ST. CATHERINES HOME Vs. AKSHAY NARAYAN PRABHU VERLEKAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is a Child Welfare Association and recognised agency for adoption by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). The petition has been filed seeking leave to grant in adoption siblings, a girl child born on 10th December, 2005 and a boy born on 10th October, 2015. The children said to be siblings were found abandoned by the Childline on 16th January, 2017 and were produced before the Child Welfare Committee by the concerned police station. The Child Welfare Committee after considering the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children ) Act, 2015 ( "J.J.B. Act ") is said to have declared the children legally free for adoption on 27th February, 2020.

(2.) The proposed adoptive parents are Indian nationals but residing in Japan. They have been married for over nine years but have no biological children. They are aged 35 and 38 years and are desirous of adopting the siblings. The prospective adoptive father is employed as Imaging Physicist with Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Japan . The prospective mother is a home maker.

(3.) Home study reports are on record and the prospective adoptive parents have been interacting with the children since about February of this year. The prospective adoptive parents have provided proof of their marriage. Both have provided medical certification. Prospective adoptive father 's certificate of employment and payment plan is also annexed to the petition as of July, 2021. International Social Service Japan ( "ISSJ ") has issued an updated home study report dealing with motivation to adopt, readiness to adopt and the plan for parenting. The report sets out areas of concern but concludes that the prospective adoptive parents are ready to adopt siblings including the older child thus providing for emotional and general readiness to adopt an older child.