In open adoption, “putting a baby up for adoption” is called “placing a baby for adoption” because you select the adoptive family and directly place the baby with the family you select. Adoption is a courageous and emotional decision. We help birth parents and birth mothers create a personalized adoption that provides hope, security, and love for their child. Below is a comprehensive guide that will walk you through the open adoption process.
Are you thinking about putting a baby up for adoption?
Step 1: Deciding on Adoption for Your Child
Finalizing the decision to place your baby for adoption can be very challenging. It is important to explore every option carefully to ensure you make the right choice that is best for your baby and you. Modern open adoption can be beneficial for your child by providing your child with:
- An inspirational open adoption story where the child grows up knowing how their birth parents and adoptive parents found each other and came together out of love to give the child the best childhood
- A chance to thrive and grow in a stable loving environment
- Opportunities to stay connected via open adoption
- A supportive, permanent, and loving family
Every woman has a unique situation, and only they have the right to decide what is best for their child. This is why you should ask common questions about adoptions, like:
- Is it necessary for the father to be involved?
- What is the process of open adoption?
- What requirements can I have for the adoptive family I select?
- What level of contact will I have during my pregnancy and after the placement?
- What types of medical, counseling, and living expense support am I able to receive?
Our team is available to guide you 24/7 through the adoption process. Call any time at our Confidential 24 Hours 800-637-7999 or Text 844-640-7999
Step 2: Create an Adoption Plan
The next step involves your adoption case worker explaining your adoption options and the procedures. They will present you with profiles of qualified waiting adoptive families, and after you choose a family, they will arrange a meeting virtually or personally. Your AdoptHelp case worker is different from an adoption agency case worker because AdoptHelp case workers are your personal assistant who work for you and will help you build your personalized adoption plan that includes the following:
- Help with pre-natal care
- Receiving financial support
- Presenting you with waiting adoptive families that fit your requirements
- Preparing your hospital stay
- Arranging for pre and post- placement contact
At AdoptHelp, you get to control the complete adoption journey. We will help you come up with the adoption plan that is right for you.
Step 3: Gather Information About Your Child
If you choose to move forward with the adoption, our team will ask you to provide background about your family medical history, so the child has the benefit of knowing what runs in the family. This information is provided to the adoptive parents you select so they will have answers to any questions that come up as the child is growing up. This is one of the benefits of open adoption.
Step 4: Finding the Perfect Family for Your Child
You have the complete right to choose a family that is stable, loving, and will nurture your child for life. You will have access to hundreds of hopeful adoptive families who are pre-screened and have passed background checks. These families are so excited to be selected and are ready to start parenting at birth. Birth parents choosing a family to adopt their baby can receive any information they want about the adoptive family they select. This includes, names, age, religion, location, marital status, whether they have any other children, why they want to adopt, and verification that they have a home study from a licensed adoption agency certifying them to adopt a baby. Choosing the perfect family is the key to making a great adoption plan. Most birth parents’ fears about making an adoption plan go away as soon as they find the perfect family and form a bond and connection with them. You wouldn’t marry someone you don’t know, and adoption is no different. For most birth parents, the key to a beautiful adoption plan is having a connection to the family they select.
Step 5: Knowing the Adoptive Family
Modern voluntary open adoption means you have the opportunity to develop a relationship with the adoptive family you select after and before placement. You can interact with the adoptive family through different mediums like:
- Phone calls
- Email exchanges
- Zoom chats
- Social media interaction
- Texts
- In person visits
Step 6: Giving Birth and Finalizing the Adoption
The adoption specialist will help you design a hospital plan according to your wants and needs before you prepare for delivery/labor. You can decide important details, like:
- If you want to leave the hospital together
- Who holds the baby first
- Whether or not you want to have the adoptive family in the room
- How to manage your medical costs
After giving birth, birth mothers typically have to wait at least 24-72 hours before signing the adoption paperwork (depending on the state law). Your adoption attorney or adoption agency case worker will guide you through every legal process to make sure that you understand your rights before signing the consent form. Every state gives a birth mother a period of time that she can change her mind about the placement. Your adoption attorney or adoption agency representative provides you with the exact amount of time your state provides you to change your mind and the required procedure for doing so.
There are two ways an adoption placement can take place. The first is the adoption agency you select takes custody of the child and places the child with the family you select after you sign the adoption consent forms. This is called an adoption agency placement. The other way is for you to transfer your parental rights directly to the adoptive family you select without the involvement of an adoption agency. This is called an independent adoption or direct placement adoption.
Step 7: Post-Adoption Recovery
The period of time right after discharge from the hospital is one of emotional and physical recovery. Time and space are crucial for healing, while physical recovery can take just a few days to a few weeks (depending on how the delivery was conducted), post-partum depression is something we also want to watch for. Birth mothers who choose adoption are typically able to receive personalized counseling at no cost to them. Most birth mothers who chose open adoption and select an adoptive family they connect with share that they are proud of making the difficult decision of putting up a child for adoption with a family they chose because they know it was a loving and brave decision that changed so many lives for the better. You are never alone, so if you need a counselor, mentor, or support group, just ask. Your adoption case worker can connect with the best resources.
Step 8: Staying Connected After Adoption
You have the right and a choice to stay connected with your child via open adoption. This includes in-person visits, video calls, emails, texts, and photos. For birth parents who are looking for a semi-open adoption, they want picture and letter updates but opt to not have visits. Some birth parents want to select the family but prefer to go back to their lives and keep a separation where there is no contact after the placement. This type of arrangement is much closer to a closed adoption plan. Your adoption case worker will help you create a post-placement plan that is right for you.
Step 9: After Placement Contact and Support
After the placement, birth mothers are entitled to free counseling sessions and can have pictures, updates, and visits pursuant to the written post-placement contact plan between the parties to the adoption. These agreements are called PACA (Post-Adoption-Contact-Agreements). In most states, PACAs are legally enforceable if signed by the parties and filed with the court finalizing the adoption. If you opt for post-placement contact of any kind, your adoption case worker will help you stay in contact with the adoptive family and the child according to your open adoption agreement.
Common Questions People Ask About Putting Up a Baby for Adoption
What will the adoptive family tell my child about me as they grow?
There has been a lot of research about this and adoption today is about celebrating adoption and the beautiful adoption story from birth. Adopted children know who their birth parents are and know exactly how everyone came together voluntarily and out of love for the child. Adoptive parents talk honestly and openly with their child about their adoption journey. This helps the child to grow with a positive and strong sense of identity and self-esteem.
What is the common age of children placed for adoption/placement?
In voluntary open adoption, most children are adopted at birth directly from the hospital.