5 factors to consider when learning how to give a baby up for adoption
You’re pregnant. That’s the last thing you wanted to hear. What are you going to do now? You need to talk with someone who will not pass judgment or make you feel guilty about not being excited about the news.
You have many plans for the future, and none of them include children right now.
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A licensed adoption agency is staffed with caring social workers who can help you reach a decision that works for you, even if you decide to keep your baby.
- Take control. Participate in counseling and workshops so you are confident of your choice. The Loving & Caring curriculum offered by Legacy Adoption Services provides pregnant women and the birth fathers with an objective approach to decision making.
- Seek help about meeting legal requirements. If you choose adoption, you’ll need to terminate parental rights, get the father to sign an affidavit disclaiming any interest in the child and revoking his intent to claim paternity. An adoption agency can help you with the documents.
- Make an adoption plan. Decide whether you want an open, semi-open or closed adoption. Your decision depends on whether you want to have ongoing involvement, including updates until the child is 18, or whether you prefer to have no future contact.
- Choose your child’s adoptive family. Consider the culture, religion and/or communication styles of your baby’s prospective parents, and ask the adoption agency to provide you with qualified and pre-screened candidates.
- Finalize all agreements 48 hours after the baby is born. By law, birth moms cannot officially relinquish their parental rights until this time. If you are married, the birth father also has to wait 48 hours to relinquish his parental rights. If you are not married, the birth father does not have to be involved, but it helps secure the placement you requested. The experienced counselors at Legacy Adoptions can help you handle arrangements with the birth father, if needed.
Realize that some private agencies or adoption attorneys represent adoptive families and may not have your best interests at heart. Seek out a licensed adoption agency that will represent you and protect your rights today and in the future. To learn how to give a baby up for adoption, contact the licensed social workers at Legacy Adoption Services, or call 817.899.5000.
