One of the rights of the birth mother is to create her birth plan, which will be used to share her wishes and preferences about labor and delivery with the hospital staff. Adoption Choices of Missouri is very supportive in helping a birth mother create her ideal birth plan. In an open adoption, the adoptive parents might be invited to share their wishes for the birth process as well, such as whether they prefer certain types of pain medication (or no medication) to be used during delivery. Ultimately, however, decisions affecting pregnancy and birth will be made by the birth mother, for it is ultimately her body and birth experience. The birth mother is considered the parent of the child during the birth process and therefore has the right and the…
Telling others about your adoption plan
Choosing to place a child for adoption is generally a very difficult and emotional process for the birth mother. It is often hard for birth mothers to tell friends and family about their decision to place their child for adoption. This is particularly hard when the birth mother’s extended family is against the idea of adoption. Many grandparents, especially, may protest the idea of adoption and actively work to change the birth mother’s mind by making offers to raise the child themselves. Pleas may be made to “not give my grandchild away”. Suggestions about how to accommodate a new child may be made. While family opinions and ideas should be seriously considered, it is ultimately the mother who must make the final decision about what is best for herself and…
Open Adoption – WHAT is it and WHY choose it?
What is an Open Adoption? Whether you’re a birth parent considering placing your child for adoption or a family looking to adopt, you’ve probably come across the term “open adoption” in your research but do you know what an open adoption really is? Or whether or not it will work for you and your family? Have you explored the different types of adoption to determine what would work best for your family? Understanding the basic types of adoption is an incredibly important step towards determining what you want and need from an adoption and starting to understand how your adoption story will unfold immediately as well as long-term. Let’s take a look at the different types of adoptions and then talk a little bit about how to determine whether an…
What financial support can I receive during my pregnancy?
Adoption Choices of Kansas and Missouri is committed to providing birth mothers a full range of services to ensure safety, support, and care. Financial Assistance for Adoption As a pregnant woman considering adoption you may ask, “Do I get paid for adoption?” While you don’t get paid for placing your child for adoption, you might be entitled to receive financial support to cover your pregnancy-related expenses. If you believe that adoption is your best plan, Adoption Choices of Kansas and Missouri offers financial help with some pregnancy-related expenses. Financial assistance will be determined by your needs and the amount allowed by the state of Kansas or Missouri. Can I receive financial assistance for adoption? Every state has unique laws, but yes, in Kansas and Missouri, adoptive parents are able to provide financial assistance…
Birth Father Rights
There is a misconception that often a birth father is left out of the adoption process. A birth father has a Constitutional right to be notified that he might be the father of a child who is being put up for adoption. A birth father is the biological father of a child who has been or will be adopted; understanding your rights and how they apply to the adoption process is just as important for you, as it is for the birth mother of the child. One of the biggest parental rights is the right to consent or the right to object to the adoption of one’s child. Generally, both parents of a child must consent to an adoption only if both parents meet certain requirements that give them the…
Birth Mother Rights
Adoption Choices of Missouri is committed to advocating for birth mothers and ensuring her adoption plan captures her needs and desires. As a birth mother, it is important that she know and understand her parental rights. In every adoption she has the right to make many adoption choices. These choices might include what type of child adoption, such as open adoption, semi-open, or closed adoption. With respect to her emotional and financial well-being, she should never feel compelled to relinquish her parental rights without first understanding how that decision might affect her in the long run. This article discusses the legal rights that birth mothers have. Birth Mother Rights As the biological mother of the baby, whether born or unborn, you have the right to control your body and to determine how you…
Adoptive Family: Choosing Adoption
People choose adoption for a variety of reasons. Some people parenting children by birth adopt because of a wish to expand their families and/or provide a home for a child in need. Single people or same sex couples wishing to parent often adopt. Some people adopt because they feel that they are too old to pursue pregnancy and birth. And of course, both singles and couples adopt as a result of primary infertility and secondary infertility. Sometimes the decision to adopt comes easily for a family and sometimes the decision making process in adoption is quite difficult, emotionally challenging, and involves some “soul searching.” Is Adoption Right for You? There are many important questions that all prospective adoptive parents can ask themselves to help determine both IF adoption is the right option for them to…