Emergency Pregnancy Services
Adoption is quite simply a gift of love. It is a decision that is neither easy nor simple, but sometimes - it is the right decision. Before someone can choose any option relating to the plan for their pregnancy, they should learn about all of them.

Only after exploring all of your options can you make the best decision – an informed decision. Adoption is often times misunderstood. You may have seen something on T.V. or a daytime talk show that has caused you to be negative towards adoption. Please understand that those cases are not normal and many times do not tell the whole story.

Many questions pop up when someone is thinking about adoption. Here are the short answers to many of them.

 

How can I be sure that the people adopting my baby are ready to adopt?
Any person or couple looking to adopt has to have finished a home study. A home study is an in-depth look into someone's lives and past. A trained counselor investigates the potential adoptive parent(s) - looking into their financial, legal, medical and social history. They speak with their friends, neighbors and relatives to see if they would recommend them to be parents. They can make unannounced visits to their home to see what it is like. The process is very thorough and only with an approved home study can they move to the next step of being considered for adoption.

I don't think I could carry my child for nine months and let him go.
Parenting is full of letting go. When your child learns to feed themselves, or walk on their own - the mother has to let go a little. When a child goes off to school or spends the night away - she lets go a little. When a mother sends her 16 year old off to drive for the first time - she lets go a little. All through their lives, a mother is letting go even long after the child moves away. Adoption is just a lifetime of letting go all at once. We never really own our children - just care for them until they are able to be on their own. Adoption is a way of caring for your child by choosing the best possible situation for them, in the family that can provide what you think is important for them.
I have waited until late into my pregnancy to consider adoption, will I be able to find parents that want my baby?
YES! It is never too late to make an adoption plan. There are thousands of potential adoptive parents wanting and waiting to be chosen as parents. Get started now though so that you can have the most time to prepare for your decision. If you have other questions please call and talk with us. We can help you work through issues including: concerns about the father of the baby, your parents, family or friends, financial concerns, housing, etc. Don't let your worries guide your decision.


Control
YOU are in control of the entire adoption process.  You get to decide what is best for you.  Counselors are available to talk with you about your options.  Many women talk with us about adoption and then decide to parent – that is OK!  These women have explored and learned about all of their choices and were able to make an informed decision.

Choices:
Open/Closed
You may have heard about adoptions being referred to as open or closed.  This refers to the amount of information that is shared between the birthmother and the adoptive parents. 

In a closed adoption, no identifying information is shared – the birthmother doesn’t know who the adoptive parents are and the adoptive couple doesn’t know who the birthmother is.  Only medical information (without names, dates of birth, etc) is shared for the baby’s medical record.  In closed adoptions, there is also no contact after delivery. 

In an open adoption, it is just the opposite.  The birth mother and adoptive parents know and meet each other; pictures, letters and even visits can be set up after delivery. 

Many women choose something in between the two - a semi-open adoption.  This is where the birthmother chooses how much information is shared and may elect for pictures and an update letter to be sent on a set schedule after delivery.  It is all up to you.  You get to decide how you would like the arrangements to be made. 

There are so many opportunities and options for women deciding to make an adoption plan.  If you would like to discuss the options further, give us a call.  You are not giving up your rights to parent by speaking with us – just exploring your options.

“I knew that my decision would be the hardest thing in the
world for me. But it wasn’t about me.  It was about her. It was about what I could give her: a family, stability, a chance for a future.” -Birthmother

“I made the right decision for both of us” -- Birthmother

“I had some choices to make.  I went through counseling and I came to the decision of what was best for me and what was right. I chose adoption” -- Birthmother


Just a note:
If you deliver your baby and cannot care for him or her, please don’t abandon your child.  Florida law allows you to bring your child to an emergency room or fire station within the first three days after delivery and drop them off without questions or legal concerns.  You can just walk away.  If you are after that time frame, we can still help you find an adoptive family.  

Information gathered from the Infant Adoption Awareness program