
soccer and hockey being two of the most popular.
The film and music industry in India is extremely
lucrative, as its popularity has led to numerous
modern theaters in cities. The interest in Indian
musicals and movies has boosted the pop music
scene, and classical Indian music has already
been in the world spotlight for decades.
The children available for adoption in India are
in orphanages mostly due to economic hardship.
There are many older children in desperate need
of adoption as well as infants.
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Note: Alliance For Children is not
accepting applications for the India program
at this time.
Contact us
The Alliance for Children assists families throughout
the entire adoption process. To discuss our
Indian adoption program, or adoption in general,
please contact a staff member at Alliance for
Children: info@allforchildren.org
or (781) 444-7148
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