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Adoption & Foster Care
What can your parish, school or community do?
Help us to build a culture of adoption and fostering in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis by raising up new foster families, starting teams to support and accompany adoptive and foster families, and hosting awareness events and service projects to serve children who are newly adopted or in foster care and their families.
May is National Foster Care Month.
Many people think that becoming a foster parent or adopting a child from foster care is the only way to help…
but there are so many ways of Fostering Love!Provide a Safe Home: Some families exclusively foster, with no plans of adopting. They give kids a safe home and loving environment until they can be reunited with their birth family, or transition to a forever home.
Respite Care providers take care of children in foster care for short periods of time – over a weekend, or maybe for just a few hours, when their foster families need a break.
Foster to Adopt: Adopting from foster care can be a beautiful path for those hoping to grow their families. While the primary goal of foster care is to reunite children with their birth families, this is not always possible. Loving parents are needed to adopt those children who cannot return home.
Mentoring Youth can be a great way to help at-risk children, through a volunteer organization in your community. Coach sports, give homework help, or assist a youth group to help kids from all walks of life.
Support a Foster Family: Would you be willing to bring a meal once a month to a foster family? Springs of Love Teams help foster families stay strong! Volunteers support a foster family through prayer, occasional meals, help with material needs, and more.
Help At-Risk Families: Identify a family that may be “at-risk” in your community, and see what you might be able to do to help: offer to babysit, invite them to Church, or just be a listening ear when the family is having a rough time. By offering encouragement, support, and guidance, we might be able to help parents avoid losing their children to foster care.
May is the perfect time to work with your parish to address the needs of children in foster care in your community. Everyone can do something! If you'd like to talk more about starting a foster support ministry at your parish, contact Gabriela Ross in the Office of Marriage and Family Life at (317) 592-4007 or [email protected].
Need more inspiration? Watch the video below...
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What resources are available for couples discerning fostering or adoption? Scroll through the resources below to find... Springs of Love National Catholic Ministry for Adoption and Fostering Adoption & Fostering Quiz Online Retreat for Couples Discerning to Adopt or Foster Novena for Fostering and Adoption
Are there adoption and fostering resources local to Indiana? Yes! Read on to connect with... State of Indiana Foster Care St. Elizabeth | Coleman Adoption Services in the Indianapolis metro area St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities "Adoption Bridges of Kentuckiana" in the Louisville metro area on the Indiana side
What about at-risk mothers in crisis pregnancies? As a Catholic Church, we want to support pregnant and parenting mothers in at-risk situations. The "Walking with Moms in Need" campaign highlights our commitment to not only protect unborn human life but also to support mothers (and fathers) in their courageous decision to choose life and parent in difficult circumstances. Be sure to check out: Walking with Moms in Need, national campaign Walking with Moms in Need, directory of local resources St. Elizabeth | Coleman pregnancy support and resources St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities "Adoption bridges of Kentuckiana" pregnancy support and resources
"Springs of Love" Catholic Foster and Adoption Support
Springs of Love is a relatively new ministry, started in 2022. The mission of Springs of Love is to raise up more Catholic foster and adoptive families and to support those touched by fostering and adoption through educational programming, small groups, and parish care teams.
Springs of Love hopes to convey both the beauty and the challenges of fostering and adoption with attention to such issues as adoption after infertility, the impact of trauma on children, parenting a child with special needs, the adoption triad, navigating relationships with birth families, the language surrounding fostering and adopting, the role of the Church in caring for children in need of parents, and more. This is a great resource for education, awareness, and advocacy.
Watch the inspiring Springs of Love award-winning video series and consider showing one of the videos at a foster care awareness event at your parish!
Keep scrolling for more resources, including resources local to Indiana...
Wondering if Adoption or Fostering is in your future? Take a quiz!
Discernment Quiz: "6 Questions for Clarity." Are you called to foster or adopt? Take our discernment quiz! If you have been wondering if you are called to foster or adopt, try answering the questions in our quiz!
Ready to go a little deeper? Make a discernment retreat.Have you wondered if God might be calling you to open your heart to foster or adopt a child? Register for a virtual “retreat” and receive a code for free access to the Springs of Love “Be Not Afraid” discernment video series, with additional questions for reflection. In this self-paced series, you will hear beautiful testimonials from couples who have answered the call to foster and adopt. Talks address fostering and adopting after infertility, adopting a child with special needs, international & domestic adoption, adoption from foster care, grieving when foster children leave, adopting older children, what to do when only one spouse feels called, and more. Link to the retreat is below.
Need to pray about this some more? Start a discernment novena... Making a big decision in life – like the decision to begin fostering, or to start down the path to adoption – can be overwhelming. We don’t always know where God is calling us, or we can’t differentiate our own desires from God’s will in our lives. Praying a novena for discernment can be a tool to help you organize your thoughts and listen to what God is telling you. Did you know...?
The United States is in great need of foster families. In the state of Indiana, there are over 11,000 children in foster care.* Statistics show that about 50% of foster families stop fostering after just one year; but if they are supported by a team in their community, 90% continue to foster! Indiana families that answer the call to foster or adopt need to be able to count on the support of their faith community as they welcome and love each unique child entrusted to them. Are you interested in becoming a foster parent through the State of Indiana? Visit IndianaFosterCare.org to fill out an inquiry form and find important resources with up-to-date information from the Department of Child Services (DCS). Current Foster parents can reach the support helpline at 888-631-9510.
