Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government’s Department of Women & Child Development, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, hosted the Adoption Conclave 2025, in Puri.
The two-day national-level event brought together policymakers, legal experts, district officials, and development partners for the advancement of child protection reforms and strengthening adoption as a core pillar of family-based care.
The conclave was inaugurated by Pravati Parida, Deputy Chief Minister, Shubha Sarma, IAS, Principal Secretary, WCD, Odisha; Bhavna Saxena, IPS, CEO, CARA and Monisha Banerjee, IAS, Director, ICDS & Social Welfare, Odisha.
Deputy Chief Minister Parida congratulated the department for organising a platform to deliberate, learn and reaffirm the commitment to ensuring that every child grows up in a loving, secure and nurturing family environment. She further stated that Odisha has made significant progress in streamlining the adoption system over the past few years.
The conclave featured technical sessions led by experts from CARA, UNICEF, and state authorities. The sessions explored policy safeguards under the JJ Act, international care reform efforts, and psychosocial support systems for adoptive families. State-level innovations from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, also shared as models of scalable practice.
District Collectors and ADMs from across Odisha participated in a learning exchange to present grassroots efforts that promote adoption and reduce institutional care. Chairpersons of Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Officers also participated in strengthening and expediting the adoption process across the state.
The Adoption Conclave 2025 was expected to catalyse convergence across departments, strengthen district-level adoption mechanisms, and reinforce the state’s commitment to every child’s right to a family. With Odisha emerging as a leader in child-centric governance, the conclave reaffirmed the collective resolve to ensure that no child grows up without love, identity, family and belonging.
