Government to provide cradles for abandoned babies
The Women and Child Development Ministry is setting up cradles at police stations, hospitals, and orphanages across the country where parents can leave their child for adoption. Cradles will be accompanied by a bell to notify the authorities at the premises. WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi called it a 'humane and anonymous method' for parents to put babies up for adoption.
For years, poverty along with the cultural bent to favour boys has led to Indian parents abandoning babies in dumpsters, hedges, train tracks and even rivers or lakes where few of them survive.But they can now make a more humane choice. Offering a solution to hapless parents who are unable to bring up their newborns, the women and child development (WCD) ministry will now keep cradles at government hospitals, orphanages and police stations across the country where one can leave their child behind for adoption. The cradle will be accompanied by a bell, which a person can ring to notify authorities at the premises after dropping off a baby."It is a simple, humane and anonymous method for parents who are unable to look after their child and have to unwillingly part ways with them," WCD minister Maneka Gandhi told Mail Today. "By leaving their child behind in a cradle, parents will knowingly put their child up for adoption."TO FILL THE GAPThe move came after the ministry found it difficult to bridge the gap between 600 kids up for adoption and 14,000 requests. The department's statutory body, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), functions as the nodal agency for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate adoptions in India as well as abroad.The government's decision also comes as a blessing for childless people and couples. "This will prove to be a safe place for orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children," said a senior ministry official.After a hospital or orphanage is notified by the ringing bell, officials will take the child into custody and he or she will handed over to the area's child welfare committee. The panel will further screen the child and decide if the baby is fit for adoption.REASONS FOR ABANDONMENTThe reasons for abandonment vary: an unwed mother facing social stigma; parents unable to look after their child, often because it is mentally or physically ill; or simply not wanting a girl. The "surrendered children" fail to get registered under the adoption list and in the process bring down the number of children ideal for the purpose.The official added the ministry will prioritise adoption demands by single mothers as well as economically welloff mothers and women who are over child- bearing age. While critics argue it could create more problems than it solves, such as increase abandonment, other analysts maintain that forcing parents to keep unwanted children can lead to abuse and infanticide.The WCD ministry has identified private and government hospitals and orphanages as prime locations to place the cradles. Ministry officials are yet to place police stations in the same ambit, citing complications of taking care of infants at such spots and are awaiting the approval of ministry of home affairs for this.WCD ministry officials pointed out that the cradles will help eliminate the guilt and social pressure stifling parents. It will also aid the government in ensuring that a child goes to a family with a good house.Gandhi was inspired during her trip to a child care institution in Guwahati where she saw infants put up for adoption. On asking, she was told that the institution had left a cradle outside its gate where parents parted ways with their children with