Adoption Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Adoption, Home Studies and More
Adoption Services for
Birth Parents and Adoptive Families
Please choose where you’d like to begin:
Information about placing
a child for adoption
or
Information about adopting a child
Are you considering adoption in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? If you are looking for adoption help in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you will find all the resources and information you need at Lifetime Adoption. Our adoption coordinators provide birth parents with the resources and support they need and help hopeful adoptive families with their adoption journey.
As a leader in domestic, open adoption, at Lifetime Adoption you will find kind, experienced adoption coordinators ready to help you with the adoption process. For over three decades, Lifetime Adoption has been connecting birth families and adoptive families. You will find articles, webinars, counseling, podcasts, and any referrals you need at Lifetime Adoption.
Help for Pregnant Women in Pittsburgh
If you are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, Lifetime Adoption can help. Our adoption coordinators will help you create an adoption plan. The entire open adoption process will be explained, and you will receive all the information, guidance, and support you need. All you need to do is call or text our Lifetime Adoption coordinators, who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Choosing adoption is sometimes the most loving thing you can do for your baby. Finding adoptive parents who are emotionally and financially ready for a new baby can help create a brighter future for both you and your child. At Lifetime Adoption you get to choose the adoptive parents for your baby. You can view Lifetime Adoption family profiles and decide what values you are looking for and how much contact you would like to have with the family after the adoption is final.
The unexpected expenses that can come along with an unexpected pregnancy can be hard to cover. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will come up with some solutions for you. In Pennsylvania, you have the opportunity to receive help with:
Doctor expenses incurred on behalf of the birth mother in connection with prenatal care. Payments made by the adoptive parents to an intermediary or a third party for reimbursement of the following expenses, calculated without regard to the income of the adoptive parents, are permissible:
- Medical and hospital expenses incurred by the birth mother for prenatal care
- Medical and hospital expenses incurred by the birth mother and child incident to birth
- Medical, hospital, and foster care expenses incurred on behalf of the child prior to the decree of adoption
There are situations when you are trying to parent, but due to circumstances, it is not working well for you or your child. If you are considering adoption for your young child, toddler, or sibling set, Lifetime Adoption can help. Lucy* was struggling to raise her four-year-old. It seemed like life kept giving her one blow after another. When she called us, she had just been let go from her job and was about to be homeless. She was not being the Mom she wanted to be due to stress and some drug abuse, and she knew her son was suffering because of it. She watched him crying one day after losing patience with him and thought, “He deserves better.” A Lifetime Adoption coordinator listened to her situation and had her speak with a counselor. After much thought, Lucy knew open adoption was the right choice.
The Lifetime Adoption coordinators can help you as well. We have many adoptive families interested in adopting toddlers, sibling sets, and special needs children. Choosing adoption for your child is a hard and heartbreaking decision, but it can also be the most loving choice. When you call Lifetime, you can know that a caring and non-judgmental adoption coordinator will be available to explain your options and put you in touch with the resources you need. All of your questions and concerns will be answered honestly, and you will never receive pressure, just information. Call or text Lifetime Adoption anytime, and we will be there for you.
*Name has changed for privacy.
Adoption Help in Pittsburgh
At Lifetime Adoption, you can be sure you will have:
- Free Peer and Professional Counseling
- A variety of adoptive parents’ profiles to choose from all of whom have completed home studies and background checks.
- Support is available 24-hours/seven days a week
- The opportunity to receive help with pregnancy-related expenses
- Continued support after the adoption
- And much more!
Adoption Agencies in Pittsburgh
At Lifetime Adoption, you can be sure you will have:
- Free Peer and Professional Counseling
- A variety of adoptive parents’ profiles to choose from all of whom have completed home studies and background checks.
- Support is available 24-hours/seven days a week
- The opportunity to receive help with pregnancy-related expenses
- Continued support after the adoption
- And much more!
Adoption Counseling in Pittsburgh
One option is peer counseling. Our peer counselors are birth mothers who have gone through their own adoption journey and are happy to share their experiences with you. They will listen to you and offer tips and advice.
Professional counseling is also available. Adoption is a big decision and an emotional one. A professional counselor can help you work through the decision-making process. She will also help you understand all the different emotions that you may feel.
Maternity Hospitals in Pittsburgh
- Will you hold your baby after the birth?
- Who would you like in the room when you go into labor?
- Would you like to be the first person to hold your baby?
- Would you like the adoptive parents to come to the hospital?
- Would you like to go home before or after your baby is released?
Your coordinator will also work with the hospital staff and the adoptive parents once your hospital plan is in place. She will make sure your wishes are understood and followed.
In the Pittsburgh area, there are several hospitals with labor and delivery services:
UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital
St. Clair Hospital
The Midwife Center For Birth & Women’s Health
West Penn Hospital
Your coordinator will work with you wherever you choose to deliver your baby. Our Lifetime Adoption coordinators have worked with women who have given birth at home and even women who went into labor while traveling out of state.
