This week, State Senator David Niezgodski (D-South Bend) filed Senate Bill (SB) 310 which would create a minimum benchmark to the amount of adoption subsidies a family can receive for an adopted child. He is joined on this bill by State Senator Jon Ford (R-Terre Haute), a lifelong advocate for Hoosier foster children and the families who take them in.

“I was thrilled that the Interim Study Committee on Public Health, Behavioral Health and Human Services recommended that legislation be moved this session to address the disparities that exist in adoption subsidies,” Sen. Niezgodski said. “The committee’s recommendation gives important clout to this legislation, and I am encouraged by the prospects of getting this passed into law this session. Even more exciting is that this bill already has bipartisan support in the legislature. Sen. Jon Ford was quick to lend his support and become second author on SB 310.

“I made a promise last session that I would not stop fighting for our foster and adoptive children — that I would continue to prioritize adoption subsidy legislation. In the end, all of us in the General Assembly want the same thing. We want to lift up our most vulnerable Hoosiers, and we want bright futures for our children.”

This is the second year that Sen. Niezgodski filed an adoption subsidies bill, but this session, SB 310 comes with a unanimous and bipartisan recommendation from the members of the Interim Study Committee.
“We owe a great deal to the Hoosier families who welcome the foster children of our state into their homes and hearts,” Sen. Ford said. “This legislation comes after careful discussion in summer study committees last year among caseworkers, foster parents and other stakeholders. These children deserve a home that not only feeds and clothes them, but also makes them feel secure and promotes their happiness. I believe it’s important we give every foster child in our system a new start and let these adoptive parents know how much we appreciate and support them.”