Adoption is the legal process in which a person assumes responsibility for the health, safety, well-being, and financial support of another person—usually a child—and terminates the rights and responsibilities of the adopted person’s biological parent or parents.
In Indiana, adoption is governed by Title 31 of the Indiana Code, which outlines the legal process for adopting a child. This process involves terminating the parental rights of the child's biological parents and establishing a new, permanent legal parent-child relationship with the adoptive parents. The adoptive parents assume full legal responsibility for the child's welfare, including health, safety, and financial support. Indiana law requires prospective adoptive parents to undergo a home study process, obtain criminal background checks, and sometimes participate in adoption education programs. The adoption must be finalized in court, and the court must find that the adoption is in the best interests of the child. After the adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as if the child were born to them, and the child has the right to inherit from the adoptive parents. The process can involve private, agency, international, or foster care adoptions, and specific procedures may vary depending on the type of adoption.