People pursue adoption for many different reasons. Grandparents, aunts and uncles of minor children may pursue familial adoptions due to a parent’s health challenges or incarceration. Those who have served as foster parents to children removed from their homes might seek to adopt those children eventually. Stepparents who start blended families may eventually decide to adopt their stepchildren.
The adoption process is a complex one with many requirements. What is generally necessary for those hoping to adopt a child in Indiana?
Formal paperwork filed with the courts
Adoption is a legal process that involves thorough state review. A judge has to agree that the adoption is in the child’s best interests. Those hoping to adopt a child generally need to file specific petition documents with the courts to request a hearing naming them the adoptive parents of the child or children.
A home study
Not everyone who wants access to or control over a child has positive intentions. Predators sometimes seek to adopt as well. So do people who do not have the resources or personal skills necessary to care for children. Pre-adoption home studies involve reviewing family circumstances, inspecting the home and talking to all members of the family. State professionals look at family circumstances carefully to determine if a placement is likely to benefit the child. Certain scenarios, like stepparent adoptions, may not require a home study.
Permission from relevant parties
Depending on the scenario, there might be several different parties who have to approve the adoption of a child. In a stepparent adoption scenario, both the spouse of the aspiring adoptive parent and the other parent of the child typically need to approve the adoption. In a scenario where a grandparent or other family member seeks to adopt a child within the family, parental permission is usually necessary unless the state has terminated the rights of both parents. Depending on the age of the child, they may have strong feelings about the adoption as well. Getting their approval is usually a smart step to take even if it is not technically necessary.
Adoption proceedings can take many months to complete, even if a child already lives with the adults who are seeking to adopt them. Having the right assistance throughout the adoption process can make a major difference for the families hoping to provide support for vulnerable children as the situation evolves.