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Benefits of Adoption [And How They Affect You]

There are benefits of adoption for everyone involved:

  • Birth parents giving their baby the best life possible

  • Adoptive parents being able to start or add to their family

  • Adoptees getting the gift of a loving and supportive family

Adoption isn’t an easy thing to do, but most things worth doing aren’t easy. And while everyone involved in the adoption process will experience unique challenges, there will also be unique adoption benefits.

Why Choose American Adoptions?

  • Short wait times
  • We protect your budget
  • A licensed, regulated agency

Learn more about the advantages of choosing American Adoptions, here.

In the meantime, learn a bit more about this topic below.

Birth Mother Benefits in Adoption

Placing a child for adoption is undoubtedly one of the hardest decisions you can make. So, what are the benefits of “giving a baby up” for adoption that make the choice worth it?

  • Giving life to your baby

  • Doing what is best for your life

  • Having an ongoing connection to your child

Adoption benefits the birth mother as much as anyone, if not more.

Unexpectedly learning that you are pregnant can be one of the most stressful times you can ever endure. The pregnancy can halt your education, career and other goals you may have.

On top of that, you may not have the finances or a partner in your life to help raise the child, making your situation more difficult.

These reasons are why you might be selflessly choosing adoption for your baby.

You may consider raising the child yourself, but if you’re considering adoption, it’s because you want your baby to grow up in the best possible situation, with prepared parents who are ready to offer every opportunity to him or her.

And while it is common to hear that a woman is “giving up” a baby for adoption, the truth is that choosing adoption is not giving up or simply “giving your baby away.”

Adoption gives a child a chance at life.

"Adoption has changed my life for the better. I’m able to be a part of my son’s life, while also gaining new family in Katie and Andy. We hit it off instantly and they became a huge support in any choice I made. I chose to place my son to a family through adoption, but adoption truly chose me."

- Rebecca, a grateful birth mother,
 Rebecca's Adoption Story

Adoption provides you with the chance to do what is best for your life and also give your baby an opportunity to have a wonderful future.

And, thanks to open adoption, it’s possible for you to have a lifelong relationship with the baby you place for adoption.

Birth mother benefits in adoption can be great.

Adoption can grant you a second chance at receiving an education and fulfilling your goals, while creating the opportunity for your child to be raised in a home with a loving family who have always dreamed of being parents.

For most birth mothers, knowing that their child is safe and happy is the biggest benefit to adoption of all.

Benefits of Adoption for the Child

We’ve covered the benefits of adoption for adoptive and birth parents. But adoption is all about the child at the center of the journey. What exactly are the adoption benefits for the child involved?

  • A loving family

  • A life of opportunity

  • The chance to fulfill dreams

While there’s no way to say for certain that an adoptee always has a “better life” with adoptive parents, in most cases, adoption creates space for a child to grow, to thrive and to fulfill his or her dreams — opportunities that their birth parents wanted for them, even if they weren’t able to provide them at the time.

One of the biggest benefits of adoption for the child is the chance at a meaningful life filled with love, thanks to the relationship they have with both their adoptive and birth parents.

"My family — both birth and adoptive — didn’t hold back. There is a lot more to adoption than the loss of a birth parent’s child, or the adoptive parent’s gain of a child. Love and loss are mushed together, and so are the families. I’m somewhere mushed in the middle. Pretty content to be there. "

- Diana, an adoptee and American Adoptions staff member,
 Diana's Story

Of course, there are specific challenges that a child who has been adopted may face. But simply being provided with a safe household and loving parents is immensely important to a successful life.

Perhaps more important is the fact that a child who comes home through adoption knows she has two parents who love her, as well as a biological mother who loves her so much that she selflessly chose the best life possible for her child.

In fact, thanks to open adoption, many adoptees have personal relationships with their birth parents for the rest of their lives.

