Not only can it be complicated to determine whether adoption is right for you and your baby but, once you’ve made that choice, starting the process can be confusing. You might be wondering, “How do I start the adoption process? What should I know about how to sign up for adoption? What papers are needed to give a child up for adoption?”
If you’re interested in how to sign up for adoption in North Carolina, A Child’s Hope can help. When you contact us, we can walk you through the process of placing a child for adoption and, if you’re still considering “giving” your baby up for adoption, show you brochures and give you all the information you need to make an educated decision.
As you’re wondering about the forms needed to give a child up for adoption, it’s important to recognize that choosing adoption is not “giving your child up.” Instead, it’s choosing to give your child the best opportunities in life with an adoptive family who’s fully prepared to raise a child — especially if you know you can’t provide those same opportunities yourself at this point in your life.
To learn more about how to sign your child up for adoption, call our Pregnancy Hotline: (919) 971-4396, or Text: Pregnant to (919) 971-4396, or email ach@achildshope.com. In the meantime, here are some of the necessary forms to put an unborn child up for adoption.
Medical and Social History Forms
A Child’s Hope does not require any kind of adoption application for pregnant women; when you contact our adoption agency, we will always work with you if you decide that adoption is right for you. However, once you start the adoption process, you will need to give us important information about you and your unborn baby to make sure your adoption plan proceeds smoothly.
All prospective birth mothers are required to fill out medical and social history forms. Not only does this help us get to know you a little better, but this information is crucial in finding an adoptive family that’s perfect for your situation. By understanding your family health history and your and your baby’s social background from the beginning, we can more quickly help you find the perfect adoptive parents.
This information also helps us prepare for your prenatal care and your hospital stay. If you and your family have a history of a certain condition, for example, your doctors will know to test for that during your pregnancy and after your baby is born — making sure you and your baby are as healthy as possible throughout the whole adoption process.
Your Adoption Planning Forms
When you decide that adoption is right for you and you contact A Child’s Hope, we’ll help you get started with a personalized adoption plan. This plan will outline how you want your entire adoption process to proceed. Together with your adoption counselor, you’ll fill out several forms that detail certain parts of your adoption plan, including:
- Your personal background information
- Pregnancy information, like your due date and the baby’s gender, if known
- Support information, like who you’ve told about your adoption and who to contact in case of emergency
- Birth father information, including his identifying information and whether he’s involved in your adoption decision
- Your marital information
- Your medical history and records from any previous pregnancies, including contact information for your doctors
- Your preferences for choosing an adoptive family
- Your contact preferences for an open or semi-open adoption
- And more
Because there is a lot involved in adoption, creating an adoption plan can seem overwhelming at first. Remember that your adoption counselor will be able to help you through every decision of your adoption, completely for free.
Adoption Consent Paperwork
Most of the time, when pregnant women ask, “What papers are needed to give a child up for adoption in North Carolina?” they’re curious about the legal papers involved. Know that when you place a child for adoption with A Child’s Hope, we will provide you legal assistance from an experienced adoption attorney completely for free. We’ll walk you through every legal step of placing a child for adoption and make sure you understand every form that you’re signing as a part of your adoption process.
The final step involved in placing your child for adoption includes signing adoption consent forms. These cannot be signed until after you have given birth, and you are under no obligation to sign until you’re completely sure that adoption is right for you. After you sign, you’ll have seven days to revoke your consent. If you sign your consent through an agency, the forms you sign are known as “relinquishments.”
It’s important that you have legal counsel before signing these forms so, even if you’ve already given birth at the hospital, we encourage you to contact our agency so you have the proper information before signing any legal forms. Once you decide that adoption is right for you, you’ll typically sign a form that relinquishes your baby’s custody to our agency, and then we’ll sign a consent form to place the child in the custody of the adoptive parents.
