3 Things to Know about Adoption Background Checks

Adoption background checks are an essential step in the adoption process, designed to ensure a safe and stable environment for every child.

By completing these checks, you’re taking an important step toward demonstrating your readiness to provide a loving home.

If you’re struggling with how to prepare for the adoption background check, we have you covered. We have a team of dedicated Indiana based professionals ready to help you. Get the support you deserve through the home study process.

In this article, we break down why background checks for adoptions are required, what they cover, what you’ll need, and lastly, answer some common questions.

What are Adoption Background Checks? [Indiana Home Studies]

A home study is a process in which your home life is screened to ensure any child placed with you will be safe. Home studies are very thorough, and attempt to capture an overall picture of what your life looks like. This involves looking into:

Home studies have three different steps: the document review, the safety inspection, and the interview. In this article we’ll be focusing on the document review and how to pass its background check. Read more about the safety inspection here, and the interview here.

Passing an Adoption Background Check in Indiana

Adoption background checks are a part of a comprehensive home study. Once your background check has cleared, our team can get to work. You’ll be connected to your Adoption Coordinator, a social worker who will help guide you through the rest of the adoption process.

One of the first steps we’ll take after your background check clears will be creating your adoption profile. this will be a web page with information all about you, like hobbies, career goals, and moral values. This web page will be shown to prospective birth mothers, who will use them to select families to place their child with.

One of the biggest parts of the adoption profile is your profile video. Your coordinator will help you communicate with our video team about submitting videos of your life, and filming a small interview. Once your profile is complete, you’re officially an active prospective parent. Congratulations!

Can a Felon Adopt a Child in Indiana?

No, if you have been convicted of a felony you cannot adopt. However, there may still be a pathway to adoption available to you. Most felons in Indiana may file a petition to have their felony expunged, or erased from their record. If your petition is successful, adoption should be available to you.

The most common instance of this involves expunging Class D or Level 6 felonies. To have these expunged, you must:

Once all of these are addressed, a court will review your petition.  If granted, this will result in your records being sealed from the public and marked as expunged.

For different types of felonies, the requirements and outcomes change slightly.  Keep in mind you must still meet the other requirements of the adoption background check in order to adopt.

How far back does an adoption background check go in Indiana?

Adoption home studies use criminal background checks. In Indiana, criminal background checks do not have restrictions placed on date range. This means your entire documented history, including any possible juvenile record, will be reviewed during the home study.

Keep in mind that the adoption background check extends to every adult who physically resides in your house, not just the prospective parents.

Working with a Professional

You don’t have to navigate the background check process alone. American Adoptions of Indianan is a licensed adoption agency and home study provider in every Indiana county, enabling us to provide crucial support.

We have local experts trained in Indiana laws, making sure you’ll have everything you need for you adoption background check. From Evansville to South Bend, we’re here to help you.

We have a wide range of experiences with home studies among our staff; we can handle whatever situation you’re dealing with. 

Working with professionals can help you find a simple path to success by leaving the complexities to our expert staff. Contact us for more information on how to simplify your adoption journey.

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