India Adoption Criteria

Adoption criteria are based on the requirements of the country and program and may change over time. To ensure you meet the criteria, it's best to contact one of our adoption specialists to discuss your specific situation and start making an adoption plan.

• Citizenship: At least one adoptive parent must be a United States citizen.

• Marital Status: Heterosexual married couples (legally married for at least two years) and single people are eligible. Single females are eligible to adopt a child of either gender; single males may only adopt male children.

• Age: Applicants must be at least 25 years of age and the youngest applicant must be at least 25 years older than the adopted child (or the oldest child in a sibling group). For eligibility requirements, CARA uses combined age for married couples and factors in months and days in addition to years for calculation. Specifically:

• Married couples with a combined age of less than 85 years, or singles under age 40, may be eligible to adopt a child ages 0 to 2 years;

• Married couples with a combined age of less than 90 years, or singles under age 45, may be eligible to adopt a child ages 2 to 4 years;

• Married couples with a combined age of less than 100 years, or singles under age 50, may be eligible to adopt a child ages 4 to 8 years;

• Married couples with a combined age of less than 110 years, or singles under age 55, may be eligible to adopt a child ages 8 to 18 years.

• Background: A stable family environment and strong relationship history are considered. Families must be financially stable and able to provide for the needs of a child. Applicants with major arrest histories should contact us before applying.

• Family Size: Families with no more than one child currently in the home may be eligible to adopt from India. Families with more than one child already in the home may be considered for adoption of children with special needs.

• Health: Applicants must be mentally and physically fit to parent. Applicants with major medical histories should contact us before applying.

• Cultural Sensitivity: Parents should be open to and respectful of the child's cultural background and heritage.

• Training: All hopeful adoptive parents pursuing adoption in India are required to complete pre-adoption training.