Adoption in Alabama

Adoption Process in Alabama, Home Studies and More

If you live in the Heart of Dixie state and are considering adoption, Lifetime Adoption is here to guide you on your adoption journey. If placing your child for adoption or adopting a child is something you are considering, our adoption coordinators are available to provide all the information and resources you need.

Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Alabama

Young pregnant woman looking at a tablet while sitting cross-legged on her sofa
What do you do when that pregnancy test comes back positive and is not the result you wanted? You may be unsure what to do or where to turn. You may let the baby’s father know, family, or friends, and might get a lot of different opinions. This can make you feel even more confused.

Don’t make any rash decisions. Take time to contact a Lifetime Adoption coordinator who will be a non-judgmental voice who can help you understand all of your options. You can call, text, or fill out our online form, and an adoption coordinator will be there to give you the support you need. She can also refer you to the services of a professional or peer counselor.

What is the Adoption Process in Alabama?

For more than thirty years, Lifetime Adoption has been helping expectant women in Alabama understand the adoption process. Just call, text, or fill out our online form. A coordinator will listen to you and can give you all the information and resources you need.

You can view adoptive family profiles and decide on the adoptive family you think is the right one for you and your baby. You may want a family from Alabama or from another state. You can choose a family open to the contact you feel will be right in the future. It’s important to know that adoption isn’t just for newborns. If you have a toddler or older child you are considering placing for adoption, Lifetime can help. A professional counselor will help with the transition plan for you, your child, and the adoptive family. Your adoption professional will also help you and the adoptive parents create a post-adoption contact agreement that works for the child, you, and the adoptive family.

If you are pregnant and have decided on adoption, your coordinator will help you make a hospital plan. This plan will record who you want in the delivery room, who you would like to hold and feed the baby first, and other decisions. In addition, you will have your own legal representation, at no cost to you.

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Open Adoption in Alabama

Today, modern, open adoption means the birth parents make all the decisions. This includes things such as choosing the adoptive family and deciding how much contact you will have in the future with your child. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will help you create an adoption plan for you and your baby. She will find out:

If you would like to review the adoptive parent’s profiles and decide on the adoptive family or if you would like an adoption coordinator to choose for you.
What type of contact you would like to have with the family in the future.
If you need help with pregnancy-related expenses.

There is a loving family wanting to grow their family through adoption for every child. Placing your child for adoption is a very loving and brave choice if you feel parenting your child is not the right choice for you and your baby at this time. With open adoption, you will know you are not saying goodbye to your child forever, instead, you can receive updates, pictures, and even visits. Many of our adoptive families have close relationships with the birth parents of their child. Recently, one of our amazing birth mothers was getting married, and she asked if her daughter to be there. She was not only there, but the adoptive parents were there as well, and the adoptive father even walked the bride down the aisle.

Help With Pregnancy Expenses and More

Eva, from Alabama, contacted Lifetime and was considering placing her baby for adoption. She was having some hard times and wanted a different life for her baby. She was trying to stay safe but now had extra expenses. Her Lifetime Adoption coordinator helped her by letting her know that in the  state of Alabama, pregnancy-related expenses  can be covered by the adopting parents. The expenses include:

Adoption-related legal fees
Rent and living expenses of the expectant mother
Pregnancy-related medical and hospital costs
Peer and professional counseling fees

Alabama Adoptive Families

You can search adoptive family profiles of all types and backgrounds in Alabama and across the nation. When you browse these profiles, you can learn more about their:

Lifestyle
Family
Home and neighborhood
Values and religious beliefs
Reasons for adopting
And much more!

No matter what you’re looking for in an adoptive family, you deserve to find it. Lifetime Adoption has more adoptive family profiles, giving you a greater chance of finding the right fit for your child. Hust click the “Search for Families” button to get started on your search.

Search for Families

Families Wanting to Adopt in Alabama

Are you considering adopting a newborn, toddler, or child up to the age of six in Alabama? As a leader in modern adoption, Lifetime Adoption is here to guide you along your adoption journey. Our Lifetime coordinators have been successfully matching birth mothers with adoptive families for over three decades.

Starting the Adoption Process

So, how do you get the adoption process started? It’s quite simple. Just fill out our short online application. The application process is free and does not obligate you in any way. Once your application is reviewed and our panel approves your application, you will be contacted by a Lifetime Adoption coordinator. She will explain our adoption process and you will be provided guidance on how to create a family profile for birth mothers to review, how to get ready for your home study, and access to the education via webinars, podcasts, blogs, and other resources you need on our membership site.

Mardie Caldwell, the founder of Lifetime Adoption, created Lifetime Adoption because of the journey she experienced when adopting her son. The Lifetime program has been a success for over 30 years now. Our adoption coordinators will walk with you through the adoption process so that your adoption dreams come true.

Adoption Laws in Alabama

Alabama adoption laws can be complicated but don’t worry, your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will refer you to an Alabama adoption attorney who will help you navigate the adoption legal process.

In Alabama, the timeline for legal documentation for adoption is as follows.

In general, the expectant or birth mother signs papers at any time. A birth father may surrender his parental rights by signing a Waiver of Notice or Denial of Paternity at any time, before or after the child’s birth. The adoption is irrevocable five days after birth or within five days of signing, whichever comes last.

For the adoptive family, a home study is required before the finalization of the adoption. There can be different legal requirements depending on the unique facts of each adoption. Depend on your Alabama adoption attorney to make sure all legal aspects are in place.

Every adoption is unique, and so rules can vary. There are exceptions and different legal requirements depending on the individual facts of each adoption. Your adoption attorney is there to make sure your adoption goes smoothly, and all legal aspects are done correctly.

Alabama Home Studies

A home study is a court-required, legal document that shows your ability to parent and care for a child in an adoption situation. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will refer you to a qualified home study provider in Alabama.

With a home study be prepared to provide the following:

Background checks
Medical reports
Employment verification
Two personal references who will be interviewed
Education requirements
One visit to the home

Members of your household will be interviewed during your home study visit and anyone in the home over the age of 19 must provide criminal background information. You will be asked why you want to adopt, what your lifestyle is like, what support system you have, what your parenting style is, your education level, and more. There will then be one post-placement visit within 45 days of placement.

Whether you are hoping to adopt or are a parent considering placing your child for adoption, Lifetime Adoption looks forward to working with you and providing the information and support you need for successful adoption.