Giving Your Child Up for Adoption as a Christian [What to Know]

If you’re Christian considering adoption because of an unplanned pregnancy, this is definitely an option for you. Adoption is always a brave and selfless decision, and the Christian tradition has always been an advocate of adoption.

Experiencing an unplanned pregnancy is one of the most stressful situations you’ll ever find yourself in. It’s normal to have many questions if this is something you’re going through, particularly if your religion is important to you. You might be wondering: 

• Is it wrong to give my baby up for adoption if I’m a Christian?

• Is putting a child up for adoption a sin?

• What’s the Christian view of placing a baby for adoption?

• Is there a prayer for expectant mothers considering adoption?

Here’s the most important answer: you can always choose to give your baby up for adoption if you feel that that’s the best choice for you.

Take time to breathe and think about what is best for you and your baby. If you want a Christian perspective, considering speaking with a religious leader in your community, whether that’s a preacher, a pastor, a church elder, or someone else whose views you respect and look up to. In the meantime, the following information may be helpful to you as a Christian woman considering adoption.

Is it Wrong to "Give My Baby Up" for Adoption if I’m a Christian?

Giving your child up for adoption as a Christian is not wrong. If you make the selfless choice to place your child with a family who can give him or her the best life imaginable, in no way is that considered a sin.

If you’re wondering, “Is it a sin to put a child up for adoption?” the answer is “no.” It can be helpful to consider the benefits of adoption for you, your baby, and the adoptive family should you choose this path. These include:

• Helping a family to have a child

• Ensuring that your baby is financially provided for

• Ensuring that your baby grows up in a safe, stable and loving home

• Gaining access to both emotional and financial support throughout and after your pregnancy

• Remaining an important part of your child’s life through open or semi-open adoption

It can also be helpful, when considering the Christian view of placing a baby for adoption, to turn to the Bible.

Scriptures About Giving a Child Up for Adoption

We frequently hear questions from women looking for Bible verses about giving up a child. For Christians, the Bible can be a source of inspiration and comfort, so it’s completely reasonable to search for a Bible verse for someone giving up a child for adoption. If this is something you have done or are considering doing, the following verses may help provide comfort throughout the adoption process:

• “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

• “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

• “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knows, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8

• “You are the helper of the fatherless. Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.” – Psalms 10:14,17-18

• “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” – 2 Corinthians 6:18

• “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.” – Galatians 4:5

• “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” – James 1:27

• “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

A Prayer for Expectant Mothers Considering Adoption

For many women, it can be helpful to say a prayer for giving baby up for adoption. In terms of a generic prayer for a mom who “gives a baby up” for adoption, that can be difficult as everyone’s experience with adoption is different. We encourage you to talk to God about your own individual situation and ask for guidance and strength.

It can also be helpful to read prayers from adoptive parents for birth parents to see how much that relationship can mean to them. Below, we’ve posted “A Prayer for Birth Parents” from the Adoptimist blog:

“Dear Merciful Father, I ask you to bless all birth parents. Please give them Hope in a bright future and fill that future with abundant blessings; Please give them Peace of mind and heart for that incredible sacrifice they made for their children; Please give them Respect from others for the decision they chose; And Comfort and grace for choosing life over abortion.

I ask you Lord Jesus to Bless all birth parents with a positive relationship with their child’s adoptive families. Please bless these extended families with Clear communication; Constant gratitude; and Unconditional love. I ask the Lord Jesus to heal the families that have not had a positive relationship in the past and to move forward with forgiveness, mercy and love.

May the Holy Spirit assure every birth parent: That they are never alone; That God loves them on a level so incredibly deep no human heart could fully comprehend it; That there is always a reason to hope; And that God created them for a reason only they can fulfill. May all birth parents be blessed with Endurance during difficult times; Optimism for the road ahead; and Confidence in Divine Love. I ask this most especially for my own child’s/children’s birth parents. Amen.”

Benefits of Adoption

If you’re considering adoption for your baby as a Christian, you will have access to many benefits and resources when you work with a national adoption agency like American Adoptions.

Just a few of these benefits are:

• Financial assistance: As the birth parent, you will never have to pay for adoption. Throughout your pregnancy, our adoption financial assistance will cover pregnancy costs and living expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, etc. We want to be sure you are supported and well taken care of throughout your pregnancy.

• Open adoption: American Adoptions is a big proponent of open adoption. An open adoption will allow you to decide how much post placement contact you would like to have with your child and their adoptive family. This contact could look like texts, calls, emails, photos and in-person visits. This will give you peace of mind knowing how your child is doing, and your child will never have to wonder about where they came from.

• Choosing the adoptive family: You will always have control over your adoption plan. Your adoption specialist will help facilitate your decisions, but you get to call the shots. One such decision is choosing the family who will raise your child so that you never have to worry about who is raising your child. To get an idea of the prospective adoptive families we work with, feel free to look at our Christian adoptive family profiles.

These are just a few of the benefits you can experience with American Adoptions. Many of our adoption specialists have gone through the adoption process as birth parents, adoptive parents and even adoptees. This firsthand experience allows us to give you the empathetic and informed support you deserve.

“I can never thank them [American Adoptions] enough. As if that wasn’t enough, I found this amazing couple that could have only been chosen by God himself. From the moment I met this couple, I knew that I was making the right choice. Even though it was the right choice, it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but through the grace of God and this amazing couple we have all found a new sense of hope,” said Jenny about her adoption experience.

Finding Christian Adoptive Parents with American Adoptions

Feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-ADOPTION to get free, helpful advice. If you do decide that adoption is right for you, we can help you create an adoption plan you feel comfortable with and assist you in searching for Christian adoptive parents, if it is important to you that your baby’s adoptive family share your faith. Because of our national scope, we work with all sorts of hopeful adoptive couples all over the country. This means you will have a better chance at finding the perfect Christian family for your baby in a shorter amount of time. In fact, if you feel strongly about having your baby raised by a family of your denomination (Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist,etc.) we work with so many diverse families that we can make this happen for you.

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