Bengaluru Adoptive Parents Build Support Networks to Help Raise Their Children

Single adoptive parents in Bengaluru, including those residing on Sarjapur Road, are turning to dedicated community support networks and digital groups to help navigate the challenges of raising their children. Local networks such as "Single AP and PAP" and "Joy of Adoption" have emerged as vital resources, acting as extended families for solo parents in the city.

Malini Parmar, a 56-year-old former IT professional and co-founder of stonesoup.in who lives on Sarjapur Road, is one of many parents who have benefited from these communities. Originally from Himachal Pradesh, Parmar decided to build her family through adoption and brought home biological siblings Tara and Lila from Odisha in 2008, when she was 36.

Parmar recalled that managing her daughters, who were then four-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years old, presented immediate parenting challenges. To cope with the practical and emotional demands of solo parenting, she turned to Single AP and PAP, a WhatsApp group for single and prospective adoptive parents.

Today, Parmar's daughters are growing up in the city. Tara is currently studying psychology and theatre at St Joseph’s University in Bengaluru, while Lila has developed an interest in filmmaking.

Other local parents, such as Hita Hejmadi, also rely heavily on these active networks. Hejmadi, who adopted her daughter Iva eight years ago from Lucknow, is an active member of groups like Joy of Adoption and Bangalore Single AP and PAP.

These city-based circles, which also include groups like Heart Babies Play Date, organize regular meet-ups for adoptive families. According to Hejmadi, these communities offer crucial guidance on everyday challenges, emotional reassurance, and shared learning, helping both mothers and children feel connected through their common experiences.