STATEHOUSE (Feb. 6, 2017) — The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Monday that would stop valid adoptions from being wrongly voided through a current loophole, according to the bill’s author, State Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R-Hebron).
House Bill 1048 would remove a part of the Indiana Code that requires the National Department of Health and Human Services to check the National Registry of Substantiated Cases of Child Abuse and Neglect when performing background checks on families looking to adopt.
The step was placed within the Indiana Code in anticipation of the registry being established, but the registry was never created.
“We want to encourage adoptions in Indiana and help children in need of a loving home,” Aylesworth said. “This bill would help prevent current and future adoptions from being ruled illegitimate by removing a requirement that is quite literally impossible for prospective parents to meet.”
There are registries available through Child Protective Services, which keeps a local record of child abuse and neglect cases, but there is not a national one available. All other requirements, including local background checks, would still be in effect as part of the adoption process in an effort to safely grant qualified families the ability to adopt.
The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
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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.
