Indiana Adoption FAQ's

Adoptions can be either domestic or international. For domestic adoptions, the different types include:

• Intrastate adoptions, in which the birth mother and you live in the same state
• Interstate adoptions, involving the adoption a child who lives in a different state from you
• Step-parent adoptions, in which a step parent adopts his or her spouse’s child
• Blood-relative adoptions, involving some relative of a child adopting the child
• Private or independent adoptions, in which the adoptive parents work with a lawyer, instead of an agency, throughout the adoption process
• Agency adoptions, involving an adoptive parent working with an agency, instead of an attorney, throughout the adoption process
• Open adoptions, in which identifying information about the birth mother and the adoptive family is shared between these parties
• Closed adoptions, involving no sharing of identifying information between the biological mother and the adoptive family.

Your needs and goals will determine the best type of adoption for you. A lawyer can help you figure out your best option, based on your objectives and situation.

According to Indiana law¹, the following are the requirements to become an adoptive parent:

• Having the financial means necessary to care for a child
• Having enough room in the home for a new child
• Passing a thorough background check, including an FBI fingerprint check, a sex offender check, a criminal record check, etc.
• Undergoing a home visit
• Fulfilling all necessary training requirements.

Indiana adoption laws do not have requirements regarding:

• The marital status of an adoptive parent – In other words, married, single, and divorced adults can all be eligible to adopt a child in Indiana (as long as the above requirements are fulfilled). If you are married, you and your spouse both have to join the petition to adopt. Individuals can adopt on their own, and unmarried couples can also adopt a child together.
• Whether an adoptive parent already has children – An adult can be eligible to adopt a child, regardless of whether the adoptive parent has other biological and/or adopted children.

It depends on the type of adoption pursued. International adoptions can take a year or longer, depending on the country from which a child is being adopted. For domestic adoptions, it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months (or longer), depending on:

• Whether an interstate versus intrastate adoption is being pursued
• Whether an adoptive parent is working with an agency or lawyer
• How long it takes to prove that all eligibility requirements for Indiana adoptions have been fulfilled.

Again, it depends on the type of adoption being pursued, as well as how you choose to move forward with the adoption (i.e., with an agency or an attorney). Some of the fees that can generally be expected with domestic adoptions include (and may not be limited to):

• Registration and application fees
• Home study application and reporting fees
• Agency or attorney fees
• Court fees
• Medical costs (if adopting a newborn)
• Post-placement supervision fees.

For international adoptions, the fees can include all of the above, as well as foreign agency fees and international document fees (so the child can legally be brought to the U.S.).

In some cases, fee waivers or financial assistance may be available to cover some of the costs of adoption.

A lawyer can provide you with more specific answers regarding adoption costs, based on the details of your situation.

In addition to explaining the process and what to expect as you move forward, an attorney can help you:

• Properly complete and file all necessary paperwork
• Gather the necessary documents to prove you meet the basic adoption requirements
• Prepare for the home study
• Successfully navigate the adoption process so you can get back to what’s more important – spending time with your family.