Thrissur: The number of children being given up for adoption in the state is decreasing every year. At the same time, the number of couples who have registered to legally adopt children via the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) has gone up.

In 2001, 297 children were adopted in the state. This came down to 199 in 2013-14 and 108 in 2022-23. In the past ten years, 1428 children have been adopted in the state. 130 of these were by couples living abroad. At present, there are 1158 couples in Kerala who have applied for legal adoption. Meanwhile, there are a total of 166 children awaiting adoption in the approved institutions in the 14 districts of the state. 

The officials maintain that there is a lack of children who are eligible for adoption. Abandoned children and those given up by their parents or relatives can be adopted after due legal process. There are hundreds of children living in childcare facilities after being abandoned in this manner. 

The couples say that there is a failure on the part of the authorities to complete necessary legal procedures and declare the children as orphans.