Birth Parents: A few things they should know before making an adoption plan

Making an adoption plan is a courageous and frightening decision. If you are thinking about or have made a decision to place your child for adoption you should be aware of some of your rights. An adoption attorney can provide you not only an overview of your options but can also explain your legal rights and options. If you want to reach out to an adoption attorney you can find one that lives near you by going to www.adoptionattorneys.org and click on “find an attorney.”

In every State a birth parent has a right to counseling with a licensed social worker in their own community to learn about options and alternatives to adoption, including resources in their community, before moving forward with any adoption plans. In almost any State an adoption attorney will meet with a birth parent to discuss the options and alternatives at no cost to the birth parent. An attorney in your state will advise a birth parent of the laws of the State where they live and will advocate for the birth parents rights and needs throughout the adoption plan. 

Once a birth parent has decided that adoption is the right choice, they should know that they have a right to ongoing counseling, an attorney and to find the family who they believe is best suited to meet their child’s needs. If the professional that a birth parent is working with does not present a family that meets the birth parents wishes they should ask to see profiles for more families. Birth parents have the right to meet potential families before they select them to parent their child and they have the right to plan for the type of future relationship with the child they believe is best. This later part is called post adoption contact and many states have enforceable post adoption contact agreements. 

If a birth parent contacts an adoption professional to work with them in making an adoption plan, they have the right to know the professional qualifications of that person or agency. They should ask about their experience with adoption planning, including their educational background, their licensing (ask for a copy of their license), what type of business entity they are, the states where they may be licensed, and whether they are physically located in the birthparents’ state. If they are not located in the birthparents state, the birth parent should contact an attorney in their State before proceeding. The laws of every State are different and having an attorney to advocate for the birth parent from the start will ensure the adoption plan they choose will happen. 

The attorney can assist the birth parent in ensuring that the labor, delivery and after delivery hospital plan that involves the people the birth parent wishes to have around them to support them is put in place.