How Long Does It Take to Adopt From Indiana Foster Care?

By: Grant Kirsh

One of the first questions families ask when they start thinking about adopting from Indiana foster care is: how long is this going to take?

It is a fair question — and it deserves an honest answer. The truth is that foster care adoption timelines vary widely. Some families are able to finalize an adoption within a year or two of the permanency plan changing to adoption or a concurrent plan of reunification and adoption. Others wait significantly longer. And many families find themselves further into the process before they fully understand what affects the timeline and what does not.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have helped families complete nearly 3,000 foster care adoptions in Indiana. We are a family-run law firm based right here in Indiana, and we have seen just about every scenario this process can produce — in Marion County, Hamilton County, Lake County, Allen County, St. Joseph County, Tippecanoe County, Hendricks County, Elkhart County, Johnson County, Delaware County, Vanderburgh County, Porter County, Madison County, Vigo County, Monroe County, and courts across the state.

Here is what we can tell you about timing — honestly.

The Timeline Depends on Several Key Factors

There is no single answer to how long a foster care adoption takes, because the timeline is shaped by factors that are different in every case. Here are the most significant ones.

How quickly you become licensed. Before you can foster or adopt through Indiana DCS, you need to be a licensed foster parent, unless you qualify for kinship placement. The licensing process — including a home study, background checks, required training, and a home inspection — typically takes several months. Getting started promptly and staying on top of paperwork makes a real difference.

How quickly a child is placed. Once you are licensed, or identified as kinship placement, DCS begins working to find appropriate placements for your family. Depending on the age range and needs of the children you are open to, placements can happen quickly or may take time.

Whether reunification is still the goal. Indiana’s foster care system prioritizes reunification with biological families when it is safe and appropriate. When a child is first placed in your home, adoption is usually not yet on the table. The timeline to adoption begins in earnest only when DCS determines that reunification is no longer possible.

How long termination of parental rights takes. Before a child can be adopted, the parental rights of the biological parents must be legally terminated. This can happen relatively quickly if parents voluntarily relinquish their rights — or it can take considerably longer if the matter is contested in court. Contested termination proceedings are one of the most common reasons for extended timelines.

Court scheduling. Indiana courts across every county have varying caseloads, and scheduling hearings can add time to the process. An experienced foster care adoption attorney who knows the courts and judges in your county can help move things along as efficiently as possible.

What Is a Realistic Timeline?

For families who are ready and open to a range of placements, a realistic timeline from starting the licensing process to finalizing an adoption is often somewhere between one and three years — though this can vary significantly in either direction.

Families who are open to older children, sibling groups, or children with higher needs often move through the process more quickly, because these are the children most in need of permanent homes. Families with very narrow preferences may wait considerably longer.

What Can You Do to Help Things Move Faster?

There are real steps you can take to avoid unnecessary delays.

Stay organized and responsive. Paperwork and scheduling demands pile up in this process. Staying on top of them consistently makes a measurable difference.

Be open where you can. Flexibility about the age, background, or needs of the child you adopt tends to shorten the overall timeline significantly.

Work with experienced legal counsel. An adoption attorney who knows Indiana DCS, Indiana courts, and the judges in your county — whether that is Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, Tippecanoe, or any other county across the state — can navigate the legal side efficiently and help you avoid costly delays.

We Know This Process From Every Angle

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have handled nearly 3,000 foster care adoptions across Indiana. We know what affects timelines, we know how to keep things moving, and we know how to help families navigate the waiting with clear, honest expectations.

If you are in the middle of the process and feeling frustrated by delays, or if you are just starting out and want to understand what you are getting into — we are here.

Call us at 317-575-5555. Visit us at DCSAdoptions.com.

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.