Lifetime Adoption > Adoption in Tennessee

Adoption in Tennessee

Tennessee Adoption, Home Studies and More

If you live in the Volunteer State and would like more information on adoption, Lifetime Adoption coordinators are ready to provide all the information you need. If you are thinking about placing your child for adoption or you are thinking about adopting a child, our Lifetime coordinators are here to answer your questions and help you work through your decision-making process.

Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Tennessee

It can feel overwhelming when your pregnancy test comes back positive, and it is not what you were hoping for. This is life-changing, and you need to really consider what you do next. Sharing the news with family or friends, and even the baby’s father may create more confusion if they have different opinions of what you should do about your pregnancy.

Take a minute to contact Lifetime Adoption and speak with a kind and non-judgmental voice who can help you calmly consider your options. You can call, text, or fill out our online form, and an adoption coordinator will listen to you, your questions, and your concerns. You can even, at no charge, speak with a professional or peer counselor if you would like. A counselor can help you sort through your emotions and life choices.

What is the Adoption Process in Tennessee?

Since 1986, Lifetime Adoption coordinators have been guiding birth mothers in Tennessee through the adoption process. First, just call, text, or fill out our online form. Your Lifetime coordinator will find out what your dreams and wishes are for your child and what resources and support you need.

Next, you can look through adoptive family profiles to pick a family for your baby or you can ask your coordinator to choose. You may want a family from Tennessee, or you may prefer one from another state. You can let your coordinator know how much contact you would like with the adoptive family during your pregnancy and in the future.

If you are interested in placing a toddler or older child Lifetime can help with that as well. A counselor will help with the transition plan so the change is healthy for you, the adoptive family, and most importantly the child.

If you are pregnant, a hospital plan will be created with the help of your coordinator. This plan will detail who will be in the delivery room, who will hold and feed the baby first, and other details. You will also have your own attorney, who will make sure that you understand the adoption process and know your rights. She will also take care of all the legal paperwork and court filings.

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Open Adoption in Tennessee

Adoption has come a long way, and now, when you choose modern, open adoption, you make all the decisions. For instance, you choose the family for your baby, and you choose what kind of relationship you want in the future. To create a personalized adoption plan for you, your coordinator will ask you questions such as:

What characteristics are you looking for in a family?
What contact with the family would you like to have after the adoption is final?
When you go to the hospital, do you have any special requests?
Would you like the adoptive parents to go to doctor appointments with you?
Do you need help with some pregnancy-related expenses?

There are many loving, hopeful families excited to grow their family through adoption. If parenting does not feel like the right choice for you and your child, placing your child for adoption is a brave and loving decision. While this choice is hard, know that with open adoption, you are not saying goodbye to your baby forever. The adoptive family can send updates and pictures and even have visits. Our birth mothers often have great relationships with the adoptive families of their child. Recently, one of our birth mothers who was getting married asked for her daughter to be there. Her daughter there and the adoptive parents. The adoptive father even walked her down the aisle.

Help With Pregnancy Expenses and More

Lara contacted Lifetime when she was thinking about placing her baby for adoption. She had been in an abusive relationship and decided she needed a change. Now, with nowhere to live and extra expenses due to her pregnancy, she didn’t know what to do. Her Lifetime coordinator explained that in the state of Tennessee, some pregnancy-related expenses may be covered by the adopting parents. The expenses include:

Charges for hospital or medical services related to the birth of the child
Counseling fees for the birth parent relating to the adoption
Adoption legal fees
Reasonable expenses for food, housing, maternity clothing, utilities, or transportation for a reasonable period of time

A professional counselor is available for you to help you with the emotions and decision-making processes surrounding adoption. Peer counselors are also available for you. These women have been where you are and are birth mothers as well. They are happy to share how their adoption process went and help you with your journey.

Tennessee Adoptive Families

Adoption profiles show you waiting adoptive parents of all types and backgrounds in Tennessee. 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.

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Families Considering Adoption in TN

Are you considering adopting a newborn, toddler, or child up to the age of 6 in Tennessee? As a leader in modern, open adoption, Lifetime can make your adoption dreams come true. Creating excellent matches between birth families and adoptive families is what our adoption coordinators have been doing for over three decades. Lifetime coordinators are dedicated to supporting our birth mothers, ensuring they have all the resources they need.

Starting the Adoption Process

To get started on your journey, just fill out our short online application. To apply is free and does mean you are obligated in any way. Your application will be reviewed, and once pre-approved, an adoption coordinator will connect with you to outline the adoption process. You will be given access to the blogs, education, and resources available on our membership site, along with instructions on creating your profile for birth mothers to view. You will also receive information on go to complete your mandatory home study.

Mardie Caldwell, the founder of Lifetime Adoption, created the Lifetime Adoption program due to the journey she experienced when navigating the adoption of her son. Since then, our kind and experienced coordinators will guide you through your adoption process.

Adoption Laws in Tennessee

Tennessee adoption laws can seem complicated. You will not be handling the legal aspects alone. You will have a Tennessee adoption attorney and Lifetime Adoption coordinator to help you.

Typically, in Tennessee, the timeline for legal documentation and the timeline for adoption are as follows.

In general, the birth parents cannot sign the relinquishment papers until three days after the birth. Then the adoption can be finalized three days after relinquishment. Every adoption can have its own unique circumstances, so rely on your Tennessee attorney for legal information.

A home study is required in Tennessee as it is in every state.

Every adoption situation varies. There are exceptions and different legal requirements depending on the individual facts of each adoption. Your adoption attorney is there to ensure your adoption goes smoothly and all legal aspects are done correctly.

Tennessee Home Studies

A home study is a legal document that confirms your ability to parent and adopt a child. Throughout the U.S., a home study is required to proceed with an adoption. Your coordinator will refer a Tennessee home study provider to you.

A home study includes the following:

Information obtained through interviews with all members of the family living in the home
At least one visit to the home
Show adoptive parent’s ability to provide for the child
References from members of the extended family as well as some who are not related to the adoptive family
A review of the character, values, and ethical standards of the adoptive family
Physical and mental health reports for the adoptive family

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

Mardie Caldwell

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