India’s Updated Foster Care Guidelines: What Changes for Singles and Couples?
India’s Updated Foster Care Guidelines: What Changes for Singles and Couples?
In a significant shift, India’s Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry has revised the Model Foster Care Guidelines to broaden the scope of foster care eligibility. The updated guidelines now enable single individuals, regardless of their marital status, to apply for fostering children. This change also introduces new requirements for couples seeking to become foster parents.
Previously, foster care was restricted to married couples. However, the new guidelines allow individuals between the ages of 35 and 60—whether they are unmarried, widowed, divorced, or legally separated—to foster a child. Single women can now foster and adopt children of any gender, while single men are permitted to foster and adopt only male children. This update also shortens the minimum fostering period required before adoption from five years to two years.
The revised guidelines were issued in response to the 2021 amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the 2022 Model Rules. They also address specific age criteria for prospective foster parents. For married couples, the combined age must be at least 70 years for fostering children aged 6 to 18. Single individuals must be at least 35 years old, with upper age limits set at 55 for fostering children aged 6 to 12 and 60 for those aged 12 to 18.
An official from the WCD Ministry emphasized that these changes aim to correct an inconsistency where single individuals could adopt but not foster. The updated guidelines are expected to encourage more individuals to consider foster care. Satyajeet Mazumdar, Director of Advocacy at Catalysts for Social Action, praised the revisions, noting that they address a significant gap in the previous regulations.
The new guidelines also introduce an online registration system through the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS). This platform, previously used for adoption, will now facilitate the registration of prospective foster parents. A dedicated online portal will allow users to submit documents for review by District Child Protection Units.
These updates represent a major step toward increasing the number of available foster homes and providing children with stable, supportive environments. The focus remains on ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing family setting, aligning with broader child welfare objectives and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
