Important: This article provides general information about relative adoption in Indiana. It is not legal advice. Every case is different. Contact an attorney for guidance on your situation.

Plenty of children in Indiana are already being raised by family — a grandmother who took the kids in, an aunt and uncle who stepped up, an older sibling holding things together. When that arrangement needs to become permanent, relative adoption (sometimes called kinship adoption) makes it official, giving the child a legal family they already belong to.

Here is how relative adoption works in Indiana, and how it compares to the other tools relatives use. For the broader process, see our adoption page.

What Relative Adoption Is

Relative adoption is simply an adoption where the adopting parent is a family member of the child. Like any adoption, it permanently creates a parent-child relationship and ends the prior legal parents' rights, and it runs under Indiana's adoption statutes (IC 31-19). What sets it apart is context: the child usually already lives with the relative, and the family is formalizing a bond that exists in fact.

Who Qualifies as a Relative

Kinship adoptions most often involve grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, and similar family members. The closeness of the relationship and the existing caregiving arrangement matter to the court, and certain relatives may see a more streamlined path. The common thread is a family member giving a child permanence.

Consent and Termination of Parental Rights

Because adoption ends the existing parents' rights, their consent is generally required under IC 31-19-9 — unless an exception applies, such as abandonment, a failure to support or communicate for a statutory period, or rights that have already been terminated. This is the same hinge as any adoption, and it is the issue most likely to require litigation. Our article on adopting when the other parent won't consent covers those exceptions in depth, and our piece on termination of parental rights explains the related pathway.

The Home Study and the Process

Relative adoptions are frequently more streamlined than agency or private placements — the home study may be reduced, since the child is already living with family — though requirements vary by county. Otherwise the path is the familiar one: a petition, consents (or proof an exception applies), notice to anyone entitled to it, and a final hearing where the court grants the adoption if it is in the child's best interests.

Relative Adoption vs. Guardianship

Relatives often weigh adoption against guardianship. The difference is permanence. Adoption permanently ends the parents' rights and makes the relative the legal parent; guardianship gives a relative authority to care for the child without ending the parents' rights, and it can be modified later. Many families begin with guardianship and turn to adoption only once it is clear the arrangement should be permanent. We lay the choice out in guardianship vs. adoption vs. custody.

Relative Adoption Across Central Indiana

Hammond Legal helps families with relative and kinship adoption across Central Indiana, including Madison, Hamilton, Marion, Hancock, Shelby, Delaware, and Henry counties. If you are family to a child who needs a permanent home, contact Hammond Legal at 317-284-9944.

Common Questions

Who counts as a relative for adoption in Indiana?
Relative or kinship adoption typically involves a grandparent, aunt, uncle, adult sibling, or other relative adopting a child already connected to them. The exact treatment can depend on the relationship, but the common thread is a family member giving a child a permanent legal home under IC 31-19.
Do I need the parents' consent for a relative adoption?
Generally yes — adoption ends the existing parents' rights, so their consent is required under IC 31-19-9, unless an exception applies (such as abandonment or failure to support or communicate for a statutory period, or terminated rights). Whether an exception applies is decided by the court.
Is a home study required for a relative adoption?
Relative adoptions are often streamlined, and the home study may be reduced compared with an agency or private placement, though requirements vary by county and circumstances. The court still confirms the adoption is in the child's best interests before granting it.
Should a relative choose adoption or guardianship?
It depends on permanence. Adoption permanently ends the parents' rights and makes the relative the legal parent. Guardianship gives a relative authority to care for the child without ending the parents' rights and can be modified later. Many families start with guardianship and consider adoption only if the situation becomes permanent.

Giving a Relative's Child a Permanent Home?

Attorney Emilee Hammond helps grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives adopt the children already in their care across Central Indiana.