Grandparents and family members, we see you, too...
When a child is no longer able to live with his or her parents, the first option before placing them with a foster family is to place the child with a relative, often a grandparent. It is estimated that 37% of children in Indiana in 2024 were placed with a relative for foster care*. Relatives who are fostering need additional support because they were not expecting to foster the way a foster family would discern and prepare for fostering a child. Often, relatives are thrust into the reality of fostering, and have the additional difficulty of navigating family relationships that are strained or even restricted due to the child(ren) being removed from their parents. There can be an added stigma of shame that prevents grandparents and family members from reaching out to their faith community during this time because they do not want to disclose the details of their difficult family situation. Parishes that take an active approach to supporting foster families will be more effective at helping these unseen heroes in their time of need. In addition, the State of Indiana offers Kinship Support for family members in this situation. Learn more on their resource page, linked below.*See https://www.in.gov/dcs/reports-and-statistics/data-dashboard/ for up-to-date statistics on foster care in the State of Indiana.
Pregnancy and Adoption Services
Unplanned pregnancy? We can help. St. Elizabeth Coleman is a licensed child placing agency in Indiana. We can help you place your baby for adoption with the family of your choice. Located in Indianapolis, we provide free adoption counseling and financial assistance.
Pregnancy and Parenting Support
Need pregnancy or parenting support? St. Elizabeth Coleman can help you by giving information, support, resources, and donations.
Services for Adoptive Families
Welcome to St. Elizabeth Coleman. We are excited to be part of your adoption journey and assist you in fulfilling your dream of building your family through adoption. We provide services for families interested in domestic, step-parent, and relative adoption, as well as international adoption.
About St. Elizabeth | Coleman
St. Elizabeth Coleman is a licensed, nonprofit adoption agency, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, providing full-service birth parent and adoptive parent preparation and support for domestic, transracial, medical needs and international adoptions. They provide domestic and international home studies and post-placement supervision. They also run a donations program for mothers with children who are seeking help with items for their families. St. Elizabeth Coleman is a Catholic Charities Agency of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, COA accredited, a licensed not-for-profit, and a member agency of the United Way of Central Indiana.
Birth Parent Services Include:- Information about Adoption
- Resource Suggestions for Parenting
- Emotional Support and Advocacy
- Adoption Planning
- Financial Assistance
- Legal Representation for the Adoption Process
- Choice of Adoptive Parents
- Photos and Update Letters
Adoptive Parent Services Include:- Full Domestic Adoption Program
- Home Studies and Post Placement Services for Domestic and Independent Adoption
- Preparation and Training
- Support Groups and Advocacy
- Assistance with Creating Profile for Birth Parent Consideration
- Birth Parent Outreach and Matching
- International Home Study and Post Placement Services
About Adoption Bridges of Kentuckiana:
Adoption Bridges of Kentuckiana is a licensed private, non-profit adoption agency located in New Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. They serve as the adoption program of the St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities agency of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. They provide a full array of domestic adoption services for both birth parents and adoptive parents throughout Southern Indiana and Kentucky. In addition. St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities, located in New Albany, Indiana, offers many resources to assist expectant mothers in need. Be sure to check out their resources including and beyond adoption services. -
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"Walking with Moms in Need" Initiative
Walking with Moms in Need is a nationwide, parish-based initiative to increase support for pregnant and parenting mothers in need. It works to ensure that any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances, can turn to her local Catholic Church and be connected with the resources she needs. Volunteers walk with moms throughout the motherhood journey, offering them authentic Christian friendship and ongoing support.
"Walking with Moms in Need" Local Directory of Resources
There are many resources available to help moms in need. Whether a birth parent is looking for resources to be able to support their family, or foster or adoptive parents need help with basic items to welcome their newly arrived child, you can find a helpful directory of resources on our local "Walking with Moms in Need" website, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Here are just some of the resources listed:- Pregnancy Care Centers
- Rent / Utilities Assistance
- Child Care
- Food Pantries
- Medical Care
- Addiction Recovery
- Parenting Classes
- Shelters
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Prayers for Adoption
These prayers were taken from the Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers book published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and are used with permission.
Prayer for Those Hoping to Adopt a Child
God our Creator,
by your love the world is filled with life,
through your generosity one generation
gives life to another,
and so are your wonders told and your praises sung.We look to you in our love and in our need:may it be your will that we adopt a childto share our home and faith.Loving God, be close to usas we pray to love and do your will.You are our God, nourishing us forever and ever.Amen.
Thanksgiving for a Newly Adopted Young Child
God, our Creator, cherish this child.Jesus, our Savior, protect him/her.Holy Spirit, our comforter, strengthen him/her.
Thanksgiving for Adoption of an Older Child
Heavenly Father, lover of all,we praise you for giving us Jesus as our Savior:he blessed the children who came to him,and welcomes those who come to him now.Look with favor upon (Name of Child), our son/daughter,and embrace him/her with your love.May he/she grow in assurance of our love,in the wisdom and knowledge of your Son, Jesus,and in the strength of the Holy Spirit.May he/she be one with usas we praise you for your presence.We ask this through your beloved Son,Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.
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