Considering Adoption? You have options!

Facing an Unexpected Pregnancy

Many women are shocked at the news of an unplanned pregnancy and are left wondering what to do. Placing the baby up for adoption is often one of the first thoughts to come to mind. No matter your circumstances, the choice you make regarding your unplanned pregnancy will be one of the most difficult decisions of your life. At Building Blocks Adoption Agency, we understand that an important part of making that choice is being informed throughout the adoption process.

How To Decide if Adoption is Right for You: The Birthmother

Before anything else, the most important step in the adoption process is determining whether this is a good option for you. So what is adoption? It is a permanent legal procedure in which a child is placed with approved adoptive parents to be raised as a member of their family. Maybe you know you do not want to terminate your pregnancy but are not certain about placing your baby for adoption. There are many other options separate from a full, legal adoption that are also available to birthmothers. If you choose to parent your child yourself, there are many helpful resources our Adoption Agency can help you locate. You can also choose to have your family involved, from relying on their help as you raise your baby to setting up temporary custody or permanent placement with a family member. We are happy to sit down with you and talk about which option is best for you. There is no pressure, no judgement, and most importantly, no rush.

How To Decide on an Adoption Plan

Once a birthmother decides that adoption is the best choice for her and her baby, she will meet with an adoption agency to come up with an adoption plan that suits her needs and desires. This adoption plan will outline the parameters of the process of placing the mother’s baby for adoption, specifically detailing how much communication, confidentiality, and openness the birthmother wants. Birth mothers may opt for a confidential, semi-open, or open adoption. In a confidential adoption, identifying information for both the adoptive parents and the birth mother are kept private, whereas in a semi-open adoption, only the first names are exchanged. In a fully open adoption, the parties are able to interact more freely, either directly or through a third party, like the adoption agency. Each option has its own merits, depending on what the birth mother determines her needs to be, and choosing the right adoption agency that will ensure this plan is followed is an important step in a smooth adoption process. At Building Blocks Adoption Agency, we can help you create an adoption plan that is right for you and ensure that the privacy level you choose guides the adoption process.

Deciding on an Adoptive Family

Once a birth mother has decided on an adoption plan, the next step is choosing a family that she feels is best for her baby. At Building Blocks Adoption Agency, we work tirelessly to find families that are not only interested in adoption but also prescreened to meet all the state mandated education requirements. All the families listed on our website have passed all background checks, including many home visits to ensure they are truly ready to adopt. Our adoption agency will work closely with the birth mother to find the perfect parents for her baby, all at no cost to the birth mother. We can also help with independent private adoptions, in which the birth mother comes to us with an adoptive family already in mind.

Pregnancy

Sometimes birth mothers get so caught up in considering what will happen after their baby is born that they overlook the importance of the actual pregnancy itself. During your pregnancy, Building Blocks Adoption Agency will be able to provide assistance with prenatal care, both for your baby and for you. This includes assistance with housing, living expenses, medical visits, and attorney fees. Again, these services are provided at no cost to you. You and your baby are a blessing for your adoptive family, and they are happy to provide support in any way they can.

During your pregnancy, you are also able to get to know your baby’s adoptive family, depending on your adoption plan and what you want. Building such a relationship may help confirm that you’ve chosen the perfect adoptive family for your baby. We are here to help if you’re nervous about interacting with your adoptive family, we will attend meetings with you.

The Legal Process of Adoption

Adoption is a legal process that, like any other major legal decision, requires the help of an attorney. The family you select will hire an attorney, who will contact you to draw up legal consent and adoption forms. As with any of the other steps in the process of adoption, Building Blocks Adoption Agency is happy to provide support and guidance through this phase, should you need it.

Read more on Ohio Adoption Laws HERE

Birth and Relinquishment

The birth is often the most emotionally trying phase in the adoption process, and because of this, a birth mother’s adoption agency should be by her side as she navigates through it. At our adoption agency, we walk beside our birth mothers, from the moment they first meet with us until well after their baby is born. We will be with you at the birth of your baby, ensuring your adoption plan – including your hospital plan – are followed precisely. If you so choose, you will be able to spend time with your baby. Your adoptive family will be waiting at the hospital until you are ready to relinquish your baby. And through it all, we will be with you.

You can make a difference! Text us if you are thinking of making an adoption plan for your child(ren)

Positive Language in Adoption

* Birth Mother, First Mother * Birth parent * Birth child * My child * Born to unmarried parents * Terminate parental rights * Make an adoption plan * To parent * Parent * Adoption triad or circle * Child placed for adoption * Child with special needs * Was adopted

If you are considering abortion, or just curious about the statistics, read on. Here you will find out who is having abortions, when they are having abortions, and why they are having abortions.

Who?

In the U.S., there are approximately 1.37 million abortions performed every year. Usually these are performed on young women below the age of 25. About 52% of all U.S. abortions are performed on women in this age range.

When talking about race, 60% of all abortions are performed on white women. However, this rate is below the abortion rate of minority women. Hispanics are twice as likely, and black women are three times as likely to have an abortion as white women. It may shock you to know that all U.S. woman have a 43% chance of having an abortion before they turn 45. That number is pretty high.

When?

Over half (52%) of all abortions are performed before the 9th week of pregnancy. Only 5% of all abortions occur after the 16th week ofpregnancy. By this time, the fetus is larger and the abortion procedure is much more invasive and dangerous.

Why?

Amazingly, 93% of all abortions are reportedly performed for social reasons. For instance, the abortion is performed because it was an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. Only 1% of the abortions are performed following a rape, and 6% occur due to health risks.

Worldwide, statistically, each woman will have one abortion during her lifetime. In the U.S. that statistic is slightly different.

How involved can I be with my baby, and will my child get a chance to contact me years from now?

At the time of adoption, the birthparents can choose whether or not they would be willing to being contacted in the future by the child placed for adoption. The level of contact between birthparents, the adoptive family, and the adopted child is a decision between birthparents and the respective adoptive parents.

 How do I know my baby will be safe with someone else?

Adoption agencies set standards for adoptive parents that gives assurance that a child placed in an adoptive home will be safe. You also have the option of selecting a family by researching their profiles, having phone conversations with them, and meeting them face to face.

 What are my baby’s father’s rights in adoption?

The birthfather’s rights in adoption are the same as the birthmother’s unless determined otherwise by a court.

 Will my baby be confused if I choose open or semi-open adoption?

Confusion largely depends on the extent of communication between the child and the adoptive family. Closed adoption seems to generate more confusion or frustration for adopted children because of the larger number of unknowns.

 How much can I find out about an adoptive family for my baby?

Potential adoptive families provide profiles that often include photographs. Some couples even present their profile in the form of a scrapbook. The available information may include the size of their family, where they live, what they do for a living, how long they have been married, how they met, names of their pets, and their health history.

They often include their religious views. Most will include some photographs of themselves and their surroundings.

 What will the adoptive parents of my baby have to know about me?

The adoptive parents will want to know all they can about you. They will probably be interested in your medical history, your healthcare, your age, and your interests. You are free to provide any additional information that you would like to share.

 Will I be able to see my baby when it’s born?

You are free to see your baby when he or she is born and for as much time as you would like. Depending on the state where your child is born, papers do not normally become effective and are sometimes not even signed until 24 to 72 hours after your child’s birth.