Can GLBT individuals and couples adopt children in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana law does not prohibit individuals from adopting based on their sexual orientation. Although legislation is occasionally introduced to prohibit gays and lesbians from adopting, no such laws have been passed to date. Gay men and lesbians regularly provide loving adoptive homes to children in need in Indiana. In a 2006 adoption case involving a same-sex couple (In Re Infant Girl W., 845 N.E.2d 229 (Ind.Ct.App. 2006)), the Indiana Court of Appeals issued a decision allowing unmarried couples to jointly adopt a child. An unmarried couple wishing to add to their family through adoption can now adopt a child together in the same adoption proceeding. Q: Can I adopt my partner’s child and be the legal second parent? A: Yes. Indiana currently permits second parent adoptions by same-sex domestic partners. Following decisions from the Indiana Court of Appeals in 2003 and 2004, domestic partners are permitted to adopt their partner’s children. Q: If I adopt my partner’s child, will my
