It is a way to provide your child with love, stability and support. Adoption is not “giving away” your baby. Adoption is making a courageous decision to give your child the life you want for him or her. It is a wonderful gift for your child and for a waiting parent or couple that is ready to build a family.
You can choose a family for your child. You can meet them and have as little or as much contact with them as you choose. You can spend time with your baby after delivery. Your baby will be placed with the loving family you have selected. You can receive updates on your child as he grows. Or not. The choice is yours.
Every adoptive parent is thoroughly screened through a homestudy (preplacement assessment) to ensure that they are suitable to be parents and can provide a good home to a child. Adoptive parents have chosen to assume the responsibilities of parenthood and have shown they are ready to do so. They are ready to love your child and provide the type of family you want your child to have. Our agency directors, who are attorneys, meet with each prospective adoptive parent before they are accepted to the agency. Our adoption counselors meet with them in their homes a minimum of three times and we require extensive documentation on their backgrounds.
Placing a child for adoption is a difficult decision. Our counselors are trained to help you sort through your feelings and help you. Knowing what to expect is important. Our counselors will help you through the process and find comfort in your decision.
As the child grows, the adoptive parents explain that your decision was made out of love and concern for your child’s future and that you had the best interest of you child in mind. From a very early age, our adoptive parents tell their children of the special feelings their birthparents have for them. As a result, most children grow up feeling true respect for their birthparents and understanding for the difficult decision that was made on their behalf. Adoption is not giving your child away – adoption is a way to plan for your child’s life.
You can see your baby after delivery, hold your baby, name the baby and spend as much time with the baby at the hospital as you choose. Or, you may choose to not see the baby or spend any time with him or her if you feel this is the best way for you to emotionally get through the process. The choice is completely yours and your adoption counselor will explore with you all of your options about what happens at the hospital.
The adoption counselor will meet with you at the hospital as soon as you are ready after the baby has been born to complete the relinquishment paperwork.
With a semi-open adoption, you will share first names only with the adoptive family and receive photos and updates over time that are mailed to the agency and then forwarded to your mailing address. With semi-open adoption, you have the choice of choosing the adoptive family from profiles and meeting them prior to your delivery with your adoption counselor present.
With an open adoption, you will be sharing more information with one another after the baby is born. You and the adoptive family you have chosen will communicate directly afterwards with one another on mutually agreed upon terms.
Assistance is available to you for pregnancy related expenses, including ordinary living expenses, medical costs, counseling and legal advice.
There are always many questions about the father’s rights. Following are some common questions:
Only if he does certain things to protect his rights as a parent. An unwed father must show his commitment to parenting before his parental interests are entitled to protection.
No. Not automatically. He must do certain things to protect his interests as a parent and establish his right consent to the adoption. If he fails to act, then his consent may not be required.
No. It is totally your decision. It is totally your decision whether or not to carry your pregnancy to term.
No. Again, it is totally your decision.
Contact us for more information. Trained counselors will listen without judging and our staff will help you understand the legal rights of your child’s father.
Yes! Our agency has seven adoption counselors who live in seven different cities within the state – Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Greenville and Greensboro.
Yes! Each of these counselors have a geographic area they travel to – generally within two hours of their home base. We have worked with birth mothers as far East as the Outer Banks (Manteo, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Elizabeth City) as well as New Bern and Wilmington, as far west as Cherokee County.