Where to Turn for Adoption Help
Find sympathetic expectant-mother support for every step of your adoption journey.
An unplanned pregnancy can make you feel completely alone—but you aren’t. While placing your child for adoption is a decision only you can make, you still need the help of caring professionals to guide you through it.
From selecting your baby’s adoptive parents to signing the legal consent forms, adoption is a complicated process that expectant mothers can’t do alone. Thankfully, there are countless adoption professionals waiting to help you—you just need to know which one to choose.
The Different Kinds of Adoption Services
Most expecting mothers considering adoption have two choices: independent adoption or agency adoption. Foster care is generally reserved only for children whose parents cannot properly care for them (the State determines whether a child needs to be removed from their parent’s care). Adoption is for expecting mothers who are not prepared to provide for their child and want to place their baby with a loving family they choose.
Independent Adoption
Professional Legal Services
Independent adoption is when an expecting mother goes through a private attorney for adoption services (rather than an agency). This attorney is there to help the process run smoothly and provide the proper legal services to finalize the adoption.
No Screenings for Adoptive Families
As a general rule, independent adoption is chosen by an expecting mother who already knows who she wants as her baby’s adoptive parents. The adoption attorney is simply there to ensure the adoption is legal—they generally do not provide screenings of potential adoptive parents.
You Pay the Adoption Expenses
Because the attorney in an independent adoption only handles the legal process, the expecting mother and the adoptive family will need to take care of all medical bills, legal fees, housing costs and any other adoption expenses.
Agency Adoption
Constant, Caring Support
Unlike independent adoptions, most agency adoptions are designed to fully support birth mothers through every step of the adoption process—from day one to long after placement. They are best for expecting mothers who need a helping hand to guide them along the adoption path.
Medical, Legal and Financial Assistance
Women who experience unplanned pregnancies often can’t pay for the expenses that come with the legal and medical side of adoption. This is why adoption agencies like A Guardian Angel offer free legal aid, provide financial assistance and pay medical costs for expecting mothers. A Guardian Angel also offers free housing so every birth mom can feel safe, protected and comfortable.
Help Choosing the Adoptive Family
Unlike women who choose independent adoption, most expecting mothers need help finding an adoptive family for their baby. Agencies provide thorough screenings to ensure every potential family is safe, financially stable and full of love. If you need help choosing adoptive parents for your baby, your personal case manager will be there to offer useful advice.
After you’ve selected the family you want for your baby, your case manager will also help you choose an adoption plan. They will walk you through the guidelines of open adoption, semi-open and closed adoption so you can select the best plan for your future relationship with your baby.
Places That Offer Support After Adoption
Agency Counseling and Helplines
Adoption comes with many emotions. This is why the best adoption agencies offer both pre- and post-adoption counseling. With A Guardian Angel, your personal case manager provides caring support throughout the entire process, and you will also be given a helpline for any questions or concerns.
Support Groups
It may feel like it sometimes, but you’re not the only expecting mother who has chosen adoption. Thousands of women have also made this difficult choice. You can connect with these women and share your story by joining one of the adoption support groups in your area. Ask your adoption agency for recommendations about local support groups.
If you can’t find a local support group or you don’t feel comfortable sharing your story in person, search for an online support group for birth mothers. There, you can talk about your feelings and connect with other women who have shared your experience. Ask your case manager or the A Guardian Angel helpline to help you find a welcoming online support group.
Organizations Who Support Birth Mothers
Some women find it difficult to restart their lives after placing their babies. This is why there are wonderful foundations that offer post-adoption support for birth mothers. On Your Feet Foundation, Three Strands and Concerned United Birthparents are just a few of the many organizations that help promote, support and honor birth parents who have chosen adoption.
A Guardian Angel also provides post-adoption support through our helpline—where understanding birth mothers and adoptive mothers are available to speak with 24/7—and by offering expecting mothers the opportunity to earn their GEDs.
Reach out for Help
You may feel alone right now, but please know you are surrounded by caring people waiting to support you, comfort you, and help you find a loving family for your baby. Take this time to think about what kind of adoption help you and your baby need. If you need someone to walk with you on the path to adoption, supporting you step by step, A Guardian Angel is waiting with open arms.