How to Start the Adoption Process
Where to Begin with Adoption
Choosing adoption for your child can create a brighter future.
Whether you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy or having second thoughts about raising your baby, adoption is always an option for you. Knowing where to begin with adoption and whom to turn to for guidance is often the hardest part in the early stages of adoption.
For more free information on how to start the adoption process, you can reach out to our team of adoption specialists today or call 1-800-ADOPTION now. We are here to help you.
How to Get Started with Adoption [the Process in 5 Steps]
Giving you a safe and comfortable adoption experience is our priority. So, as you start your journey through the adoption process, we will take into account every need, want and expectation of your adoption plan.
Below are the five steps you will take (with the help of your adoption specialist) to fulfill your adoption goals:
Step 1: Create Your Adoption Plan
Your adoption plan is the foundation of your process. This entails:
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Addressing your adoption needs
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Choosing the type of family you want for your child
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Ensuring your hospital and adoption experiences are safe and smooth
Your adoption plan can ensure this process goes how you want. Contact an adoption professional today to get started.
Step 2: Choose an Adoptive Family for Your Child
Hopeful adoptive parents will fill out an adoption planning questionnaire similar to your adoption plan. Your adoption specialist will help you find a family that best matches your plan and preferences.
To help you choose an adoptive family, ask yourself the following questions:
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Do I want a small family waiting on their first child or a bigger family with children already?
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Do I want a family that lives in the suburbs, city or out in the country?
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Do I want to choose the adoptive family, or do I want my adoption professional to choose one?
You can begin viewing available family profiles to find who you believe will make excellent parents for your child.
Getting immediate access to our hundreds of adoptive family profiles is just one way we support you. All our families:
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Are fully committed to adoption and excited to get to know you
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Have an adoptive family video profile
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Have completed a home study and various background checks
Step 3: Get to Know the Adoptive Family
American Adoptions believes that pre-placement contact is a great way to form a healthy adoption relationship. That’s why we require adoptive families to be open to having a relationship with you during and after placement. But if you want a closed adoption, that's OK, too. It is completely up to you and what makes you feel comfortable.
Over the past few decades, adoption has become increasingly open. Because of this, you can feel confident and at peace knowing you've chosen the life you've always dreamed of for your child.
Knowing where to begin with adoption contact has never been easier. You may interact with the adoptive family through:
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Phone and video calls
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Texts
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In-person visits
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Email exchanges
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Hospital interactions
Step 4: Give Birth and Complete the Legal Steps for Adoption
Choosing adoption for your baby means your medical costs are covered, and you’ll have 24/7 professional support, too.
When you prepare for labor and delivery, your specialist will help you create a hospital plan. Much like your adoption plan, you have full control over the hospital stay.
You’ll get to make decisions like:
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How much time you want to spend with your baby
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Who gets to hold your baby first
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How much interaction you have with the adoptive parents
Once you give birth, you usually must wait between 48–72 hours before you can complete the adoption paperwork, depending on your state’s laws.
Your adoption specialist and adoption attorney will help prepare you for the legal process, too. They’ll make sure you understand all your rights in the adoption.
Step 5: Build a Lifelong Bond through Open Adoption
Placing your child with the adoptive family doesn’t mean your adoption journey is over. It is just the beginning.
Just as you get to decide how to start the adoption process, you also choose how you want your open adoption to look after placement.
“I definitely wanted to be able to see my child grow and progress, and just kind of be a part of different milestones in her life, if possible,” birth mother Colleen said. “It’s a really special opportunity to be able to have a bigger family and be able to share that with many people.”
Most people who choose adoption receive updates on their child for at least 18 years. Some even plan personal visits once per year, if not more.
Get More Information on How to Start the Adoption Process
Michelle, a birth parent specialist and a birth parent herself, is ready to answer any questions you have about adoption: where to begin and how to handle any emotions you may have.
“I am available to answer any questions that arise, particularly from birth moms, as I have been in your shoes and know how you are feeling,” Michelle said. “It was most helpful to me when I had someone to talk to who would just listen to me without making any judgments or conclusions about who I was as a person.”
You can ask Michelle questions about the adoption process online now. You can also call us at 1-800-ADOPTION today or get more free information when you fill out our contact form for prospective birth mothers considering adoption.
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.
