Adoption counseling will help you consider all your options. Whether choosing an adoption plan or choosing to parent your child, the decisions you make may not be easy. However, the counselors at Adoption Resources are here to listen and support you so you can make the best choices for you and your baby.
No. You cannot sign anything that commits you to adoption until after your child is born. In Massachusetts, where Adoption Resources is located, the soonest you can sign legal documents regarding an adoption plan is four days after the birth of the child. The time period varies from state to state, and we will inform you of the legal process in your state.
We work with birth parents in all areas of the country. Some of our birth parents are teens, and many are in their 20's, 30's, and even 40's. For many of our clients, economic stress is a frequent problem. Some birth parents are students, some are working, and some are unemployed. Some of our birth parents are married and some birth parents are no longer with the father of their child. Many birth parents are already parents. Some of our birth mothers have been raped. All of our birth parents want what is best for their child.
We can arrange for transitional care to give you enough time to be certain of your decision.
Our professional staff carefully and thoroughly screen each adoptive parent. Screening includes a thorough review of:
- State child abuse registry and criminal records
- Health histories
- Financial stability
- Emotional stability
- Personal references
- The adoptive family's home readiness
- Understanding adoption as perceived by a child
All adoptive parents are thoroughly and sensitively educated to the needs of birth parents and adopted children.
We will work out a budget with you and, if necessary, help with medical, legal, and living expenses.
Yes. It is important that you know how your child is doing as he or she grows up. Through our agency, adoptive families will send you letters and pictures on an ongoing basis for 18 years. If you prefer, we will hold these letters until such time as you request them.
Adoptive parents, upon the adoption of the baby, sign an agreement with our agency to send letters and pictures to the agency that are then sent to the birth mother based on an agreed upon schedule. Specific update agreements may also be legally enforceable by the court if you so choose.
Some birth parents choose to stay in touch with the adoptive parents and their child through sending letters, cards, pictures and small gifts. Adoptive parents like to have updated information about you that they may share with your child.
You and your counselor will talk about the situation between you and the birth father. Generally, the birth father does have the right to know about the adoption plan. While some birth fathers are reluctant about adoption, frequently it is because they do not know how an adoption plan is made. The birth father can be involved with you or may need to receive counseling individually. Whatever the situation, your counselor can talk with you about the birth father's role in the planning for this child.
We can still work with you. However, it is important that we work to make sure that the adoption is legally permanent. Therefore, we need to honestly understand the situation regarding the birth father, and assess the legal risks to the adoption if he later appears.
Adopted children certainly ask many questions. As your child grows up, he or she will have many questions about your reasons for making an adoption plan. Most important will be the knowledge that you worked hard to make the best decision for your child and that you put his or her needs before your own. The adoptive parents will have the opportunity to meet you and know that your planning for your child's needs involved tremendous care and courage. They will be able to share this with your child. In addition, you will be able to answer you child's questions in your own words through letters you may choose to exchange in years to come.