Each of the girls was placed for adoption at birth. Each was named by an attending physician because the mother chose not to. Each arrived at the Concord House of Jesus, an adoption home, when she was three days old. Loving care and a search for good Christian homes in which to place them followed, even though Indian law favors placing children in Hindu homes. The stories of Prathiba and the two other babies, Malini and Nitya, according to Concord House director Geetha Muthu, are typical of most children who come into the adoption home.
Children often come in severely malnourished or sick due to poor prenatal care.
Our staff prays for these frail babies, continuously holding, feeding, and prodding the little ones to cling to life. Working directly with Love Basket, Concord House accepts 30 orphans a year. The Indian government allows three months for a birth mother to reclaim her baby. Concord House extends that waiting period two more months, Ms. Muthu says. Then the child is eligible to be pledged to a family in the United States, and the paperwork begins.