To place your child for adoption, identify adoptive parents and create an adoption plan. Place the child with the adoptive family. The adoptive parents will file the court paperwork, and the court approves the adoption at a final hearing.
Are you wondering how to place a baby for adoption? If you’re considering adoption, you want to know what to expect. The Florida adoption attorneys at Gulf Coast Adoptions explain the steps to place a child for adoption.
Nine Steps To Place a Child For Adoption
1. Learn About Adoption
When you’re considering placing your child for adoption, you want to understand the decision you’re making. Adoption is the process of creating a new parent-child relationship. Usually, it also means terminating an existing relationship.
2. Think About What You Want for Adoption
The first step in placing a child for adoption is deciding what kind of adoption you want for your child. What are you looking for in adoptive parents? Would you like to have post-adoption contact with the child? Are you looking for a geographical location or cultural or religious compatibility? What is important to you?
With these things in mind, you can proceed to identify adoptive parents.
3. Select Adoptive Parents
As a parent placing a child for adoption, you choose the adoptive parent or parents. You may find them on your own or, more commonly, you would review profiles of potential adoptive families provide by an adoption attorney. In a private adoption, you choose the right parents for your child by explaining exactly what you are looking for in a family for your child to an adoption attorney.
If you already have adoptive parents in mind, the potential adoptive parents can work with an adoption attorney to ensure they are fit and qualified to complete the adoption and guide them through the home study process.
4. Create an Adoption Plan
When you have identified adoptive parents, you create a detailed adoption plan. Will the adoption be open or closed? What contact, if any, will there be after the adoption? Will the adoptive parents help with your expenses leading up to birth? How will things work on the day the baby is born?
These are some of the questions to answer as you complete your final adoption plan.
5. Seek Counseling
Counseling may be an important part of your adoption journey, both before and after the child is born.
6. Ensure the Adoptive Parents Prepare
Many of the steps for adoption are done by the adoptive parents. They go through a home study, have background checks, and make financial disclosures. As the parent placing the child for adoption, these steps don’t apply to you. The adoptive parents must also prepare for the arrival of the child in their home.
7. After the Birth, Sign Consent To Adopt
After the baby is born, you’ll sign a consent to adopt. This is done when you’re ready to leave the hospital or 48 hours after birth. Generally, this is when the child is placed with their prospective adoptive parents.
There are times that the father may also need to consent, but their consent isn’t always required.
8. Wait for Finalization
From the perspective of the parent placing their child for adoption, the steps for adoption are complete when the child is placed in the adoptive home. However, the adoption is not actually complete and won’t be for a few months. The exact timeline depends on your state.
The adoptive parents may complete the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) paperwork. There will be post-placement visits before finalization.
9. Hold Final Adoption Hearing
The adoptive parents file a petition for adoption. The court reviews the paperwork and suitability of the adoption one last time. The judge then approves and issues the order of adoption.
State law differences
Adoption steps follow state law. There are significant differences between states so be sure to understand how it works in your state.
I’m Considering Placing My Child for Adoption. When Should I Reach Out for Help?
At Gulf Coast Adoptions, we spend hours talking to birth mothers. If you’re considering placing your child for adoption, we invite you to reach out to us. There’s no cost. We’re happy to answer your questions and listen without judgment.
We can help you if you’re first considering adoption, if your baby will be born soon, or if the baby has arrived. Please call or message us to talk with a caring team member.