Committee approves creation of Indiana Adoption Services Authority, sends bill forward 10‑0

Representative Julie McGuire presented House Bill 1503, which would establish the Indiana Adoption Services Authority, a board‑governed entity to support adoption from foster care. McGuire said the authority would develop criteria to distribute financial assistance, provide post‑adoption services, accept private gifts, and prepare annual reports to the governor and Legislative Council.

"This is an initiative that has the ability to change lives, to remove barriers, and to come alongside those families who are called to love care and bring these special children into their forever homes," Representative McGuire said.

Adoption attorney Grant Kirsch, who said his family has handled adoptions in Indiana for more than 40 years, described the costs that remain for many foster‑care adoptions despite an existing federal nonrecurring adoption expense (Title IV‑E) that provides up to $2,000. Kirsch said routine out‑of‑pocket costs such as court filing fees, birth certificates, fingerprinting and other administrative fees often total roughly $300 per adopted child and that additional post‑adoption needs — including therapy for trauma — can cost substantially more and are not always covered by Medicaid or private insurance.

"If you have a sibling group, there's some cost savings there... In 2024 there were 1,630 DCS adoptions in Indiana," Kirsch said, adding that covering out‑of‑pocket expenses for those adoptions would be on the order of several hundred thousand dollars.

Braylon Yerington, who said Grant Kirsch was his attorney, echoed the need for post‑adoption supports for children with trauma and noted therapy costs of $100–$200 per hour for specialized services.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether the authority and fund would cover private or international adoptions; Representative McGuire said the bill is intended to support foster‑care adoptions and she would clarify the language. Members also discussed existing adoption subsidy policy and noted recent improvements that extended adoption subsidies to a broader set of children.

The committee voted on a motion to move the bill forward; the minutes show a roll call with the committee recording a 10‑0 vote in favor. Representative McGuire said she would refine language to make the focus on foster‑care adoptions explicit as the bill moves forward to Ways and Means.

Why it matters: Supporters said the authority would reduce the financial barriers to adopting from foster care and provide targeted post‑adoption services for children with trauma and special needs. Witnesses described modest out‑of‑pocket costs for many foster adoptive families and occasional, high‑cost therapy needs that families now face without reliable state support.

What happened next: The committee approved sending HB 1503 forward by a 10‑0 roll call. Representative McGuire said she will seek technical amendments to narrow the bill's focus to foster adoptions and to refine program language before Ways and Means consideration.