What is adoption?
Adoption is when someone legally takes another person’s child and raises it as their own.
If you are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and considering placing your baby for adoption or are looking for an adoptive family for your baby or toddler for any reason, consider contacting one of the groups listed below who are ready to help you 24 hours a day. They can answer your questions and help you decide if adoption is best for you and your child.
Adoption Options
When a baby or child is placed by their birth parents for adoption in the United States, there are several options to consider:
Open adoption is where you meet, and sometimes choose the family who will be adopting your child. Even before your baby is born, you will be able to make plans with the adoptive family about how much you want to be involved with your child in the future. It’s your choice.
Semi-open adoption is when you work with an adoption agency and can choose the adoptive family from their profile, which usually has their pictures and references in it and a note from them to prospective birth parents. Any contact between you and your child after they are adopted would be through the adoption agency you chose.
Closed adoption is when you never meet or have contact with the adoptive family. This option offers the most privacy for birth parents.
If you are considering placing your baby for adoption,
OptionLine is an excellent help source for you that can connect you with adoption help in your area:
You can call them at 1-800-712-4357 or contact them through chat or email. Below are several other organizations that offer help and resources for expectant mothers and expectant fathers who are considering adoption as an option:
Abrazo Adoption Associates: Excellent website for birthparents, with a Birthparent Helpline: CALL 1-800-454-LOVE (5683) or text “help me” to 210-860-5683 and they will help you day or night. They are prepared to answer your questions and help you 24/7.
American Adoptions: Excellent website for birthparents and expecting mothers and fathers, that has information re: Why “Giving a Baby Up for Adoption” is not “Giving Up;” “Eight Reasons Why Women ‘Give a Child Up’ for Adoption,” “Putting Children Up for Adoption Together,” and many other important questions and concerns expectant parents and birth parents may have.
Bethany Christian Services is the largest national adoption and family services organization in the United States. It offers a wide variety of services and information for pregnant women and birthfathers of all ages.
NCFA (National Council for Adoption) is an excellent organization that helps Expectant Parents, Birth Parents, Adopted Individuals and Adoptive Parents and Adoption Professionals.
OptionLine Excellent website for expectant parents and for women who think they might be pregnant but aren’t sure and don’t know what to do.
