Governor Holcomb Earns Indiana Top Spot In The Nation For Adoption

Under Governor Eric Holcomb’s leadership, Hoosiers are receiving the support they need to give children greater opportunities to grow up in loving, stable homes and achieve their fullest potential. The Trump administration took notice of the Hoosier State’s success and recognized Indiana as the top state in America for increasing adoptions from foster care.

U.S. Administration of Children and Families Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson announced the honor, praising the governor for his work finding permanent housing for kids in need and awarding Indiana $4.7 million for an adoption and legal guardianship incentive to boost the state’s child welfare system.

“Every child deserves to have people who will love and support them forever, so we’ve set out to ensure each is a part of a permanent, loving family,” said Governor Holcomb. “With more than a thousand kids in Indiana who are still waiting to be adopted, we appreciate our federal partners’ continued support as we pursue forever homes for each and every one.”

Governor Holcomb designated adoption as a priority in his transformative Next Level Agenda and backed it up by creating the Indiana Department of Child Services’ first adoption unit, a move that provided additional staff dedicated solely to assist family case managers in regions across the state. The Indiana Department of Child Services facilitated 2,489 adoptions in fiscal year 2019 alone, doubled the amount of adoption consultants, and launched an improved database to increase connections between Hoosier families and children.

Even with national recognition, Governor Holcomb’s work continues to secure a home and new chance at life for every child in Indiana. His latest efforts for the Adoption Rapid Permanency Review are set to revitalize the state’s child welfare system by identifying and removing hurdles to adopting Indiana children.