FAQs

Can I pick the family for my child?

Yes, absolutely. This is your child and your adoption plan to create, including picking the family, deciding who you want at the hospital, whether you want to spend time with the baby at the hospital and what kind of contact you would like after placement.

If I fill out the paperwork you asked for, do I have to place my baby for adoption? 

No, you do not. The paperwork is just informational for us to be able to help you create your adoption plan. You will have a specified time following the birth to make your final decision. Usually it is 1-3 days, but it is dictated by the state law where you give birth. Ask your case worker for the exact time frame. With that said, as you can imagine, a disrupted adoption is heartbreaking to an adoptive family, so we encourage you to give a lot of thought to your decision and what is best for your baby before getting a family involved.

What will this cost me? 

Not a thing. All services are free of charge to the expectant mom.

What if I find a family online or my friends know someone who want to adopt my child? 

You should first be certain that they have been assessed and approved to adopt through a home study process. Otherwise, you won’t know if they can provide for your child or if they their home is a safe place  to raise a child. If you are not comfortable asking the family for the verification of their home study approval, we can help you do that.

I called one agency who said they would help me pay my bills, can you do that too? 

Yes, generally we can, although the amount of living expenses allowed is dictated by your state’s law and the state where the adoption will be processed (usually but not always your state). Support is not meant to be total support. We do help you apply for medical insurance, utilities, food stamps, etc., and in most places we can help with rent, groceries and utilities both in the second part of your pregnancy and for a period of time after delivery as well.

How do I know the family I select will be good to my child? 

All families must be approved to adopt, and the approval process is quite rigorous. The family must go through months of counseling sessions and various screenings to be approved. This approval process is called a home study and involves an FBI check, a state criminal check, a child abuse check, medical exams, an inspection of their home, examination of financial records and multiple recommendations. You have to REALLY want to become a parent to put yourself through this scrutiny.

Furthermore, you can opt for contact after the placement. You will complete a contract stating the amount of contact you would like after placement, and the adoptive parents are required to sign this contract. Most moms opt to get letters and pictures of their child so they can visually see he or she is doing well. Yes, it is difficult to see those pictures, but it also allows you to feel some peace when you see how your child is loved, doted on and adored.

What about the baby’s father? 

We are more than happy to involve the birth father in the process. Many times they just want to be included. However, if he still doesn’t want to cooperate, we can evaluate whether his consent is even needed. Often, if the two of you are not married, or if he has not supported you emotionally and financially during your pregnancy, his consent will not be needed. Each case needs to be evaluated individually to discern what rights, if any, he may have.

I’m not sure who my baby’s father is, can I still place him or her for adoption? 

Yes, if you don’t know the father’s identity, he will be reported as unknown to the courts.

My baby is a result of rape but I didn’t report it. Does the father still have to agree?

In most states, no. If the baby was conceived as a result of a crime, then his permission is not needed.

Can I send my child gifts, pictures, etc.? 

You certainly can, and often the adoptive parents will send the same to you.

What does closed, semi-open and open adoption mean?

Closed adoption means that you know nothing about the adoptive parents and they know nothing about you. There is no contact at all. Semi-open adoption means that you and the adoptive parents get to know each other during the pregnancy. You often talk on the phone, email or even visit and attend medical appointments. You may also spend the few days at the hospital caring for the baby together, but after placement, all contact goes through an intermediary, typically the agency. This is the most common type of adoption. In an open adoption, the birth family and adoptive family stay in communication directly after birth. This contact may be nothing more than an occasional email or Facebook exchange, or it may include periodic visits. Open adoptions are built on trust (like any relationship) and many birth families and adoptive families find they like each other so much that they often end up with an adoption far more open than originally planned.

Is an open adoption good for the child?

Absolutely! As a matter a fact, this is the biggest reason a family should have for agreeing to an open adoption. Study after study has shown that children in open adoptions are less questioning of their identity and who their family is, and they have stronger self-esteem and fewer anger issues as they get older.

What happens when I have my baby? 

That is entirely up to you. The adoptive parents can be at the hospital and even in the delivery room if you allow them. You can allow them to care for the baby, you can do it yourself or you can all do it together. The baby can stay in your room, their room or the nursery. One thing to consider is that it is often good for the baby to start bonding with the adoptive parents over that first day or two, and it is often reassuring for you to see them with the baby — to see the love and adoration on their faces and to witness the beginnings of love. However, if you want the baby to yourself for that time, that is totally fine too. It is all up to you!

I’m ready to get started, what do I do next?

The best thing to do is to call our toll-free number, 1(855)571-2229 and talk to a case worker. If it is a weekend or urgent, someone will take your information and a case worker will call you back. If you are due in the next 2-3 weeks or in an emergency situation, tell the weekend worker and they will page the on-call worker. If you can’t call, or don’t want to, simply fill out our information form by clicking the Request for An Adoption Kit button above. Our packet will come to you in a few days and it will NOT have the name of the agency or the word ADOPTION on the outside. It will merely have the address of our main office in Arizona.

What is in the packet you are going to send me?

There is information about your options, choices and rights as an expectant mom. There is also a set of documents for you to complete giving us your family’s medical history (it is similar to what you fill out at the doctor’s office). If the father is around and cooperative, he should fill out his information as well. There is also a medical release so we can get any medical records pertaining to this pregnancy and, lastly, a prepaid envelope so you can mail it all back to us.

I mailed my paperwork back, now what? 

Your case worker will be calling you to talk about the type of family you want for your child. We suggest you just close your eyes and dream…. “If I could give my child any kind of family, what would it look like? A suburban family, a farm family, a stay-at-home mom or professional parents with college degrees, a teacher, a brother or a sister, a swing set or swimming pool in the backyard, a family who practices a certain religion (or no religion).” You may not get all of your dreams met, but the family you pick should be close. We will present you photo books that each family has put together which will tell you about who they are and what they believe. Once you have found a family you like, we will help you do a conference call with them to see if you “click.” Yes, that is a nerve-wracking conversation (for both sides) but you should have a good feeling about the family after talking to them and you should be looking forward to getting to know them better.

 

Call Someone You Can Trust

1(855)571-2229