Are There Requirements for Placing a Baby for Adoption?
As a birth mother, taking care of your baby is a priority. However, motherhood is a lifestyle that is not for every woman. Whether you unexpectedly became a mother or not, there are options for you to handle your unplanned pregnancy if you know motherhood is not for you. Whatever your reasons are for deciding that motherhood is not for you, an adoption is always an option. The process of adoption may seem difficult because of the legalities and the paperwork required, but with the help of an adoption agency like Adoption Choices of Kansas, it doesn’t have to be difficult or confusing. We can help you work through all the requirements needed when placing a baby up for adoption.
If you need adoption help now, please call us at 877-903-4488, text us at 316-209-2071, or visit us at Adoption Choices of Kansas.
Giving a Baby Up for Adoption
When you consider adoption, you may have heard many people refer to it as “giving up” your baby, but that is not true. When you choose adoption, it is a choice that is not made easily. It is a choice that is made when you understand that someone else can take care of your baby. As a parent, caring for your child is the number one priority, and that might mean choosing Wichita adoption. Adoption is not an easy choice to make, so when you choose adoption, you are not “giving up” your baby.
Adoption is also a choice you should make for yourself because adoption can help provide you with new opportunities. There are a lot of myths and stigmas that surround adoption, but that should not be the reason you don’t choose adoption. In the end, the choice you make on how to deal with your unexpected pregnancy is a choice you will live with, so you should not make a choice based on other people’s opinions or views.
Making an Adoption Plan
Adoption is a process that requires planning because as an expecting mother, there are many expectations you may have for the family that will adopt your baby. You may have expectations as to how communication between you and your baby will look like when they are adopted. Making an adoption plan will help spell out all your expectations and needs, and it is a requirement when you pursue a private domestic adoption.
As mentioned earlier, an adoption plan will help you decide on the level of communication you want with your baby and their adoptive family. If you wish to maintain contact, you can always opt for an open adoption, which is where you can exchange contact information, such as phone numbers, or even schedule visits. If you are worried about confrontations from other people or you want to keep your adoption private, you can choose a closed adoption. There is no right way for an adoption, so the choices you make in your adoption plan should be optimal for you.
Paperwork Required for Adoption in Kansas
The adoption process will be largely guided by your adoption counselor, who will provide you with information about every step of the process. One of the more nuanced parts of the adoption process is the paperwork required. Luckily, your adoption counselor will be with you every step of the way so that you aren’t confused about anything.
Some paperwork you will need to provide when you proceed with adoption are social and medical history forms, your adoption plan, and your consent form. Medical history forms are important to have because they are an overview of yours and your family’s medical history and if there was any past substance abuse. These forms are to ensure that the family who takes care of your baby will be prepared to take care of their special needs, if there are any.
The consent forms are where you will relinquish your parental rights over your baby. This means that your legal responsibility to take care of your child will be voluntarily given up and that means you can no longer make decisions about their healthcare or education. These forms are the ones that will transfer your parental rights over to the family you have chosen, and they must be filled out in order for the adoption to be legally complete.
Every adoption process is unique, so the type of paperwork needed may differ from situation to situation, but your adoption counselor will help you with what paperwork is needed for your adoption process.
Birth Father’s Consent
If you are unexpectedly pregnant, it may be hard to have the birth father involved in the adoption process or you may not even know who the birth father of your child is. Whatever situation you may be in, Adoption Choices of Kansas understands how difficult it can be. Generally, a child can be placed for adoption without the birth father’s consent, but the law does vary from state to state.
However, a legal birth father typically has to consent to an adoption in order for the adoption process to go through. To be considered a legal birth father, the birth father must be either written on the birth certificate or the birth father has acknowledged that he is the birth father in writing. If the birth father of your baby fits those descriptions, his consent will most likely be needed.
Our staff are experts on Kansas law, and we will be able to help you through any legal problems. Our staff can help you determine if the birth father’s consent is needed in your adoption plan, and we will generally advise you to reach out to the birth father about exploring the possibility of adoption. If you are hesitant about contacting the birth father, we can always help you prepare how to approach the topic with the father of your baby.
Placing A Baby For Adoption With Adoption Choices of Kansas
Regardless of whether or not your pregnancy was planned or not, Adoption Choices of Kansas will always be willing to help you. If you are simply unsure of whether or not adoption is right for you, our staff will also be able to answer questions you may have about the adoption process or even just pregnancy. We will always handle your case confidentially so that you don’t have to worry about people’s opinions. If you are having financial difficulties and find that to be a hindrance to pursuing an adoption, don’t worry. We provide financial aid so that adoption can be an option for you.
For help with your pregnancy or adoption, contact us by calling or texting (316) 209-2071 or by filling out our contact page on our website.
Adoption Choices of Kansas serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call Us at 877-903-4488 or Text Us 316-209-2071
Meet the author: Victoria is a sophomore at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and she is currently a Literature, Media, and Communications major. She currently runs her own blog, where she shares her poetry and creative writing projects. When she is not working or studying for school, she is often reading or writing, as she seeks to pursue a career in writing.