New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday launched a month-long adoption awareness campaign aimed at promoting the rehabilitation of children with special needs.

While November is annually observed as National Adoption Awareness Month, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has begun a series of online and offline activities in the run-up to next month’s nationwide campaign, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said.

This year’s theme is “Non-institutionalised rehabilitation of children with special needs (Divyaang children).”

“The campaign is dedicated to promoting adoption of children with special needs, breaking myths and misconceptions, and celebrating the joy and transformative power adoption brings to children and families,” the ministry said.

A special logo and hashtag, #EveryChildMatters, have been introduced to honour adopted children, families, and those awaiting homes. The campaign, run in collaboration with MyGov India, features poster competitions, pledge-taking, mascot design, sharing of adoption stories, and crowdsourced ideas to strengthen adoption processes.

States including Ladakh, Assam, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and others will host awareness events. Offline programmes will feature interactive sessions with adoptive parents and adoptees, cultural events, competitions, and community campaigns to challenge myths around adoption.

In FY25, 313 children with special needs were adopted, including 83 domestic and 230 inter-country adoptions, the ministry noted. “Each adoption reflects society’s commitment to providing love, care and dignity to every child,” it said.

IANS