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Section 67: State Adoption Resource Agency

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

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Act 2015
Section 66 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 68

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 67

Section 67 of the Act mandates the establishment of State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARA) in every State, creating a specialized executive agency under the State Child Protection Society to coordinate domestic adoption programs.

  • State-Level Adoption Coordination Authority: Establishes SARA as the premier state body overseeing Specialised Adoption Agencies, foster care programs, and inter-district placements.
  • Monitoring of CARINGS Portal at State Level: Charges SARA with monitoring the digital pipeline of prospective adoptive parents and legally free children across the State.
  • Capacity Building & SAA Supervision: Directs SARA to conduct regular training for adoption caseworkers, social workers, and District Child Protection Units.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Sampurna Behura v. Union of India (2018) 4 SCC 433: Supreme Court directed all State Governments to fully staff and operationalize SARAs under Section 67 to eliminate adoption processing bottlenecks.
  • Shabnam Hashmi v. Union of India (2014) 4 SCC 1: Affirmed the statutory coordination role of state adoption agencies under national CARA oversight.
  • In Re: Exploitation of Children in Orphanages (2017) 7 SCC 578: Affirmed the importance of state-level supervisory adoption oversight.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

If an SAA unduly delays processing a Home Study Report or matching referral, submit an administrative complaint to the Member Secretary of SARA under Section 67; SARA possesses supervisory powers to reassign the file.

Section 66 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 68