When most people think of adoptions, one of the first things that comes to mind is the high cost of adoption, domestic or international. Chelsea and Amith Dutta are working firsthand to help families with the adoption costs while also pursuing adoption themselves, according to their local news article.
Chelsea and Amith created Amma’s Umma, (or Mother’s Kiss in many Indian languages). It is a boutique that gives 50% of the sale proceeds to help families cover adoption costs. They also use this boutique to support tradesmen and their products by offering and selling only fair trade products. Their boutique is having a positive impact on many people, not only in supporting families with adoption expenses, but also families at risk. Chelsea stated, “We started this trade boutique because the products we buy are empowering and sustaining families who otherwise would be at risk.”
While Chelsea and Amith are supporting others in their adoption journeys, they are also pursuing an adoption from India. Chelsea has always been passionate about adoption, which increased with her international work at orphanages. Chelsea and Amith acknowledged that there are many waiting children in India, but the adoption process can be difficult. They discussed adopting domestically from India, as Amith is originally from India, which would be easier and very much less expensive. However, that would require that they live in India for two years and there could be immigration issues, so they decided to adopt internationally. They are hoping to adopt an older boy, Ian, in the spring of next year.
Adopting from India, as with most international adoptions, can seem overwhelming. India is part of The Hague convention, which requires families wanting to adopt to complete certain processes. According to this guide, the family must work with a Hague accredited agency and must apply to USCIS to be eligible to adopt. Every country also has qualifications for who can adopt. For India, they need to be between 25 and 50 years old. “The maximum age is 45 years to adopt children younger than three, and 50 years to adopt children older than three.”
There are many negative news stereotypes about adoption, but the Duttas’ are sharing a positive story about the positive aspects of international adoption.
