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Adoption services
You may feel the best option for you is to continue your pregnancy and let someone else raise the child. There are many loving families waiting to adopt, and you can find help at many public and private agencies. Planned Parenthood of Indiana is proud to have partnered with two of these agencies.
Contact information for each county's office is available at the Indiana Division of Family and Children.
Thinking about Adoption
Choosing to continue a pregnancy and placing the child to be adopted, as well as choosing to adopt a child, can be a confusing process and you probably have many questions. Here are some of the most common questions we hear women ask when considering adoption. Please feel free to contact either adoption agency that Planned Parenthood of Indiana partners with if you have additional questions.
What is Adoption?
What to do about an unplanned pregnancy is an important and common decision that many women—almost half of all U.S. women, in fact—will face at some point in their lives. If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and do not want to have an abortion or become a parent, you can give birth and agree to let someone else raise your child. This process is called adoption, and it is a permanent and legal agreement in which you agree to place your child in the care of another person or family.
Is Adoption Right For Me?
Women choose adoption because they care about themselves and their families and future families. The most common reasons a woman chooses adoption are:
- She is not ready to be a parent.
- She cannot financially afford to raise a baby.
- She feels that raising a baby now will make it too difficult to work or go to school.
- She doesn't want to be a single parent.
- She feels too young or too immature to raise a child.
- She believes adoption is the best chance for her child to be well-cared for financially and emotionally.
Every woman's situation is different, and only she can decide what is best for her when it comes to an unplanned pregnancy.
When making any big decision, it is often a good idea to look at the advantages and disadvantages that are most important to you. Examine what you think and feel about adoption, and what you want for your family and future family. Some things to ask yourself if you are thinking about adoption are:
- Am I ready to be a parent emotionally and/or financially?
- What would it mean for my future if I had a child now?
- Can I accept not being my child's primary parent?
- Does adoption feel like what I should do, not what I want to do?
- Would I consider abortion?
- Am I feeling pressure from someone or something to choose adoption?
- Am I prepared to go through pregnancy and childbirth?
- Will I have a feeling of loss, and how will I cope if I do?
- Do I have people in my life who will support me through the pregnancy and adoption process?
- How do I feel about other women who choose to place their children for adoption?
- How important is it to me what other people may think about my decision?
You may want to discuss your answers with a partner, someone in your family, a friend, a trusted religious adviser or a counselor. You may also use a free online workbook to help you look at the advantages and disadvantages of your decision.
What is an "Open" Adoption?
An "open" adoption happens when the birth parent and adopting family have some contact with each other. The birth mother is involved in selecting the adopting family, and can find out about their values, lifestyle and religion. Both parties may choose to form a relationship that may or may not include ongoing visits with the child, phone calls, pictures or letters. Women may choose open adoption in order to be reassured by meeting the child's adoptive family or by getting updates about the child as he or she grows.
What is a "Closed" Adoption?
A "closed" adoption, or confidential adoption, happens when the birth mother and adopting family do not have any information about one another. Women may choose a closed adoption in order to have more privacy.
Who Can Help Me Arrange an Adoption?
There are state-licensed agencies that can connect the birth parent with the adopting family. The agency can also help arrange pre- and post-adoption services like hospital arrangements for the birth and can assist in legal matters. Planned Parenthood of Indiana partners with two of these agencies who would be able to assist you in the adoption process. Independent adoptions are handled through lawyers, which are sometimes called "adoption attorneys." With an independent adoption, you can still choose to receive counseling services and guidance through a local adoption agency. Adoption through a relative, or "kinship adoption," is when a relative of the birth parent's family adopts the child. You and your relative can work out the adoption with an agency, lawyer or your state department of human services. Family member adoptions must meet all the same legal requirements as any other adoptions, and you will not have any more parental rights than if you had placed the child with strangers.
Adoption laws are different in every state. An adoption counselor or lawyer can tell you about the laws in Indiana.
Does the Baby's Birth Father Need to Give Consent for the Adoption?
In the state of Indiana, each living parent must consent to place a child for adoption. The father's paternity must be established (proven) in order for his consent to be required.
How Soon Do I Have to Decide?
Some women begin planning their child's adoption very early in their pregnancy, but others begin later in the pregnancy or in the hospital after the child has been born. No adoption is final until after the child is born and the parties legally required to sign the papers have.
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