Eight Steps of the Adoption Process
Never Alone, We will Help Every Step of the Way
8
Steps of
adoption
Timeline
2018
Step One: Contact Arizona Adoption Help
Even if you’re still unsure whether or not you want to place your baby for adoption, call, text or email us today. Our supportive Adoption Director Kim will explain the adoption process and answer any initial questions you may have. Before you commit to adoption, let us provide the information you need to make an informed decision.
Step Two: Make Your Adoption Plan
Our caring team is here in Arizona and available to meet with you in person. They will help you design an adoption plan that reflects your unique wants and needs during this pregnancy. Decide the type of family you envision for your child and review parent profiles. You can choose which of these parents is best suited for your baby and decide how much contact you would like with the adoptive family and child. There is no one way adoption can look and we want to make sure you are aware of all the choices available to you on your path to adoption.
Step Three: Resources to Take Care of You
Putting your child up for adoption can be a trying time. Many Birthmothers in Arizona are unaware that doing an adoption allows an adoptive family to provide help with living expenses, food, transportation and medical expenses. The adoption process is not merely about the adoption itself, but taking care of you and your baby as well. Eating well in a stress-free environment and getting yourself regular prenatal care during your pregnancy will ensure you have the easiest and healthiest delivery possible. Transportation to your OBGYN, help with filling out applications for government aid programs, and making sure you have safe and stable living arrangements are some of the resources we provide to birthmothers.
Step Four: Support through Counseling
Adoption entails an incredibly personal and emotional journey. This is why one of the most important aspects of an adoption is counseling. For birthmothers, a counselor is their main line of support, a person they can go to with no agenda other than to help you navigate this emotional time. From working through the decision to adopt in the first place to telling friends and family, or forming a relationship with an adoptive family and coming up with a birth plan, your counselor will be there to prepare you for each step. At Arizona Adoption Help, we provide the counseling that is essential to Birthparents both before and after the birth of a child.
Step Five: The Legal Process
Knowing your rights as a Birthmother under Arizona adoption law is key to protecting yourself and your baby during this time. Working with a private adoption attorney will give you the peace of mind knowing your rights are protected. While many large adoption agencies can feel impersonal, Attorney Thomas Underwood is a private adoption attorney devoted to you and your child. He will walk you through the legal processes and paperwork in person to make sure you are fully knowledgeable of the legal action taking place. Unlike agencies that also represent the adoptive family, Attorney Underwood ONLY represents Birthmothers. He will ensure this adoption proceeds with you in mind every step of the way.
Step Six: Place Your Baby
When the time comes for your baby to be born, we will already have a birthing and hospital plan in place. If you wish, we will be your team of support at the hospital and can work with the nursing and hospital staff to ensure your plan is fulfilled. The adoptive family will arrive to begin bonding with the baby and would love to get to know you as much as you are comfortable. But the choice is yours. If you would like to remain anonymous and have little to no contact with the baby or adoptive family, we will ensure your privacy is respected. Upon discharge from the hospital, the baby will go directly home from the hospital with the adoptive family and never into foster care.
Step Seven: Final Documentation
Nothing will happen without your consent. As a Birthmother, your child is yours. It is up to you to decide what is best for him or her. No decision will be finalized until three days after your child is born. At that time you will make the final decision. Once the papers are signed, your child is legally under the custody and responsibility of his or new family. You can relax knowing that you have the time to make a decision that is right for you and your baby.
Step Eight: Post-Adoption Plan
At Arizona Adoption Help, we know the road leading to adoption is difficult, but it doesn’t end there. After the adoption process is completed, by law you are entitled to six weeks of post-pregnancy care in the form of living expenses and counseling. Post-adoption support is often just as important in terms of maintaining a healthy emotional state. We encourage Birthmothers to look ahead to this time and plan what your life may look like after the pregnancy. Will you join a Birthparent support group? Will you go back to school or work? At Arizona Adoption Help, we are here to help you think through and plan more than just your adoption. We want your story to be a success and will support you as best we can.