The time frame can vary widely, depending in large part upon the biological parents’ position toward their parental rights and how prepared the adoptive parents are legally and financially to enter into the adoption process.
ARE MANY PEOPLE LOOKING TO ADOPT A NEWBORN?
Many adoptive parents are actively seeking newborns for a variety of reasons, especially that chance to connect with a child in their early days, months, and years when bond formation is so essential to a child’s healthy development.
WHAT ARE OPEN AND CLOSED ADOPTIONS?
When many people think of adoption, they probably imagining closed adoptions. This is where the records of the birth parents are kept sealed, and there is no communication between biological parents and adoptive parents before or after the adoption. If adopted children wish to track down their biological parents in the future, the work will be difficult. Some birth mothers prefer this to be the situation for a variety of reasons.
Others have chosen to go the route of open adoption. In this situation, communication is permitted and even expected between the birth family, adoptive family, and adopted child before and after birth. Each arrangement can look different and may change over time as the relationship evolves.
Semi-open adoptions permit the birth mother to have some say in which family will raise their child, but are not given any personally identifiable information about them to facilitate communication before or after birth.
The choice of what kind of adoption to use is up to the birth parents. Adoptive parents can elect to only seek children who are put up for closed or open adoptions as it fits their goals for their family.
IS THERE A WAY TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH A CHILD I PLACE FOR ADOPTION?
If you are a birth mother looking to place a child for adoption, but still want to maintain contact with that child and their adoptive family, choose an open adoption. You will then be able to legally have contact with your birth child according to the arrangement that has been agreed upon and the relationship that develops between yourself and the adoptive family over time.
HOW LATE CAN I VOID MY DECISION TO PLACE MY CHILD FOR ADOPTION?
Birth parents have a strong set of rights which are protected by law. Until final papers signing over parental rights are signed, no one can force you to give up those rights. There may be financial considerations to think through if the prospective adoptive parents have helped support the birth mom through her pregnancy, but birth parents are not required to give up their child unless they lose their rights through neglect or abuse.
WHO NAMES BABIES WHICH ARE PLACED FOR ADOPTION?
In many cases of open adoption, birth parents and adoptive parents work together to decide upon a name together. Sometimes a birth mother will name the child, and other times the adoptive family will name them. However, the adoptive family has the legal right to choose the name of the child which will be printed on their amended birth certificate showing them as the adoptive parents.
If you are thinking about adoption, please schedule an appointment with us today and we can talk about your options and connect you with local adoption agencies.