The Basics Every Birth Mother Should Know When Choosing Adoption Through a Missouri Adoption Agency

Are you a pregnant woman or birth mother trying to find out more information about adoption, but suddenly you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of information? Or the articles you do find are all geared towards prospective adoptive families, with you feeling left out in the cold? With so much material about adoption floating around out there, navigating your adoption options can feel a bit overwhelming sometimes. But we are here to throw you a lifeline and tell you that it’s all going to be OK! Adoption Choices of Missouri is here for you with around-the-clock care and support for any of your adoption needs or questions about our Missouri adoption agency. 

What You Should Know When Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri

The most important rule to remember when it comes to adoption is that you, the birth mother, are the one in control. After all, adoption is all about consent. You should never feel like you are being pressured into making such an important decision, and you reserve the right to change your mind about adoption at any point in the process. You are the one choosing to place your baby for adoption, which means you get to call the shots. But what exactly does that entail? And how does that work when using an adoption agency?

• You get to make the adoption plan and choose what type of adoption is right for you. As the birth mother, you get to make your own adoption plan. This means that you get to decide what level of involvement you would like after the adoption is completed. Depending on what type of adoption you pick, you can have an open, semi-open, or closed adoption. In an open adoption, you and the adoptive family leave identifying information so that you can maintain contact through phone calls and in-person visits. This allows you to stay in touch and get to know your child as he or she grows up throughout the years. Your adoption caseworker will be able to go more in-depth over the details of making an adoption plan and laying out visitation guidelines. 

• Birth mothers get to select the adoptive family. A major part of making your adoption plan is selecting the adoptive family. Some factors to consider are whether you’re open to different backgrounds, like transracial, LGBTQ+, or single-parent adoptive families. Although there are many adoptive family criteria to consider, you should know that every family in our adoptive family portfolios has been pre-screened and pre-qualified. We perform rigorous home studies to ensure that your baby is going to a safe and loving home that will give them the best opportunities in life, no matter which adoptive family you choose. 

• There are many financial, medical, and legal resources available for birth mothers. Remember, adoption should never be at any cost to you, the birth mother. In fact, you should actually be receiving some of the financial assistance available to birth mothers. Some of the services we provide access to are safe housing, rent and utility assistance, transportation, medical aid, and legal representation. Your adoption caseworker will work hard to make sure that you receive any and all of these resources that are available to you. 

• You are never alone on your adoption journey. Even though you are making this loving and selfless decision so that your baby may have the best prospects in life, it is only natural that you will experience some grief over the loss of parenthood. We understand that it is not always easy to adjust to post-placement life overnight. Not only are there plenty of birth mother blogs and discussion groups available to you, but we also offer mental health and emotional support services for birth mothers. These counseling services even extend beyond to after the adoption process is completed.
    

• Please make sure that you pick an adoption agency that is both full-service and licensed. It is crucial that you choose an adoption agency that is both a full-service and licensed agency. In order to receive all the extra 24/7 care and support, as well as access to all of those important resources mentioned before, you need an adoption agency that will work tirelessly to make sure that you have all the financial, medical, legal, and emotional support services that are available to you. Additionally, going through a licensed adoption agency will ensure that the adoptive family you are placing your baby matches our high-quality standards by performing home studies.

Call Us Today If You Are Pregnant and Considering Adoption Through a Missouri Adoption Agency

Whether you are a birth mother who has already chosen adoption or a pregnant woman who needs help exploring your unplanned pregnancy options, our Missouri adoption agency is here to help you every step of the way. Our adoption specialists will gladly answer any questions you may have as they help guide you on your adoption journey. Call Adoption Choices of Missouri today so that we can get to work helping you as soon as possible.

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: Kelly Felix is a graduate from the University of New Orleans. She holds a BA in English as well as a BA in Sociology. Her English concentration is in journalism, and her specialties in sociology are gender studies and environmental sociology.

When she isn’t voraciously guzzling coffee or devouring books, Kelly can be found either bent over a canvas working on her art or at her computer playing video games. She has hands-on classroom teaching experience from her time working as a substitute teacher for Kelly Services. Kelly also completed an in-house editorial internship at Pelican Publishing Company, and she finished the goal internship program at Green Light New Orleans. Kelly generally exists in a state of suspended disbelief, but when she’s not there she resides in New Orleans.