Placing a Baby for Adoption as a College Student in Indiana

By: Grant Kirsh

Being pregnant in college is overwhelming. You are trying to balance classes, finances, and your future, and now you are facing a decision that feels impossible. If you are a college student in Indiana thinking about how to give up your baby for adoption, you are not alone, and you have more support available to you than you might think.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have worked with college students from universities and campuses across Indiana, in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Muncie, West Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, and beyond. We are a family-run Indiana adoption law firm with nearly 50 years of experience, and we have helped many young women navigate this decision while staying on track with their education.

Adoption Does Not Mean You Failed

Let us start there. Choosing adoption while you are in college is not a sign of failure. It is a sign of maturity and honest self-assessment. You are looking at your life, your resources, and what you can realistically provide for a child right now, and you are making a decision based on love, not shame.

Many of the most thoughtful and courageous birth mothers we have worked with were college students who wanted their child to have stability and opportunity they were not yet in a position to provide.

Your Education Does Not Have to Stop

One of the biggest fears college students have is that adoption will derail their education. In most cases, the opposite is true. By making a thoughtful adoption plan before your baby is born, you can work with your professors and your school’s student services to manage your schedule around your due date, and return to your classes without the full weight of single parenthood on top of your coursework.

Financial Help Is Available

As a birth mother in Indiana, you are entitled to financial assistance during your pregnancy. Under Indiana Code § 35-46-1-9, the adoptive family may pay up to $4,000 in living expenses on your behalf, including housing, food, and maternity clothing. Medical expenses and transportation are covered separately, outside that cap. Counseling costs should be covered 100% by the adoptive family.

This means you can receive real, tangible support during your pregnancy without paying a single dollar. Our services at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. are also 100% free to you.

You Choose the Family

You choose who raises your child. With over 100 families waiting to adopt through our firm, you will have real options. All of our families commit to providing letters and photos for at least 18 years. If you want visits, video calls, or a close ongoing relationship, we will help you find a family whose expectations match yours. Adoptive families can come from anywhere in the country.

Privacy and Confidentiality

We understand that as a college student, privacy matters. Everything about your communication with us is confidential. We do not contact your school, your professors, or anyone else without your permission. Your adoption plan is your business, and we protect that.

Do Not Wait Too Long

If adoption is on your mind, reach out now. The earlier we talk, the more time you have to make an informed, unpressured decision. We are seeing more and more women who bring their baby home after birth, try to parent while finishing school, realize they cannot do both, and then try to place the child months later. By that point, the legal process is much more complicated. The best time to have this conversation is before your baby is born.

Whether you are at IU, Purdue, Ball State, IUPUI, ISU, or any other school in Indiana, we are here for you.

Call or text us at 800-333-5736. Visit us at IndianaAdoption.com. Everything is free and confidential.

For a complete overview of the adoption process, read our Complete Guide to Giving Up a Baby for Adoption in Indiana.

About the Author
Grant Kirsh is a second-generation adoption attorney and owner of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., a family law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana that has been serving Indiana families since 1981. Grant graduated from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2013 and has personally handled nearly 3,000 foster care adoptions and his law firm has handled over 5,000 private newborn adoptions. He practices all forms of domestic adoption, with a deep personal commitment to expectant mothers considering adoption in Indiana and Indiana’s foster care system and the families and children it serves.