Learn about the latest information related to adoption on both a local and national level. Hear how you can make a difference.

The mission of Adoptions of Indiana is deeply rooted in empowering families throughout the adoption process. We do this by helping you stay informed on the topics that affect your family.

Please visit our resources page for some helpful links.

U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS)

The local USCIS office for Indiana is located at 950 N. Meridian St. Room 400, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-3915. This office services all of Indiana except for: Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties. These counties are serviced by the Chicago District Office.

The office is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Friday, 8:00AM to Noon. You must have an appointment to be seen at this office.

Filing of orphan petitions can be made by mail or in person with an appointment. The number to reach the officer in charge of orphan petitions is 317-226-6181, ext. 246. The complete application for an I-600 A consists of the following documents:

• I-600 A application- this can be downloaded from the website
• copies of adoptive parents birth certificates
• copy of marriage license and divorce decrees (if applicable)
• copy of adoptive parents social security cards
• copy of adoptive home study and agency license
• filing fee of $545, plus an additional $70/ per person for fingerprinting- all residents in the home 18 and over must be fingerprinted- this fee must be paid by money order or certified check to USCIS or Department of Homeland Security

Once all documents have been received by the office, you will receive confirmation in the mail, along with a time and date to be fingerprinted. Once your fingerprints have cleared, you should receive your approval to adopt (I-171 H) in about 3 weeks. You can find information about the Indianapolis USCIS office on the web.

While your home study is being completed, you will likely be working on the additional paperwork that your country requires. All of these documents together comprise your dossier. Each country is different in their requirements of the dossier, but in general the following documents may be required.

• adoptive home study
• certified copies of birth certificates, marriage license and divorce decrees if applicable
• local police background checks
• employer verification
• medicals
• bank and or financial statement
• personal references
• photos of self and home
• copy of passport
• I 171-H approval

This is not an exhaustive list for each country has unique forms and guidelines to their required dossier list. You should receive a list of documents from your agency detailing the documents that are required. Most countries require at a minimum that these documents be notarized. Most countries take it a step beyond that and require a certification from Indiana’s Secretary of State as well as a certification or authentication from the Consulate/Embassy. You should receive the instructions on the proper certification process for your particular country from your adoption agency.

In Indiana, the Secretary of State’s office is located at:

Indiana Secretary of State
Authentication Department
302 W. Washington Street, Room E-018
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Telephone:
(317) 232-2677

When requesting an Apostille or Authentication/Certification, you must include the properly notarized document, a cover letter which includes the name of the country you are adopting from, a day time phone number and a postage paid envelope for document return. If you wish to go in person and wait for the documents and have over 5 documents, it is advised that you call to make sure that the staff can accommodate your walk-in request. There is no fee for this service. Click Here for more information.

Additional certifications needed from the Consulate/Embassy of the country you are adopting from varies. You will need to get a detailed explanation from your agency or you can get more information. Most Embassies’ charge a fee of $5-25/ document.

Beginning in 2007, the credit allowed for an adoption of a child with special needs is $11,390 and the maximum credit allowed for other adoptions is the amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $11,390. The credit begins to phase out if you have modified adjusted gross income of $170,820 or more and is completely phased out if you have modified adjusted gross income of $210,820 or more.