How Adoption Works

“Can you explain how adoption works? I’m pregnant and due soon.”

Are you pregnant and considering adoption and unsure how adoption works? With open adoption, you make the choices:

• You can choose the parents for your child
• You can choose the type of contact after adoption
• You can even choose how things go at the hospital

Here are the steps most women take when creating a custom adoption plan:

1. 1. Call or email a caring coordinator at Lifetime Adoption to ask questions that may be specific to their situation. We are available 24/7 at 1-800-923-6784. Remember, everything is confidential.

1. 1. Receive info by mail (or email) about adoption and available adoptive parents. This includes a free book about adoption, called So I Was Thinking About Adoption…

1. 1. Read and review the adoption materials. Then, choose your favorite three adoptive families. Return the paperwork to your Adoption Coordinator.

1. 1. Speak (or email) with the families you’re interested in as you decide who is best for your baby. Get to know them and see who you feel the most comfortable with.

1. 1. Make a plan with your coordinator for the hospital. Will you have someone with you? Do you want to name your baby? Do you want to leave before or after the adoptive parents? Continue to build a relationship with adoptive parents while waiting for your due date.

1. 1. Prior to adoption placement, you may meet with an attorney or social worker to receive a complete advisement of your rights. This sometimes happens after delivery, depending on your state.

1. 1. After delivery, the baby usually leaves the hospital with the adoptive parents, so you don’t have to take the baby home. You will meet with an attorney or social worker to sign the final papers for adoption. Depending on what you’ve arranged with the adoptive parents, you will receive updates on how your baby is doing.

1. Moving on into the future is important. Making a plan can help. There are organizations that provide assistance, including a non-profit foundation that funds scholarships and laptops for birth mothers that meet criteria. Counseling is always available.

If you are pregnant and considering adoption, YOU ARE NOT ALONE – Lifetime Adoption is ready to help answer your questions and help you learn more about adoption for your baby.

How do I know the adoptive parents won’t forget me?

Lifetime Adoption’s families are open and prepared to keep in touch with you through letters, pictures, visits, social media (such as Facebook), text messages, email, and more! Just let us know what you are looking for and we’ll send you info on adoptive families who are looking for the same thing.

Can I get financial help with my expenses like rent, food, maternity clothes, and medical costs?

Yes! We can help arrange assistance for you if allowed by your state’s adoption laws.

I don’t have transportation. How can I receive counseling?

We have licensed counselors who will schedule a time to have counseling sessions with you by phone. Our peer counselors, women who have placed a child for adoption, are available to talk by phone or email with you. Sometimes it helps to speak to someone who has been there and done that when you are pregnant and considering adoption.