More girls than boys find new homes in Delhi; six with special needs adopted in 2025-26

More girls than boys find new homes in Delhi; six with special needs adopted in 2025-26

New Delhi, More girls than boys in Delhi have found new families, with over 1,000 girls and around 760 boys having been adopted in the city since 2015-16, while six children with special needs found families in 2025-26.

More girls than boys find new homes in Delhi; six with special needs adopted in 2025-26

Delhi recorded 178 adoptions in 2015-16, the highest annual number during the period. The total fell to 168 in 2016-17 and 121 in 2017-18, before rising to 153 in 2018-19 and declining again to 124 in 2019-20, a Women and Child Development Department official aware of the matter told PTI.

He said the department had also worked to help children with special needs find families, as their adoptions had earlier remained at zero. By working on their skills and making prospective parents aware of their needs, the department has helped six such children find homes in 2025-26.

Of these six children, two were adopted by families in India and four by families abroad. The official said most children considered for adoption were between zero and six years of age.

The adoption regulations group children into four age categories up to two years, above two to four years, above four to eight years, and above eight to 18 years.

Between January and September 2026, Delhi recorded 71 adoptions, with April seeing the highest at 14, followed by January with 12 and June with 11. Most adoptions during these nine months took place in the Central district, the official said.

September saw nine adoptions, while March recorded eight. February and May saw six and five adoptions, respectively, followed by four in July. August recorded the lowest number, with just two adoptions, he added.

Looking at the annual trend, Delhi recorded 178 adoptions in 2015-16, the highest number during the period. The total fell to 168 in 2016-17 and 121 in 2017-18, before rising to 153 in 2018-19 and declining to 124 in 2019-20, he said.

The number fell further to 102 in 2020-21 and reached its lowest point at 87 in 2021-22. It then rose to 94 in 2022-23 and 97 in 2023-24, before increasing to 110 in 2024-25, the official said.

Delhi recorded 109 adoptions in 2025-26, almost the same as the 110 in the previous financial year. However, the annual total remained 69 below the peak of 178 recorded in 2015-16, he added.

Of the 178 children adopted in 2015-16, 92 were adopted within India, including 55 girls and 37 boys. The remaining 86 children, comprising 57 girls and 29 boys, were adopted by families abroad, he said.

In 2016-17, the total stood at 168, including 77 girls and 66 boys in the gender-wise figures shared. In 2017-18, 121 children were adopted, including 88 within India and 33 by families abroad. Gender-wise figures for that year were not available, according to the official.

In 2018-19, Delhi recorded 153 adoptions, including 78 girls and 42 boys adopted within India, while 25 girls and eight boys were adopted abroad.

The total fell to 124 in 2019-20, comprising 62 girls and 39 boys adopted in India and 14 girls and nine boys overseas, he said.

In 2020-21, 102 children were adopted, including 45 girls and 39 boys within India, along with seven girls and 11 boys abroad. The number dropped to 87 in 2021-22, when 51 girls and 19 boys were adopted in India, while 11 girls and six boys went to families overseas, he added.

The total increased to 94 in 2022-23, with 49 girls and 27 boys adopted within India and 12 girls and six boys abroad. In 2023-24, the number rose to 97, comprising 53 girls and 35 boys adopted in India, along with five girls and four boys overseas, the official said.

In 2024-25, Delhi recorded 110 adoptions, including 55 girls and 40 boys within India, while 10 girls and five boys were adopted abroad. The following financial year saw 109 adoptions, comprising 57 girls and 45 boys within the country and three girls and four boys overseas, he added.

The Delhi government's Women and Child Development Department looks after adoption-related services and helps children who cannot be raised by their biological families find permanent homes.

Prospective parents approach the department and complete the required formalities. Before a child can be adopted, the Child Welfare Committee conducts an inquiry and declares the child legally free for adoption, after which the process of matching the child with a suitable family can begin.

The adoption process includes checks to ensure the child's safety and the suitableness of the prospective family. Once the required procedures are completed, the District Magistrate issues the adoption order under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Adoption Regulations, 2022.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.