Birth Parents
Pregnant? Considering Adoption? Learn about Your Options!
There is so much information about adoption online, birth parents can feel overwhelmed. Become empowered to make informed decisions. By contacting an adoption attorney, you can obtain reliable, step-by-step information about your options for your child . If you are considering adoption, an adoption attorney will hear your individual situation, answer your questions, and walk you through safe, legal choices, such as:
1. Private placement adoption: You and the prospective adoptive parents each have your own attorneys (at no cost to you) and the placement is made by you directly to the family you select.
2. Agency adoption: A licensed private adoption agency (not a state agency involved in the foster care system) provides services to you and the prospective adoptive parents and the placement is made by you to the agency, which then places your birth child with the family you select.
3. Connecting with and selecting prospective adoptive parents: There are a number of ways to select adoptive parents and an adoption attorney can help you make sure that the family you choose is legally qualified to adopt. You can select a waiting family through a licensed private adoption agency. Another method is to locate adoptive parents independently by directly communicating with families you find on adoption websites, Facebook, and in newspaper ads. A third way to connect with adoptive parents is by asking an adoption attorney for legally qualified families that meet your vision for a home for your child.
4. Creating an adoption plan: Once you select the family, setting the foundation for a closed, semi-open, or open relationship with them and settling on other issues such as:
a. Prenatal care
b. Counseling
c. Living expense assistance
d. Hospital wishes and plan
5. Counseling: Many birth parents find it helpful to speak with a counselor about whether to make an adoption plan and once they have made a plan, coping with the emotional aspects of the adoption. An adoption attorney can refer you to an experienced counselor.
6. Making the adoption placement or raising your child: You maintain your right to raise your baby unless and until your parental rights end when you consent to the adoption according to the applicable state’s law. If and when you make the adoption placement, your child will be placed directly with the family you select.
7. Post- placement communication: You have the option of staying in touch with the adoptive parents in closed, semi-open, or open adoptions. Open adoptions typically include visitation, where the family will bring the baby to visit with you once annually. Semi-open adoptions include various types of communication, minus visitation, such as exchanging letter and photo updates through email or text. Some states make post-placement communication enforceable through the court. It’s a matter of trust between birth parents and adoptive parents in states that do not have enforceable agreements.
Our goal is for you to experience the process feeling that you have an adoption attorney who you can depend upon. Our members will assist you every step of the way.
We welcome you to our directory to find a member in your state.
Often laws can be confusing particularly when distinguishing between the rights of birth mothers and birth fathers and the laws of the state where you reside compared to the laws where the adoptive family resides or the agency is located. There are also questions about facilitators, the putative father registry and safe haven laws. An adoption attorney can answer your questions and help guide you through the adoption process regardless of the type of adoption you choose for your baby.
Why Consult an Adoption Attorney
- Adoption is one of many options you have and there are many types of adoptions. An adoption attorney is well versed in all of your options and can assist you in making the best decision for you and your child.
- Working with an expert in adoption law will help ensure that your adoption proceeds smoothly.
- An adoption attorney will provide an unbiased explanation of adoption methods and resources and help you develop a legally secure plan tailored to your needs.
- An adoption attorney will explain your rights and the adoption laws in your state and explain your options if you locate a family in another state.
- An adoption attorney will advocate for you throughout the adoption process.
- An adoption attorney can clarify your options for post-placement arrangements and draft or review an agreement to ensure your best interests and those of the child are served.