INDIANA — November is National Adoption Month, which means a spotlight is being shone on the 100,000-plus children waiting to be adopted nationwide.
More than 1,500 children are waiting to be adopted in Indiana.
The Indiana Adoption Program outlines everything prospective parents need to know at its website, indianaadoptionprogram.org.
According to the site, there are four basic types of adoption: public agency adoption; domestic private agency adoption; international adoption; and independent adoption. Requirements, costs, and timing vary between and within the different types.
Adoption through a public agency like the Indiana Adoption Program can cost around $1,500. An independent adoption can cost $40,000, according to the website, which provides information on ways to cover or assist with adoption expenses.
As for the timeline of adoption, the Indiana Adoption Program website says most adoptive parents can meet all state requirements in six to 12 months. “Families are selected for consideration based on characteristics that indicate they may be a good match for the waiting child and able to best meet that child’s individual needs. Once a family and a child are matched, the child’s move to an adoptive family’s home is based on the child’s need to make a stable and lasting transition. The final decision to place a child in an adoptive home always rests with the court,” it says.
The Indiana Adoption Program prepares prospective adoptive parents through training courses and working with adoption consultants who can guide prospective parents through the process.
While children up for adoption vary as much as any other types of kids, “they are all in need of love and guidance. They all need to belong, and to know that they are part of a family that will not give up on them,” according to the program.
“They come from various ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. Most are residing in foster homes around the state, although some are in residential facilities or group living situations. None of them asked to be in the situation they are currently in, but all of them have a need for a permanent family.”
Nearly all of the children in Indiana Adoption Program are over the age of 8. The majority are boys ranging in age from 11 to 16. Many are part of sibling groups, so families who can provide for multiple children are especially needed.
To learn more about the Indiana Adoption Program, visit indianaadoptionprogram.org.
To see and learn more about the Hoosier children awaiting adoption in Indiana, visit indianaadoptionprogram.org/indianas-waiting-children.