How to Start the Adoption Process
If you are considering placing your child for adoption in Pittsburgh, first call or text Lifetime Adoption or fill out our contact form. A Lifetime Adoption coordinator will explain the entire adoption process. All of the resources and services you need will be provided. An adoption coordinator is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In addition to resources, your adoption coordinator will show you profiles of Lifetime adoptive families, which can be viewed online. You can view adoptive families by clicking here. You can learn all about their lifestyles, values, faith, and history. You can choose a family who lives in Pennsylvania or somewhere else in the United States. Once you choose the family for your child, your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will help you get to know them if that is your choice. Your adoption coordinator be there with you through the entire adoption process.
If you have a need for support or resources in the Pittsburgh area, your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will help you access those resources. Just call or text Lifetime today to get started.
Other Paths to Adoption in Pittsburgh
Relative or kinship adoption is also an option in Pittsburgh that gives you a say in where your child is placed. In this case, a family member, who is usually blood-related to the child, adopts your child. Know that there can be some challenges. You need to be sure your relative understands that adoption is a permanent situation. Make sure that boundaries are understood, and everyone understands their role.
Only you can decide which of these options is right for you and your baby. Think about the pros and cons of each type of adoption or placement and speak to a counselor if you are unsure.
Adopting in Pittsburgh
Do you dream of enjoying Kennywood Park with your son or daughter or viewing the animals with your child at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium? Are you considering domestic adoption as a way to grow your family? If so, Lifetime Adoption coordinators are available to walk you through how to adopt a child in Pittsburgh. Your Lifetime Adoption professional will answer all of your questions and provide you with the information you need for a successful open domestic adoption.
If you are considering adopting a newborn baby or a child up to the age of six in the Pittsburgh area, contact Lifetime Adoption at 727-493-0933. Our Lifetime Adoption coordinators, who are experts at matching birth mothers and adoptive families, are available to speak with you. You can also visit the Lifetime Adoption website for a free online adoption application for more information.
Begin the Adoption Process
Beginning the adoption process is easy. Your first step is to fill out our online application. To apply is free, and you will not be obligated in any way.
Once your application is reviewed and you are pre-approved, a Lifetime Adoption coordinator will contact you. The entire Lifetime Adoption process will be explained, and your adoption coordinator will answer any questions you may have.
Adoption Attorneys in Pittsburgh
Home Study Services in Pittsburgh
In Pittsburgh, how does the home study process work? You will have a home study social worker, who will have a background check done, and you will provide her with the following:
- Financial and Employment Statements such as tax returns, if self-employed -profit and loss statements, and paystubs.
- Medical Statements from your doctor verifying you are both physically and mentally capable of caring for a child
- You will provide three written references from friends or co-workers verifying that you are suitable adoptive parents
- Verification of your marital status
Your home study social worker will conduct a home visit as part of your home study. This visit is to establish that you can provide a safe and loving home to raise a child in. The home study social worker will interview everyone who is living in the home. She will ask questions about your views on parenting, marriage, and family. This information will be in the home study report that is submitted to the court.
Finalization of Adoption at Court
Finalization of adoption is your final step on your adoption journey and will take place in court. This will happen once you have been matched with a birth mother, your baby has arrived, and your home study has been completed.
Pennsylvania adoption law requires that the birth mother cannot sign papers until 72 hours after the birth. After placement, the adoptive family must have three follow-up visits by the social worker.
Your adoption attorney will file all of the adoption paperwork at the district courthouse and set a date for the hearing. In Pittsburgh, that will be at your local Allegheny County Courthouse.
The judge will review your home study and other required documents at the adoption finalization hearing. Once satisfied, he will then issue the final decree of adoption. This will be a wonderful occasion and a time to celebrate.
Other Paths to Adoption
International adoption is another option.
If you choose international adoption, it is important to work with an international adoption agency that specializes in adoption in the country you are interested in. Be sure they can show a proven track record of successful adoptions in the country of your choice, as well as references. The nations of Africa, China, and Eastern Europe are some of the more popular countries to adopt from. Here are some agencies that specialize in international adoption:
Adopt International
Foster Care Adoption
To adopt from foster care in Pittsburgh, you must qualify as a foster parent and those requirements are:
- You can be married, single, or partnered
- You can be any race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender
- You have a desire to help a child succeed
- You are willing to accept a child, and possibly siblings, as a temporary member of your family
- You meet all state requirements
- You undergo a criminal and child abuse background check
- You are at least 21 years of age
- You complete 15 hours of pre-service training
- You demonstrate proof of income
You can also view children in the foster care system who are waiting to be adopted across the nation at AdoptUSKids.
Mardie Caldwell
Funding Your Adoption
Called To Adoption
Open Adoption Webinars
Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is a Licensed Child Placing Agency in both Florida and Arkansas. (License FL #100096562 & AR #00050809)
We are a Safe Haven Approved Agency.
Copyright © | Lifetime Adoption
Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is a Licensed Child Placing Agency in both Florida and Arkansas. (License FL#100084254 AR#00050809)
Copyright © | Lifetime Adoption