DCS celebrates improvements in time to permanency, provides support and resources, during National Adoption Month

 The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), in partnership with the Indiana Adoption Program (IAP) and Firefly Children and Family Alliance, is celebrating efforts to help more children in foster care find adoptive homes in November, which Governor Eric J. Holcomb has proclaimed as Adoption Month to promote adoption efforts across the state. Read the proclamation here.

According to federal data, Indiana had the sixth-highest number of children adopted among all states in 2022, the most recent comparison available. More than 1,600 Indiana children were adopted in State Fiscal Year 2024, and many more adoptions are expected to be completed this month as courthouses and DCS offices across the state hold special events to celebrate and finalize newly formed families.  

Decreasing the time children wait to find a permanent, loving home is a top priority at DCS. In July, DCS improved the adoption subsidy process to remove the need for most negotiations, shaving 45 days off the timeline to complete adoptions. Additional efforts to streamline processes have helped reduce the time it takes for a family to become ready to adopt, which includes training, completion of a home study and other steps.

“Every child deserves to live in a safe and loving home, without the uncertainty of whether it’s a permanent placement,” said DCS Director Eric Miller, MPA, MBA. “By improving our adoption processes, we’re helping to increase stability for Indiana children.”

Currently, more than 250 Indiana children in DCS care are available for placement in an adoptive family. The average age of the children available through the Indiana Adoption Program is 12.

Miller noted that older children and sibling groups often wait longer to find an adoptive home because not every family is prepared to meet the needs of an older youth or has the resources to adopt multiple children at once. So far this year, 111 adoptions have involved youth at least 14 years old, while adoptions of sibling groups have enabled 223 children to stay together. 

“A child’s adoption story begins with a loss related to a biological family, but each story also represents hope because a special family stepped forward to provide the unconditional love and commitment that can change a child’s future,” Miller said. “This November, and all year long, we encourage Hoosiers to consider adoption so that more Indiana children can find their forever homes.” 

To celebrate National Adoption Month, DCS and its partners will spread the word about children waiting to find their forever families and share success stories of those who already have. This year, DCS will share photos and videos from adoption events around the state on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  

For more information and profiles of Indiana’s waiting children, click here. 

For more information about adoption, including the process to adopt from foster care, and adoption resources, click here.