Adoption–Child preparation is a service to assist the local Department of Child Services (DCS) in assessing the adoption readiness of children in the custody of the State of Indiana. Upon assessment, the care professional will work to prepare the child(ren) for adoption. The child(ren) should be counseled about what adoption will mean to them and has an understanding that the adoptive family is a permanent family.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or Sociology, or licensed Bachelor Degree Social Worker or licensed Social Worker with a Baccalaureate Degree (A license is required unless a statutory licensure exemption in IC 25-23.6-4-2(a) is met).
• Master’s degree in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work; OR
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a directly related human services field, as evidenced by the completion of a minimum of 39 semester/58 quarter hours in the following coursework:
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Social and Cultural Foundations
  • Lifestyle and Career Development
  • Sexuality
  • Gender and Sexual Orientation
  • Ethnicity, Race, Status, and Culture
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Social Work
  • Criminology
  • Ethics and Philosophy
  • Physical and Behavioral Health
  • Family Relationships
  • Advocacy and Mediation
  • Case Management
  • Resources and Systems
  • Social Policy
  • Community Planning and Relations
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Substance Use
  • Counseling and Guidance
  • Educational Studies
• Other non-Human Service related Bachelor’s degrees will be accepted:
  • Minimum of two years-experience providing a service to families that need assistance in the protection and care of their children and/or providing skills training, development, and habilitation.
  • Experience gained by an employee in which the employee was not qualified to complete the work at the current or previous employer does not count toward the required two (2) year experience in combination with a Bachelor’s degree.