Thinking About Giving Up Your Baby for Adoption in Indiana? Here’s What You Need to Know

By: Grant Kirsh

If you are pregnant and thinking about giving up your baby for adoption, you are probably feeling a lot of things right now. You might feel scared. You might feel unsure. You might not even know where to start.

That is okay. You do not have to have it all figured out right now.

What you do need is honest information from people who truly know Indiana adoption. At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have been helping expectant mothers in Indiana for over 40 years. We are a family-run law firm based right here in Indiana — not a national company trying to look local. We know this state, we know this process, and we are here to help you understand your options with no pressure and no judgment.

What Does It Mean to Place Your Baby for Adoption?

First, let’s clear something up. Many people say “give up a baby for adoption” or “put up a baby for adoption.” You may have even searched one of those phrases to find this page. But here is what we want you to know: choosing adoption is not giving up. It is one of the most loving and courageous decisions a mother can make.

When you place your baby for adoption, you are choosing a safe, stable, loving home for your child — even when life has made that hard for you right now. That takes strength.

You Are in Control

One of the biggest fears expectant mothers have is that they will lose all control once they reach out to an adoption attorney or adoption agency. That is not how it works — at least not when you work with us.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., you are in the driver’s seat. You decide:

• Whether adoption is right for you
• What kind of adoption you want — open, semi-open, or closed
• Which family raises your child
• How much contact you want to have after placement

How the Process Works in Indiana

Here is a simple overview of what it looks like to place a baby for adoption in Indiana:

Step 1: You reach out. A phone call or a message is all it takes to get started. We will listen, answer your questions, and never pressure you.

Step 2: You learn your options. We will walk you through everything — what adoption looks like, what help is available to you, and what your rights are under Indiana law.

Step 3: You choose a family. If you decide to move forward, you will review profiles of families who are hoping to adopt. You pick the one that feels right.

Step 4: A plan is made. You and the family, with our help, will discuss what kind of relationship — if any — you would like to have after your baby is placed.

Step 5: Your baby is born. You will have time with your baby in the hospital. Nothing is rushed. You get to spend all of the time you want with your baby at the hospital.

Step 6: You sign the consent. Any time after birth. Once you sign, your decision is final.

Step 7: The adoption is finalized. Several months later, a judge finalizes the adoption in court, but you do not need to attend that hearing. In fact, you will probably never have to step foot in a courtroom.

Why Choose Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C.?

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to adoption in Indiana. Some are national companies with offices all over the country. Some lease shared office space in Indiana to look local, but they are really run from somewhere else entirely.

We are not that.

Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. is a family firm that has been rooted in Indiana since 1981. We live here. We work here. We know the hospitals, social workers, doctors, judges, the courts, and the communities across this state — from Indianapolis and Carmel to Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Bloomington, Muncie, Lafayette, and everywhere in between. When you call us, you talk to people who are actually here.

You Are Not Alone

Expectant mothers across Indiana — in big cities and small towns alike — face this decision every year. Some are from Indianapolis. Some are from Terre Haute, Anderson, Kokomo, or Columbus. No matter where you are in Indiana, we are here for you.

Reaching out does not mean you have made up your mind. It just means you want information. And you deserve that.

Call or text us at 800-333-5736.

Visit us at IndianaAdoption.com. Everything is free and confidential.

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.