Is Hold a Hand adoption? No. Here's the difference.
No. The Saath Foundation doesn't arrange adoptions, and Hold a Hand isn't adoption. It's sponsorship: you support a child's schooling, meals and care, while the child stays with their family or in their registered home.
Sponsoring a child doesn't give you any legal or parental rights, custody, or contact outside our supervised visits.
If you want to adopt a child legally
In India, adoption is a legal process under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. It is run by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), part of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Every legal adoption, whether you live in India or abroad, goes through CARA's process.
Where to start
- Visit CARA's website, cara.wcd.gov.in, to read who can adopt and how.
- Register as a prospective adoptive parent on CARA's portal.
- CARA and a Specialised Adoption Agency guide you through the home study and the rest of the process.
Please be careful. Giving or receiving a child for adoption outside this legal process is a crime in India. If anyone offers you a child outside CARA, don't go ahead, and tell the police or Childline 1098.
Adoption and sponsorship, side by side
| Legal adoption | Hold a Hand sponsorship | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The child legally becomes your child, permanently | You support a child's needs, fully or in part |
| Who runs it | CARA, under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 | The Saath Foundation |
| Where the child lives | With you | With their family, or in their registered home |
| Your rights | Full parental rights | None. You're a Saathi, not a parent |
| Contact | You're the child's parent | Supervised visits only at a venue Saath Foundation hires for that event |
| How long | For life | For as long as you choose to give |
| Where to start | cara.wcd.gov.in | Hold a Hand |
Why we don't say "adopt a child"
Many organisations call sponsorship "adopting a child". We don't, because in India adoption means something specific and permanent in law. Using the word loosely can mislead donors about what they're taking on, and it can confuse families. Indian law uses the word "sponsorship" for support that helps meet a child's educational, medical and everyday needs, and that's what we do.
Want to support a child's education instead?
With Hold a Hand you can sponsor a child's schooling, meals and care, fully or in part: a whole year or a single need. You'll see which needs you funded, what's left, and where every rupee went.
Questions people ask
Can I adopt a child through The Saath Foundation?
No. We don't arrange adoptions. For legal adoption in India, go to CARA at cara.wcd.gov.in.
What does "adopt a child for education" mean?
Some organisations use that phrase for sponsorship. It isn't legal adoption. At Saath Foundation we call it Hold a Hand: you sponsor a child's schooling, meals and care.
Can I adopt a child I've sponsored?
Sponsorship doesn't lead to adoption. The children we support live with their families or in registered homes. Any adoption in India follows CARA's legal process, and Saath Foundation has no role in it.
Can the child come to live with me or visit my home?
No. Hold a Hand never involves custody or private contact. You can meet the child only at a supervised venue Saath Foundation hires for that event, with staff and their guardian present.
I'm an NRI. Can I adopt a child from India?
Adoption by Indians living abroad also goes through CARA. Start at cara.wcd.gov.in.
Is there a difference in Hindi?
Yes. "गोद लेना" means legal adoption. Hold a Hand is "प्रायोजन" (sponsorship): you stand beside a child, you don't become their parent.