<span style="color: #222222;">There is no waiting period for the adoption of children having special needs in the country. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Smriti Irani said, the waiting period for Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) depends on the availability of children who are legally free for adoption. <br />''<br />''It also depends on the choice of the Prospective Adoptive Parents to adopt from a particular State and also the age group preferred, she added. While there is a long queue to adopt a normal young child up to six years of age, there is no waiting period for the PAPs who desire to adopt a child having special needs and a child from the immediate placement category (mostly older children).</span><br />