About Central Adoption Resource Authority:
- It is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
- Through Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act 2015), CARA attained the status of a statutory body.
- Mandate: Primarily deals with the adoption of orphan, abandoned, and surrendered children through its associated/recognised adoption agencies.
- It is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003.
- Headquarters: New Delhi.
- Functions of Central Adoption Resource Authority:
- To promote In-country adoptions and to facilitate Inter-state adoptions in coordination with State Agency;
- To regulate Inter-country adoptions;
- To frame regulations on adoption and related matters from time to time as may be necessary;
- To carry out the functions of the Central Authority under the Hague Convention on protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-country Adoption;
- Any other function as may be prescribed.
- It monitors and regulates bodies such as the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), Specialised Adoption Agency (SAA), Authorised Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), and District Child Protective Units (DPUs).