Remember, you do not have to sign any adoption consent form unless you’re confident that adoption is the right choice for you. Our adoption counselors can help you determine if adoption or parenting is right for you based on your individual circumstances. Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide what’s right for you and your baby, so it’s important to be sure about your decision before moving forward.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering how to sign up for adoption in North Carolina, A Child’s Hope can help. We’ll walk you through all the paperwork you need to complete your adoption, as well as fully explain the adoption process and support you every step of the way. We know that starting the adoption process can be overwhelming, which is why we’re here to help you.
To learn more how we help you with your adoption paperwork and more, please call our Pregnancy Hotline: (919) 971-4396, or Text: Pregnant to (919) 971-4396, or email ach@achildshope.com.
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Kelly Dunbar
Adoption Counselor/Homestudy Supervisor - Triangle
As an adoptive parent I truly have a passion for adoption. There is no greater joy than helping to create a family! I love this job and I love working with adoptive parents as well as the birth parents. When it all comes together it is an awesome experience! Kelly is a graduate of NC State University where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work. She also received her Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Kelly has been working with children, families, in the home and in communities for 18 years. Kelly has been working with birth mothers and adoptive parents for the last 5 years. Besides working, she has a great husband and three fabulous children, Landon, Parker and Ansley. Kelly and her husband adopted their daughter with the help of ACH and feels as though her personal experience helps her relate to other adoptive families.
Sloane Mosley
Greensboro
Sloane completed her undergraduate degree in Human Services Counseling at Old Dominion University and holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Sloane has been working with children, birth mothers and adopting families for more than 10 years. She loves advocating for children and helping women during pregnancy.
Lakisha Brown
Winston-Salem
Lakisha completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology with a concentration in Social Welfare at Winston-Salem State University. She received her Master of Social Work from Syracuse University. Lakisha has worked with children, individuals and families for more than 12 years. Her experience includes working with at-risk youth, homeless children and families, child mental health, as well as school social work and case management. She is also a long-time basketball fan, a former player and coach. She played at Winston-Salem State University and coached women’s basketball at Elon University and Syracuse University. Lakisha and her husband reside in Alamance County, with their young son.
Jessica Otolinsky
Asheville
Jess completed her undergraduate degree in Communication at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Messiah College. Her professional experience includes case management, education, women’s behavioral health including a focus on pregnant mothers, and working with kinship and domestic adoptive families who have experienced trauma. Jess is a native of central Pennsylvania though loves living in Asheville with her significant other. When she is not working, she is likely caring for her puppy and dog, painting, practicing yoga, camping or planning her next road trip to see family and friends or have an adventure in some new place!
Sylvia Senbel
Charlotte
Sylvia is a graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work. She also received her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina. Sylvia has been working with children and families for more than 19 years. She enjoys gardening, reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three boys. She also loves animals, especially her dog Jazzy.
Nicole Barnes
Jacksonville
Nicole completed her undergraduate studies at Chowan University in Psychology with a concentration in Alcohol & Drug Studies and a minor in Criminal Justice. Nicole has provided services to adolescents, teens, college students, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Parole and Probation, the NC Division of Motor Vehicles, the Division of Transportation, and the Department of Defense. She is a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor and has been working in the mental health field for 15 years.
Suzanne Mangum
Triangle
Suzanne was the primary pregnancy care manager stationed at Duke high-risk perinatal clinic for 20 years. She has a BS in Social Work at UNC Pembroke and is a licensed School Social Worker. She recently worked as a case manager in a substance abuse disorder residential program for women with young children. Suzanne is a “Durhamite” but has resided in Wake County since graduating. Her biggest accomplishment has been happily raising her 14 yo daughter and 3 poodle mixed pups.
Hope Brown
Triangle
Hope completed her undergraduate degree in Social Work at North Carolina Central University. She has worked with children and families for more than 20 years. Hope experience includes working in foster care, CPS as well as a school social worker. Hope loves exercising, football and spending time with her family. Hope resides in Durham County with her son, daughter and her dog Penny.
