How to Become a Licensed Foster Parent in Indiana

By: Grant Kirsh

If you want to adopt from Indiana foster care, the most common path begins with becoming a licensed foster parent through the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) or a private licensed child placing agency (LCPA). The licensing process can feel intimidating at first, but it is manageable, and understanding what to expect makes it much less overwhelming.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have helped nearly 3,000 families through the foster care adoption process in Indiana. We serve families in Marion County, Lake County, Allen County, Hamilton County, Tippecanoe County, St. Joseph County, Hendricks County, Elkhart County, Johnson County, Delaware County, Vanderburgh County, Porter County, Madison County, Vigo County, Monroe County, and throughout the state. Here is what the licensing process looks like.

Step 1: Attend an Orientation

The first step is attending an orientation session, either through DCS directly or through a LCPA that partners with DCS. This session introduces you to the foster care system, explains the licensing requirements, and gives you an overview of what fostering and adoption look like in Indiana.

Step 2: Complete Required Training

Indiana requires prospective foster parents to complete training hours before being licensed. These training sessions cover topics like child development, trauma-informed parenting, the role of the foster parent in the DCS system, cultural competency, and managing placements. The training is thorough and designed to prepare you for the realities of fostering.

Step 3: Complete Your Home Study

The home study is one of the most important parts of the licensing process. A licensed social worker will conduct interviews with everyone in your household, inspect your home, and review your background, financial stability, health, and readiness to foster. The home study is not designed to find a perfect family. It is designed to find a safe, stable, and committed family.

Step 4: Background Checks

All adults in the household must pass criminal background checks, child abuse registry checks, and sex offender registry checks. These are thorough and non-negotiable.

Step 5: Home Inspection

Your home must meet basic safety standards, including working smoke detectors, appropriate sleeping arrangements for a child, adequate space, and other safety requirements. Your home does not need to be large or fancy. It needs to be safe.

Step 6: Receive Your License

Once all requirements are met, DCS issues your foster care license. You are then eligible to receive placements.

The Kinship Exception

If a kinship relationship exists between you and a child already in DCS care, you may be able to skip or expedite the full licensing process. DCS gives priority to placing children with family members, and kinship placements have a different pathway.

Foster to Adopt

Many families enter the licensing process with the specific goal of adopting. While the first goal is always reunification, many foster placements do lead to adoption when reunification is not possible. Being upfront with DCS about your interest in adoption helps them consider you for appropriate placements.

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

For a complete overview of the foster care adoption process, read our Complete Guide to Adopting from Indiana Foster Care.

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.