Punjab Expands Safe Family Care with 134 Legal Adoptions in Three Years

Reaffirming its commitment to child welfare, the Punjab government has enabled 134 children to find permanent, legally protected families over the past three years through a transparent, child-centric adoption system , Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Baljit Kaur said on Wednesday.

Addressing a state-level training programme on the Adoption Regulations, 2022 , Kaur said the government's priority is to ensure that no child is deprived of the love, care and security of a nurturing family. She stressed that every adoption in the state follows legal procedures designed to safeguard the rights and best interests of children.

Punjab currently has 26 Specialised Adoption Agencies operating across the state to facilitate the adoption process and support eligible children and prospective parents.

According to the minister, 87 orphaned and abandoned children were placed with legally recognised adoptive families during the last three years. Of these, 66 children were adopted within India , including 18 boys and 48 girls , while 21 children , comprising five boys and 16 girls , were adopted through inter-country adoption.

The state also ensured that 10 children with special needs found caring families during the same period. Additionally, 47 children were legally adopted by relatives and step-parents, bringing the total number of successful placements to 134 .

Kaur emphasised that seamless coordination among district magistrates, chief medical officers, Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units and Specialised Adoption Agencies is crucial for timely rehabilitation and maintaining transparency throughout the adoption process.

The training programme brought together officials and stakeholders from across Punjab to strengthen awareness of legal provisions and procedural requirements under the Adoption Regulations, 2022 .

During technical sessions, Central Adoption Resource Authority representative Sayam Bin Khalid explained documentation, timelines and stakeholder responsibilities, while Prof Bhavneet Bharti of PGIMER Chandigarh highlighted medical assessment protocols, identification of children with special needs and the importance of maintaining comprehensive health records for every child before adoption.