What is Adoption?

Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of all parental right from one person or couple to another person or couple.

Healthy infant adoption is considered a private adoption. The parent/parents of the unborn child make a plan to place the infant for adoption.

Most of the parents place their infant for adoption due to their current situation and the desire to offer their unborn child a safe, stable and nurturing environment.

What is the cost?

The family will incur fees for the Family Preparation Summary, placement, supervision, attorney fees and court costs. Foster care fees may incur if the consents to adopt have not been signed prior to hospital discharge.

Is there some type of financial assistance available?

No. These infants are not considered special need and are not in the child welfare systems. Healthy infants are not eligible for state, county or federal subsidy or Medicaid coverage.

Who can adopt?

	Single and two-parent families are welcome.
	Couples must be married for at least one year.
	Families with or without children are welcome.
	All applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
	There is no minimum income requirement; the family's ability to manage on available income must be demonstrated.
	Individuals may rent or own their place of dwelling.
	Both parents may work as long as appropriate care is provided for the child/children during work hours.

How long does it take? Infant adoption is a demanding area in the adoption arena. Due to the high demand for infants, the waiting period may vary from six months to several years. The family is encouraged to search for infants within the state as well as outside the state. The Adoption Specialist will assist the family in the search process. What is the Family Preparation Summary? The Family Preparation Summary consists of a series of meeting between the family and the Adoption Specialist. The meetings are held in the family's home. This allows the family to learn more about adoption and to further consider personal motivations and expectations for adopting. When the Family Preparation Summary is completed, the adoptive family and the adoption Specialist will review the summary and discuss any necessary changes. The family will then sign the preparation stating they have read the contents and are in agreement with the finished product. Can I adopt from another state?

What do I do next?

Call the Children's Bureau of Indianapolis, Inc. Adoption Services and Homes for Black Children Initiative and request an infant application packet.

For more information on making dreams come true for a waiting child, call Children's Bureau Family Place at 317-545-5281 or fax a request for information to 317-547-6378.

SPECIAL NEEDS ADOPTION
Children's Bureau specializes in the adoption of children with "special needs." Our goal is to connect a family with children who are typically of school age and often possess physical, mental or behavioral and emotional problems. Many of these children are of minority racial heritage or members of sibling groups, Recruiting families, educating them about adoption and providing support during and after the adoption process are the keys to our successful special needs adoption program.

HOMES FOR BLACK CHILDREN INITIATIVE
The Homes for Black Children (HBC) Initiative is a special outreach effort to recruit African-American families to adopt. A large percentage of waiting special-needs children are of diverse racial heritage. The program targets African-American churches, news publications and volunteer groups to cultivate an awareness of the need for adoptive families for waiting special needs children.