5 Top Facts about Adoption: What to Know as a Birth Mother
Adoption is such a wonderful decision for pregnant women who experience an unplanned pregnancy. This option gives your child a chance at a better and brighter future while providing you with the opportunity to experience moments in your life that you wouldn’t otherwise have if it wasn’t for adoption being an option.
If you have discovered that you are unexpectedly pregnant and are thinking about placing your baby for adoption, you may be feeling overwhelmed and have thoughts along the lines of: What type of future can I offer my child at this time in life?
At our adoption agency, Adoption Choices of Missouri, we take pride in providing you with the resources that you may need. There are many important facts about adoption that you should know, and we are here to share those with you. Here are the top five adoption facts that you will need to know moving forward through your adoption journey.
- Older Adoptive Parents
As a birth mother, you may come across potential adoptive parents who may be older. Adoption does not limit parents by age. By your birth child having older adoptive parents, he or she will gain such wise perspectives of looking at the world. So, while the adoptive parents may be older, their love for your birth child will be unconditional as they embrace parenthood.
- Placing Your Baby for Adoption Privately vs. Working with an Adoption Agency
When it comes to choosing how you want to place your baby for adoption, you can opt for one of two ways. There is private adoption or choosing to work with an adoption agency. With private adoption, it’s up to you to find your own adoption lawyers, caseworkers and adoption professionals. Yet, with an adoption agency — like ours — we provide that support and adoption team for you.
That said, if you choose to work with our adoption agency, you will have support, encouragement and guidance throughout your adoption journey. You will also have access to our free counseling services, financial assistance and all of our other adoption resources.
- Adoption Laws Vary by State
Every state has its own adoption laws that will let you know what types of adoption are available and what paperwork needs to be completed. These could include, but are not limited to: how much time you have to sign away your parental rights, change your mind and what happens if the adoptive family lives in another state. While it’s important for you to learn about these adoption laws, be sure to consult your adoption caseworker with any questions you have regarding them and your specific circumstances.
- Adoption isn’t “Giving Up” Your Baby
Adoption is “giving up” your baby. It is the selfless, loving and brave choice to place your baby with kind and caring adoptive parents. By doing so, you are entrusting that they will raise your birth child and provide him or her with the best opportunities in life that you’re unable to give them right now. Choosing adoption means that you want what’s best for your child and are doing everything you can to make sure they get that.
- You May be Eligible for Financial Assistance
As an expectant mother going through your adoption journey, you may qualify for financial assistance. This will help cover your living expenses, like: rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and medical care. Our adoption agency can also help you apply for Medicaid and other state and government-funded programs as needed.
Advice for Birth Mothers: Important Facts about Adoption to Know
If you are thinking about placing your baby for adoption, and aren’t sure where to start, that’s okay. We hope that this list of five adoption facts will help guide you in your adoption journey. All of these facts will let you know the important things to consider when going through your adoption and help you decide which adoption route you would like to take moving forward.
Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800
Meet the Author: Samara Wiley is a published author of poetry, essays, and an environmental children’s storybook called, Waiting for the Water Fairy. She graduated from Benedictine University in 2018 with a double Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and French.She has been published in three small poetry anthologies one was called Talented.
Her other writing accomplishments include: winning a high school poetry competition and $2500 for her high school, having two out of her five novels be considered for publication and writing movie critic reviews for her university’s newsletter.
Although she has Cerebral Palsy and has had a turbulent childhood, Samara puts these small specs of herself into her writing to personally connect with her audience. She prides herself on pushing the boundaries in her writing and in her personal life with everything she does. Samara writes with her heart and a voice of compassion, and loves to pull from her top passions in life.
She currently lives in Yorkville, Illinois with her mom and two sisters.