Benefits of Adoption for Adoptive Parents

Obviously, the biggest benefits of adopting a child involve getting to be parents. But there are more adoption benefits than that for adoptive parents. Many of our clients report the following advantages when choosing adoption:

  • The joy of starting a family

  • The opportunity to raise and love a child

  • A meaningful relationship with the potential birth parents

Hopeful parents come to choose adoption for a variety of reasons. A significant number of couples work their whole lives to prepare to start a family, but are met with the painful struggles of infertility.

Others may be LGBTQ couples who dream of starting a family through adoption or surrogacy.

Still, there are other hopeful parents who could have children biologically but see adoption as a beautiful opportunity to love and care for a child.

Whatever path has brought you to adoption, it may not have been easy. We want anyone considering adoption to know that there are real benefits of adopting a child, and you can experience those benefits.

The joy of starting a family is difficult to describe.

It’s a clarifying moment — something that makes anyone realize what really matters in life.

At American Adoptions, one of the best things about helping thousands of hopeful parents complete an adoption is seeing the joy on a new parent’s face when they hold their baby for the first time.

But, of course, that is really only the beginning of the journey and one of the earliest benefits to adoption.

The chance to raise a child, to watch them grow and do everything possible to help them thrive, is a wonderful opportunity.

Even though it may not feel like it sometimes — like when a baby decides 3 a.m. is their new favorite time to be awake or a teenager is in an inexplicably bad mood — parenting a child from infancy to adulthood is one of the most amazing benefits of domestic adoption.

Throughout this whole journey, you have a chance to establish a meaningful relationship with your child’s birth parents through open adoption.

This idea may seem scary at first, but open adoption is becoming increasingly common, and many people will tell you about how great it has been in their lives.

“You never can imagine how much love you can have in your heart until you experience it,” Ryan said. “We didn’t realize we could love someone so much until she came into our lives, and we’re really thankful to have the opportunity and that she’s with us now.”

All of this takes hard work, but the benefits for adoptive parents continue through life.

Every smile, laugh, birthday party, new accomplishment and special moment shared with a child is a reminder of how incredible parenting is and how long-lasting the benefits of adoption really are. 

Why Choose American Adoptions?

  • Short wait times
  • We protect your budget
  • A licensed, regulated agency

Learn more about the advantages of choosing American Adoptions, here.

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Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is American Adoptions the right adoption agency choice for many birth mothers?

American Adoptions is one of the largest licensed adoption agencies in the United States. Each year, we work with thousands of women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and offer assistance to these women. Our large, caring staff is able to assist you seven days a week and provide you with one-on-one counseling about your pregnancy and available options.

You should choose an adoption agency where you feel completely comfortable with their services and staff. With American Adoptions, you will work with an Adoption Specialist who is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Adoption Specialist will be your advocate and will provide support and guidance as you create an adoption plan that is right for you.

How will the family tell my child about me and the adoption when my child is older?

Each family has their own style of introducing adoption to the child. When you are matched with an adoptive family, you can ask them this question. If you would like your Adoption Specialist to discuss it for you, just let her know. He or she can share your wishes or provide good ideas from other adoptive families.

You will also be able to share what you want your baby to know about you. You can complete a keepsake booklet to share hobbies, stories, photos of you and your family and a letter to your baby. The adoptive family can provide this to your child as he or she grows older. Be as creative as you like! Some birth mothers have even knitted a special blanket as a gift to their baby or given a similar symbol of their love.

The father of your baby can fill out the birth father's keepsake booklet or write a letter too. You may have other family members who would also like to share photos or a letter to the baby. This is your opportunity to pass on your and your family's love and to share your personality, history and reasons for choosing adoption. The adoptive family will treasure whatever information you provide and will share it with the baby at an appropriate age. In most adoptive homes, the word adoption is in the child's vocabulary early on, and adoption is celebrated in their lives.

Additional Resources

Teen Pregnancy - Information for Young Women

While not every woman who chooses adoption is a young mother, many are. Through adoption, many young women have found an ability to give their babies the best life possible, while finding the opportunity to realize their own dreams, as well. Call American Adoptions today at 1-800-ADOPTION.

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Adoption Glossary

Do adoption terms and phrases leave you feeling confused? Learn the meaning to key adoption words and phrases with our comprehensive adoption glossary.

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