Placing A Baby for a MO Adoption While in Prison
Prison is the last place anyone wants to be when delivering a baby. The pressure of a sentence is hard enough, but societal factors still make things worse. Employment problems after being released are one of many worries. In the meantime, getting care for your baby can’t wait. The unique situation of the incarcerated mom always adds the factor of who will take care of the baby. MO adoption is an option for birth mothers who are not able to parent for one reason or another and are considering adoption. Because your freedom is restricted in jail, there may be additional obstacles to a smooth process, but it is not impossible. Giving your child the best life is well worth the stress of it all. Once your different factors are demystified, your next steps should be more clear.
Is Adoption The Right Choice?
Deciding whether adoption in MO is the best option is hard enough, but being in jail complicates things further. Laws on what happens to children of adoption vary from state to state, and children who are not placed with family are often put into foster care. In many cases, the children can be adopted without parental consent if they are in the foster care system after a certain length of time. To know your options, it is best to talk to your caseworker or legal advisor. The length of your sentence should be considered when choosing adoption. The caseworker will answer any questions you have and will give you the information you need. Adoption Choices of Missouri offers legal help to birth mothers.
Choosing an Adoptive Family for My Baby
Chances are, you probably want to pick the family that adopts your child. It is a common choice for pregnant inmates to entrust their child to a trusted family member, but it is not possible in some cases. Being in prison does not stop you from choosing an adoptive family. Our adoption agency will send profiles once you discuss your preferences with your caseworker and adoption specialist. How you will interact with the potential adoptive family will depend on prison regulations. You may send and receive letters, phone calls, and possibly visits to get to know the adoptive family. It is also possible to give your child to your baby’s birth father if he wants to be involved in your child’s life.
Finalizing The MO Adoption Process
After you’ve chosen the family, you will have to think about your delivery options and how much contact you want to have with the adoptive family afterward. Limitations imposed by the prison will likely mean the MO adoption will be semi-open if communication is desired. You will receive letters, photos, and other updates from the adoptive family with the adoption agency as a mediator. Semi-open adoption leaves the door open for further contact later when your circumstances change.
Delivery options in jail are more restrictive to prison moms. In many cases, only the doctor and the correctional officers are present. With the skyrocketing numbers of women going to jail, more parents have these types of concerns. Some prisons have nurseries that allow incarcerated parents to raise their children for a period of time before the child goes elsewhere. Unfortunately, these nurseries are few and far between, so check with your caseworker. Adoption is free to all birth mothers, whether incarcerated or not. You are still entitled to prenatal care during your sentence, and the prison can not withhold that from you. For the delivery, you will be transported to the nearest hospital. The basic steps for adoption are still the same even when the birth mom is imprisoned. Above all else, make sure adoption is the best option for you first. Your parietal rights are terminated once the adoption process is complete and the adoptive parents become the legal guardians. Your caseworker will walk you through the process as you look into your options.
Adoption Choices of Missouri helps women of all situations navigate the MO adoption process. Prison is hard enough, and a coming baby makes things more complicated, but there’s still hope. Remember that you are not giving up on your child if you choose adoption. The goal of MO adoption is to give your child the best future they can have to be happy. Our adoption agency in Missouri offers legal help and other resources to help mothers. We will be more than happy to help and provide you with more information when you are ready.
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 816-527-9800
Meet the author: Seannea Wharton is a student at Miami University majoring in English. As of now, she is working on her first novel, starting a book blog, and learning American Sign Language. She was raised in a suburban town in New Jersey and has various hobbies such as gardening, cooking, and crocheting. She enjoys learning about a wide range of topics and loves finding new books to read.