STATEHOUSE (March 28, 2017) — The Indiana Senate passed State Rep. Mike Aylesworth’s (R-Hebron) bill Tuesday that would stop valid adoptions from being wrongly voided through a current loophole.
House Bill 1048 would remove a part of the Indiana Code that requires the Indiana Department of Child Services to check the nonexistent, National Registry of Substantiated Cases of Child Abuse and Neglect when performing background checks on families looking to serve as foster parents or adopt.
The step was placed within the Indiana Code in anticipation of the registry being established, but the registry was never created.
“In removing a requirement that is impossible for prospective guardians or parents to meet, this bill would ensure legitimate adoptions won’t be ruled invalid,” Aylesworth said. “Indiana continues to encourage and support adoption as the General Assembly looks for ways to help provide loving homes to children who need it.”
There are other registries available to DCS, which keeps a local record of child abuse and neglect cases, but there is not a national database available yet. All other requirements, including an Indiana State Police background check, would still be in effect as part of either guardianship proceedings or the adoption process in order to ensure that only qualified families are approved.
After being passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate, the bill can now be signed into law by the governor.
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State Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11, which includes parts of Lake and Porter counties.
A high-resolution photo of Aylesworth can be downloaded by clicking here.
