Registered Adoption Placement Agency (RIPA)
Voluntary agencies/institutions that are primarily engaged in child welfare programs for the growth and development of the children can undertake processing of adoption cases as a part of their total activities The Central Adoption Research Agency (CARA) is authorized to recognize/accredit some of these agencies to undertake Inter-country Adoption. Such agencies are called Registered Placement Agencies (RIPA). RIPAs function as accredited bodies as per the Hague Convention of 1993.
The conditions governing the recognition and running of a RIPA are as follows:
- The Agency must be a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or a Trust created under the
Charitable Trusts Act, or an organization registered under an appropriate law which has worked for the welfare of
Women and Children during the preceding five years.
- Only such voluntary agencies primarily engaged in child welfare programs which undertake adoption as a part of
their total activities can be considered for RIPA status.
- The organization should be duly licensed/recognized by the State Government under the Orphanages and Other
Charitable Homes (Supervision and Control) Act, 1960 and/or Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act,
2000 and/or any alternate rules or order to maintain certain minimum standards for child care in child welfare
institutions.
- The organization should have been functioning for a period of three years in the field of in-country adoption at the
time of applying for Inter-country recognition. This clause can be relaxed in meritorious cases of organizations
working in the North East region and J & K.
- The organization should also have certificate of recognition from concerned State Govt. for doing in country adoption
in accordance with section 41(4) of the JJ Act 2000 and the corresponding states’ JJ Rules.
(a) Where the adoption program is part of a larger organization there should be a sub-committee to run the adoption
program and closely monitor the same.
(b) It should run on a non-commercial and non-profit basis.
(c) The Chief Executive of the organization should be willing to sign a written undertaking to follow the Guidelines laid
down by the Supreme Court of India, those prescribed by the Government of India and the conditions imposed, if
any, by CARA at the time of Recognition and Renewal.
(d) Recognition of the agency should be recommended by the State Government concerned.
(e) It should have required professional staff to run the adoption agency.
- Recognition is normally, granted for a period of 3 years. A RIPA may apply for renewal of the license, 6 months in
advance of the expiry of the license.
- The RIPA must follow the guidelines laid down by CARA, for processing both, in –country and Inter-country
placements and must abide by the prescribed processing fees.
- In the case of inter-country placements, the RIPA must ensure follow-up to ascertain that the child is legally adopted
in the receiving State not later than two years from the date of the Court Order in India.
- The RIPA must also, undertake periodic follow-up with the Adoptive parents abroad, to ascertain the welfare of the
child.
- The RIPA can deal only with those agencies abroad that are enlisted by CARA. Where there is no Enlisted Foreign
Adoption Agency (EFAA) , the RIPA may deal with the Indian Embassy in the country.
