Lifetime has helped many women as they decide if an adoption plan is the right thing for their babies. With all this experience, we understand the fears and emotions you might have right now, as well as your adoption questions. Lifetime is here to give you honest info about adoption and give you the resources you need to make this decision. So today, we’re breaking down the adoption process into 6 simple steps:
- Determine if Adoption is the Best Choice
Adoption is a major life decision, so it’s important to think about all of the options you have. Since your life situation isn’t like anyone else’s, only you know what’s right for you and your baby. So that you can decide if adoption is right, take a look at the questions women thinking about adoption have asked and learn about the info and pregnancy resources available to you.
- Create Your Custom Adoption Plan
With Lifetime, you’re in charge of your adoption plan: you choose the adoptive family for your baby, and how much you’ll stay in contact after the adoption. You’ll have an Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime who’s here to help you during the process, and she’ll work with you to accomplish what you’re hoping for. To do this, she’ll ask you what you’re looking for in an adoptive family, the type of contact you wish for with the family, and how things will go at the hospital.
- Select an Adoptive Family
We are here to help you find an adoptive family for your baby who matches what you’re looking for. Take a look at our Find a Family page: there are hundreds of hopeful adoptive families, from all backgrounds and races, living all over the U.S. Lifetime adoptive families have all gone through intense background checks and a home study, and are ready and excited to become parents. Your Adoption Coordinator will send you adoptive family profiles and videos that match up with what you’re seeking in an adoptive family.
- Connect With the Adoptive Family
We encourage you to get to know the adoptive family you chose, so that you can make sure they’re the people who can provide the life you’re hoping of for your child. There are tons of ways you can get to know them: through phone calls, emails, on Facebook, or meeting in person. You might be nervous to contact the adoptive family. Your Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime is here to help you with this contact, and can join in on a phone call or email if you’d like.
- Getting Ready for Delivery
Just as you did with making your adoption plan, you have total control over how things go in the hospital. Your Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime will present you with the various choices you have for your hospital plan, and let you know what to expect during your hospital stay.
- Keeping in Contact Afterwards
In open adoption, you have the choice to stay in contact after your baby is placed with the adoptive family. Many women like to get email and photo updates, and also stay in touch through texts. Some also choose to travel to visit the adoptive family and their child in person once or twice a year.
Do you have questions about how the adoption process works?
Just call us at 1-800-923-6784, email us, or chat live on our site LifetimeAdoption.com.
You can get started in the process to create an adoption plan today by asking for our FREE Adoption Planning Kit.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell’s life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN’s Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
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