If you’re pregnant, you’ve got options, and adoption is one of them. But adoptions can be confusing. How do adoptions work? What will my baby think of being adopted? What will my baby think of me? How do I know my baby’s adoptive parents will take good care of my child? Let us put your fears to rest by answering these and other questions for you:
Will my baby know I love them? Yes! Absolutely yes! Adoptive parents are excited to share with their adopted baby about their adoption story and about your courage and love. Choosing adoption is a very courageous, selfless, act of love towards your child, and they will grow up knowing this.
How do I know my child’s adoptive parents will love them? In order to adopt, couples must go through a very long and stringent process of home studies, background checks, trainings, and mountains upon mountains of paper work. Birth mothers (mother who place a child for adoption) are given a caseworker to help them process what they’re going through and help them decide what’s best for them and their baby, but adoptive parent caseworkers are there to make sure that the couple meets Gladney standards of great parents. Your child’s best interest is always the heart of our caseworkers.
How do I place a child for adoption? At Gladney, placing a child for adoption is a process that always begins with gathering information. An options counselor can provide a listening ear and can help you evaluate your life goals, finances, living situation, and relationship with baby’s birth father in order to sort out if adoption is the right choice for you. If you choose adoption, you will be given the option of living in a comfortable dorm with other birth moms, but if that doesn't sound enticing to you, you can still live at home. You will then get to know your caseworker, and finally be given the opportunity to complete the necessary form. After all of this, you can get started finding the perfect family for your baby, and yes, YOU get to choose your baby’s family. Online parent profiles and adoptive family photo books are a fun way to get to know potential families. Finally, you will spend time planning your delivery with your caseworker and a medical professional.
What happens to me after my child is born? If you have elected to have some sort of contact with your child throughout their life, you can look forward to hearing from them in the future. Additionally, you will always be a part of the Gladney family. The Next Steps program is here just for you. They offer individual counseling, access to support groups, and career planning help. You will forever be cared for at Gladney.
How is adoption a good thing? Adoption is a beautiful process for expectant mothers who, for oftentimes emotional or financial reasons, don't feel prepared to parent the child they’re carrying. Instead, they choose to give both their baby and themselves the best opportunity possible at having a happy, successful, and meaningful life by placing their child with a couple who is ready to parent. Adopted children grow up feeling extremely loved because of the sacrifices made by their birth mother and their adopted parents in order to have them. Adoption gives birth mothers access to medical care, legal services, counseling, support groups, future planning, support during pregnancy, and much more. In all ways, adoption is an opportunity gifting birth mothers and their babies the possibility of a second chance.
Still have questions about adoption? Our options counselors are here with answers.
