President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who belongs to Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority community, wants to adopt a Tamil child orphaned by last month's tsunami, according to a report on Tuesday.
Kumaratunga was "visibly shaken" at a meeting she was heading to discuss rehabilitation efforts, the state-run Daily News said.
The president, who has two children, is against sending youngsters to orphanages, it said.