Lifetime Adoption > Adoption in Illinois

Adoption in Illinois

Illinois Adoption, Home Studies and More

If you are in the Prairie State and are interested in adoption, Lifetime Adoption is here to guide you through your adoption. If you are interested in information about placing your baby for adoption or if you are considering adopting a child in Illinois, our adoption coordinators are here to give you all of the information you need and connect you with the resources you need.

Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Illinois

What do you do when that pregnancy test comes back positive, and it was not the outcome you were hoping for? You will probably be hit with a lot of emotions. Now, what do you do?

Don’t panic. Contact Lifetime Adoption, and a kind and non-judgmental coordinator will be there to help you understand what your options are. You can call, text, or fill out our online form, and an adoption coordinator will be there for you. If you like, she will have a peer or professional counselor contact you. They can help you deal with telling the baby’s father, family, and friends, which can be hard. You will probably hear a lot of different opinions and get a lot of different advice. This can be very confusing, and counselors can help you sort through all of this.

What is the Adoption Process in Illinois?

For over thirty years, Lifetime Adoption has been helping expectant mothers in Illinois work through the adoption process. To start, just call, text, or fill out our online form. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will listen to your needs and support you in getting the resources you need.

Adoptive family profiles are available online, and your coordinator can send you some as well. You can then pick a few families that you want to get to know. You may want a family from Illinois, or you may want a family from another state. You may be looking into Catholic adoption services in Illinois if that is your faith, and we have many Catholic families as well as families of other faiths. You can decide how much contact you would like to have with the family while you are pregnant and after. Lifetime Adoption services in Illinois also include adoption of toddlers, special needs children, or older children. Sometimes parenting becomes too difficult and is not healthy for the parent and the child. When this happens, a professional counselor will be involved. She will work with everyone involved in the adoption with an emphasis on making a healthy transition plan for you and your child.

You may be nervous about how everything will go at the hospital if you are pregnant. Don’t worry. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will help make a hospital plan just for you. You will choose how everything will go at the hospital. For example, you can decide who you would like to cut the umbilical cord, who will hold the baby first, along with other details. You will also have an attorney available at no cost to you. Your attorney will ensure you understand your rights and that all the paperwork is completed properly.

Get In Touch

Open Adoption in Illinois

Most people don’t know a whole lot about what domestic adoption in Illinois is like. They don’t often know that with open adoption, the birth parents pick the adoptive parents and that there can be contact after the adoption is final. The birth parents can receive pictures, video chats, updates, and even visits.

Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will ask you some questions so that she can help you on your adoption journey. Some of her questions may be:

Would you like to view adoptive parent profiles to choose adoptive parents, or would you like a coordinator to choose for you?
What kind of updates and contact would you like after the adoption is final?
Would you like your adoption coordinator to help you create a hospital plan?
Would you like the adoptive parents to be a part of your doctor visits during your pregnancy?
Will you need assistance with pregnancy-related expenses?

Adoption is a loving, brave option if parenting your child is not the right thing for you at this time. At Lifetime Adoption, we have eager families who are prepared and thrilled to grow their family through adoption. Our families are open to contact after the adoption is final, so you know that you are not saying goodbye forever. You can expect to receive pictures and updates even visits. It is not uncommon for our adoptive families to become close to their child’s birth families.

Help With Pregnancy Expenses and More

Reese* contacted Lifetime when her pregnancy test came back positive. She knew she was not prepared to parent and wanted to place her baby for adoption. She and her boyfriend had broken up when she told him she was pregnant, and now she was worried about the extra expenses that came along with being pregnant. Her Lifetime Adoption coordinator explained that in the state of Illinois, some pregnancy-related expenses may be covered by the adopting parents.

Professional and peer counseling is one of the most important resources provided by Lifetime Adoption at no cost to you. It can really help to talk with someone who has been in a similar situation as you and our peer counselors have. They are birth mothers who understand the adoption process and how it affects birth mothers. Professional counselors are also a great resource. They can help you work through all the emotions you will deal with, and with the decision-making you have to do. She can also help create a future plan for yourself if you like.

* Name has been changed for privacy.

Illinois Adoptive Families

Adoption profiles show you waiting adoptive parents of all types and backgrounds in Illinois. 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 the perfect match. With waiting families from across the country, Lifetime Adoption provides more adoptive family profiles for you, giving you a greater chance of finding the right fit for your child.

Simply click on the “Search for Families” button to search for families by things that are important to you.

Search for Families

Families Wanting to Adopt in Illinois

Are you planning on adopting a child in Illinois? You may be thinking about adopting a newborn, toddler, or maybe an older child up to the age of six. Lifetime Adoption is a leader in open adoption. Our experienced adoption coordinators have been successfully matching birth mothers and adoptive families for over 30 years. Treating birth mothers with care and respect is a high priority at Lifetime. Their coordinators make sure they have all the resources needed.

Starting the Adoption Process

So, how do you get started? It is very easy. Just fill out our short online application. Submitting an application to Lifetime is free. You will not be obligated in any way by sending in an application. Once pre-approved, a Lifetime Adoption coordinator will contact you. She will answer all of your questions and introduce you to the Lifetime process. This will include information on creating your personal profile for birth mothers to see, home study referrals, and access to blogs, education, and all the resources available at the Lifetime membership site.

Mardie Caldwell, the founder of Lifetime Adoption, created the Lifetime Adoption program based on her experience when she navigated the adoption of her son. Since then, for over three decades, the program has been successful. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will guide you on your successful adoption journey.

Adoption Laws in Illinois

To navigate the Illinois adoption laws, you will want to retain an adoption attorney. You can get a referral to an attorney through your Lifetime Adoption coordinator. Your attorney will file all documents and schedule your finalization hearing, which is part of the Illinois adoption process.

In Illinois, the timeline for legal documentation generally takes about six months for the adoption to become final. As every adoption situation is unique, you will rely on your adoption attorney to make sure all laws are followed, and paperwork filed so your adoption goes smoothly.

Illinois Home Studies

What does a home study entail? In Illinois, a home study is a legal document that is presented to the court and ensures you are qualified to adopt. A home study is mandatory throughout the U.S.

A home study will include:

Employment verification
Financial verification
Background checks
Medical reports
References
Visit to the home

Part of your home study will include a social worker who will run a background check along with collecting information as to why you are interested in adopting, your beliefs regarding parenting, family and marital relationships, your education level, lifestyle, and more. In addition, she will interview everyone who lives in your household.

If you are considering adoption in Illinois, Lifetime Adoption is ready to work with you and will provide all the information and support you need. If you are a parent considering placing your child for adoption or are you are hoping to grow your family through adoption, our Lifetime Adoption coordinators are here to make sure you have a successful adoption journey.