5 Things to Know Before Placing Your Child With an Adoptive Family
Many people who get pregnant at a young age or at an inconvenient time consider placing their child with an adoptive family. This may be a good solution for young women who, at this point in their lives, believe that another family could provide the child a better life. If this describes your current situation, know that there is adoption support in Coeur d’Alene where you can get all the information you need. You don’t have to go through the process alone. You have time to learn more and to think carefully about what you want.
1. You Have a Support Network to Help You
While adoption is a good path for many people, it may or may not be right for you. Before you decide, explore every option, including raising the child yourself. If this is something you think you want to do but are scared, nervous, or just not sure if you can handle it, speak to your family and friends and ask how they could help you to raise your child. You may find that they are more supportive than you think.
If you don’t have your own support system, you can always reach out to Open Arms Real Choices Clinic. We can connect you with other parents who are going through a similar experience, or who have already gone through it, and you can learn from their perspective. Our clinic also offers life skills classes, which can help you learn and build the practical skills necessary to raise a child on your own or with your partner. But if you still do not feel ready, you can pursue adoption – even at the “last minute.”
2. You Can Control Much of the Adoption Process
If you decide that keeping your child is not the right path for you, you can speak to our lay counselors about placing your child with an adoptive family. They can explain to you the different types of adoptions there are. For example, open adoption allows you to get to know the adoptive parents and be involved in your baby’s life. In a semi-open adoption, you will know the adoptive parents’ first names and be able to receive letters and pictures of your child. If you select a confidential adoption, neither the adoptive family nor your child will be able to contact you or obtain information about you.
3. We Can Provide Adoption Support in Coeur d’Alene
Adoption is a legal process, and, because of that, you will have to work with an adoption agency and make some decisions about the type and conditions for the adoption. The lay counselors at Open Arms Real Choices Clinic are here to guide you through the process and give you the information you need to make the decisions that are right for you. They can help you understand how the process works, and explain how adoption could be the best solution for you and your baby so that you will feel good about it now and long into the future.
4. If You Want, You Can Choose Your Child’s Adoptive Parents
“How can I make sure my child has a good life?” is a common concern among birth parents. Rest assured, you do not have to hand your child over to a family you know nothing about. If you already know someone who would like to adopt the baby, that can be arranged. But even if you don’t know anyone, you can be very much involved in the process of choosing adoptive parents by working with the agency.
5. The Father Might Need to Know about the Adoption
Whether the birth father needs to know about adoption or not depends on the law and on your individual circumstances. You should speak to your lay counselor if you’re not sure whether you should tell the father, or if you’re worried about having the conversation with the father. However, it is important to know what is legally required so that the adoption process will run smoothly.
Adoption is a good solution for many parents who, for whatever reason, cannot provide for a child at a particular time in their lives. Today, there are many couples and families who would love to adopt a baby, and placing your child with one of these families is a loving choice, as difficult as it may be. And contrary to what some people assume, you have many options on how you want to arrange the adoption. To speak to someone who can help you decide, contact us at Open Arms Real Choices Clinic today.
