6 Different Types of Adoption Families: What You Should Know as a Birth Mother
Selecting your unborn child’s adoptive parents is a decision that takes time and patience as you sort through the adoptive parent profiles; this is an essential part of the adoption process in the State of Missouri.
When thinking about your child’s adoptive parents, you may be wondering what type of adoptive family will fit you and your baby’s wants and needs, like if you prefer a two-parent household or would consider a one-parent household. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we are here to guide you through your adoption journey, as we have listed the six types of adoptive families you may want to consider for your birth child.
The Types of Missouri Adoptive Families
- Younger
Having young adoptive parents raise your child does not mean young parents might be immature or make them any less of parents. It simply means that they may provide a different perspective to parenting your child. For example, how they parent your child may look somewhat different than you would expect, but they may run into obstacles with the adoptive parents still being young and wanting to explore the outside world more than older adults. This example may cause uncertainty in your decision to select younger adoptive parents because this requires unknown individuals to care for your child in the absence of the adoptive parents.
- Older
Picking older adoptive parents for your birth child means that they may parent your child in the traditional ways of parenthood. Having older/mature parents raise your child may help guide and advise them as they grow up. Older parents may seem like they won’t embrace the new teachings of parenting. However, this may not be the case as older adoptive parents can still adapt to the different parenting styles and still teach your child important life lessons.
- Traditional
As a birth mother, you may have envisioned your child having a traditional family, mother, and father, which is perfectly okay. Having two parents with different parenting styles working as a team may be a top priority in your adoption plan. Having two parents raise your child means your child might get to have two loving parents who will guide and support them as they grow up. Living in a two-parent home might ensure that your child’s wants and needs will be fulfilled. Your birth child will gain two loving parents that will teach them good communication, a foundation in teamwork, and love.
4. LGBTQ
Choosing a same-sex couple as adoptive parents for your birth child might teach your child open communication, understanding, and the meaning of love. An LGBT adoption might help your child grow as they embrace their identity as they grow up, gain confidence, and teach them how to accept others that may be different from them. Furthermore, LGBT parents will constantly be open and transparent with the child, as they understand the challenges that your child may face in life.
5. Single
Choosing a single adoptive parent as your birth child’s parent does not mean your child will be loved any less, just because your adoptive parent chooses to parent alone. Choosing a single adoptive parent to raise your child might provide your child with the same love, care and support that having two parents would. Having a single parent might also teach your birth child how to be independent and that things may not always go as planned but that things will turn out okay. As a birth mother, consider choosing a single adoptive parent to give your child the love and care they deserve.
6. Transracial
Transracial adoption is choosing your child’s adoptive parents based on love, not skin color. Now, if certain values like culture or heritage matter to you, then maybe transracial adoption may not be a good fit for you. However, choosing a transracial adoption gives your birth child a sense of learning and growing not only about their birth culture but also about allowing their adoptive parents to teach them the unique traditions of their adoptive family. Having your birth child grow up in a transracial household may benefit them greatly as they grow to understand diversity and their place in the world.
Advice for you as a Missouri Birth Mother
Choosing your child’s adoptive parents is such an important part of your adoption process. With the help of our agency, Adoption Choices of Missouri, Your birth child
will gain a family full of love, support, and a chance at happiness. Choosing your birth child’s parents might provide you, the birth mother, with a sense of relief as you realize the importance of the values you want to instill in your child’s future. Your child’s adoptive parents will help your child grow and provide your child with a unique and happy family unit full of love.
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.
