New Delhi — The US adopts most number of Indian children from various orphanages across the country, followed by Italy and Spain, the government said on Friday.
According to the data provided by Women and Child Development Ministry in a written reply in Lok Sabha, America adopted 108, 156, 133 and 36 children in 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively.
While 60, 98, 79 and 25 children found new homes in Italy, 48, 42, 48 and 10 orphans were placed in Spain under the inter-country adoption during the same years.
Within the country, Maharashtra topped the chart with 1,043, 1,068, 947 and 160 adoptions done in the state during the past four years while Delhi with an average adoption rate among other metro cities provided home to 187, 156, 126 and 27 orphan kids.
“There 1,521 children’s home and 320 specialised adoption agencies in the country which are being funded under the centrally sponsored integrated Child Protection Scheme,” Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said in the reply, reported NDTV.
The Minister also said that National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has reported 74 complaints of misbehavior/abuse, ill-treatment and exploitation of children in the Child Care Institutions during the last three years and the current year.
“The Ministry has been urging the state governments and UTs from time to time to identify and register all child care institutions so that standards of care can be monitored,” she said.