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What Is It Called When You Give up Your Child?

What to Know about Choosing Adoption for Your Child

As a prospective birth mother, providing your child with a life of endless love and opportunity is the top priority. Whether you are about to deliver your baby, have already given birth or have just brought your baby home, adoption is still an option.

Placing your child for adoption can not only create a better future for yourself, but it can also create a better future for your child. If you feel like your life is out of control, then adoption could be the perfect way to find stability.

Whenever you’re ready to begin this beautiful journey, American Adoptions is here for you. That’s why you can contact us online at any time to get more adoption information now.

What Is It Called When You Give Up Your Child?

“Giving up” your child means pursuing adoption through an agency. But you’re not giving up on your child. Rather, you are giving them a wonderful gift: the life they deserve. Our adoption agency will help you make an adoption plan, receive financial assistance and much more.

How Can I Give Up My Child?

If you’re wondering what to do if you don’t want your child anymore, then there are five general steps involved in the adoption process:

  • Step 1: Contact our agency to connect with a birth parent specialist.
  • Step 2: Make an adoption plan alongside your birth parent specialist.
  • Step 3: Choose the right adoptive family for your child.
  • Step 4: Receive adoption financial assistance so that the adoption is 100% free for you.
  • Step 5: Complete placement.

If you’d like to learn more about what the process entails, then fill out our online contact form at any time.

Can You Just Give Your Kid Up?

Yes, you can always contact our adoption agency and speak with one of our trusted birth parent specialists. We will help you create a personalized adoption plan that accounts for all your needs and preferences. Every decision in your adoption journey begins with you.

Here are a few things you can do to determine what’s best for your situation:

Birth mother Angelica reflects on how her birth parent specialist at American Adoptions supported her throughout her adoption journey from start to finish.

“You could tell they weren’t just putting on a front to make you want to do it or push you into it,” she said. “They want whatever you want, and that’s what they told me during the whole process. It wasn’t up to them; they were just going to be there for me no matter what decision I made.”

Can You Give Your Child Up at Any Age?

Although there is no age limit for placing your child for adoption, most adoption agencies, including American Adoptions, typically work with children under 4. If your child is older, then you may want to contact a social services department where state-funded resources are readily available for you.

They may be able to provide financial support for necessary living expenses like health care and affordable housing. There is also temporary guardianship, in which a relative or close friend looks after your child for a designated amount of time. They’ll temporarily care for your child until you’re ready to resume parenting.

Does Putting a Child Up for Adoption Cost Money?

Placing a child for adoption is 100% free. By choosing adoption, you’ll receive our free, comprehensive services and adoption financial assistance. Although each state has its own laws about the amount of financial assistance you can receive, you can also get coverage for living expenses, such as:

  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Groceries
  • Legal fees
  • Transportation to doctor’s visits
  • Maternity clothing
  • And more

Our free support allows you to focus on carrying a safe, healthy pregnancy, rather than your bank account. Because of our national scope and full-service resources, our adoption financial assistance means you can achieve your lifelong dreams while giving your baby the best future possible.

Adoption is still an option for you. Contact us online today to get more free information now.

Disclaimer
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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