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India
We are excited to share our India program with families of all backgrounds. Common belief has been that international adoption from India was limited to families with Indian heritage. This is not the case. MAPS has fostered relationships with several children's homes who are pleased to share referrals with loving families of all backgrounds. The majority of children available for adoption with a non-Indian family are either older (age 3 years and up) or have minor/correctable special needs. Following are some examples of common special needs we see:
- Missing digits
- Hearing/Vision impairment
- Developmental delays
- Heart defects
- HIV positive mother, negative child
- Rickets
- Hepatitis B positive
- Physical marks on the body
We feel fortunate to work with child care homes throughout India who are dedicated to providing excellent care and attention to their children as we help to find forever families. For more than a decade our Pune-based coordinator, Minal Dani, has worked to place children in permanent homes. Although material goods may be sparse in India, it is the personal interaction between caregiver and child that prepares them for a positive and healthy future.
Our India program is actively seeking applications from:
- Non-NRI/OCI parents (ie. families not of Indian background) requesting a child over age 3 without special needs, or a child under 3 with special needs.
- Non-Resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India parents requesting a non-special needs child or special needs child, all ages.
Interested in adopting from India but need financial help to do so? Visit the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation to learn about this foundation that may be able to help.
We also have waiting children in need of homes from time to time. Please click here to learn about our current waiting children. If you are open to special needs, please contact Kate or Sarah for more information.
At A Glance
Parent Requirements
- Married couples and single women can adopt
- Couples should have a combined age of 90 years or less, with a minimum age of 30 and maximum age of 55 for each parent.
- Couples should be married at least 5 years (with some case-by-case flexibility for 2+ years marriage with previous history of committed relationship)
- Single women must be 30-55.years old
- OCI/NRI parents must be 42 or younger to adopt an infant.
- All parents: 45 year maximum parent/child age difference guideline applies.
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Children
- All ages of children available with or without special needs.
- Infants available only to OCI/NRI parents
- Occasionally sibling groups are available
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Waiting Time
- All families must follow I800 system if starting adoption process now.
- For OCI/NRI parents seeking child under 2, wait time is approximately 10-12 months for referral
- For OCI/NRI parents seeking child over 2, wait time is approximately 2-8 months for referral
- For non-OCI/NRI parents seeking child over 3, or child under 3 with special needs, wait time is approximately 2-8 months for referral
- Travel approx 6-8 months after acceptance of child referral.
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| Travel: One or both parent(s) may travel; approximately 7-10 day trip. |
Your MAPS India Adoption Staff
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Caitlin Henderson has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of New England. She has worked as an advocate for families and children in a variety of settings including elementary school counseling and adult mental health services.
E-mail: caitlinh@maps-worldwide.org
Phone: (207) 775-4101 |
For a complete information packet about our services, our adoption programs (domestic and international), and the adoption process, please complete the form below.
