Exceptions to this are widowers and single woman. In such cases, however, the widowers or single woman can adopt only a girl child as identification may be easier. An independent central nodal agency lays down the policies to be followed by all adoption agencies in India. Home studies are carried out and agencies also try to study the motivation which makes a couple go in for adoption. The attitude of the family towards adoption is gauged and the alternate family support for the couples is considered.
Couples have to fulfil defined eligibility criteria before being eligible to adopt a child.
Adoption agencies, also consider the kind of future opportunities that could open up for the child. The procedures are elaborate mainly to protect the adoptive child's future interest. Like some of the advanced countries, in India too legislation could be introduced where parents file documents to prove that they are qualified and fulfil conditions to be allowed to adopt a child. There have been reports of malpractices in cases of foreign adoptions. There have been cases reported of child abuse including cases of foreign adoptions.