An unplanned teenage pregnancy is an overwhelming amount of responsibility and a life-changing event. Even if you are thinking about placing your child for adoption, you face a lot of responsibilities. Placing your baby for adoption can lead to a better life for both your baby and you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an easy decision to make. You need to be aware of things you can do to make both your pregnancy and the adoption process easier. Increase the Chances for a Healthy Pregnancy First and foremost, proper medical care is crucial for the healthy development of your baby and reduces your risk of pregnancy complications such as anemia, high blood pressure, and premature labor. Pregnant teens don’t always get the prenatal care they need, especially early on…
Social Media and Adoption – The Good and the Bad
Social media is everywhere. It’s even a part of our political discourse. It’s so prevalent that sometimes it seems hard to avoid social media. It’s no wonder then that social media has affected the world of adoption. Social media has pervaded all aspects of adoptions, with good and bad results. Here’s a brief rundown on how social media has positively and negatively affected the adoption universe. The Positive of Social Media on Adoption There are a lot of positive ways that social media has impacted adoptions. For one, adoptions have become much more open. With social media, it is possible for adoptive parents and birth parents to easily maintain contact with each other, should they choose to do so. In fact, approximately 1 in 4 adoptive parents have used the…
Birth and Relinquishment
Adoption can be a complex process. The term “placing for adoption” connotes a lot more than the formal process of adoption. It contains all the mental, physical, and emotional experiences associated with pregnancy. Nonetheless, the physical birth of the child and formal placement of him or her for adoption, a process known as birth and relinquishment, is also important. Let’s talk about birth and relinquishment in more detail. Adoption Birth Birth sounds relatively straightforward. However, its much more complicated. Birth begins well before the physical process of labor with the creation of an adoption hospital plan. This plan outlines the birth mother’s preferences for the hospital stay, including, but not limited to, whether the adoptive parents will be present at the birth, who will hold the baby first, and how…
Missouri Adoption Laws and Policies
You have many adoption options, and with Adoption Choices of Missouri, this is the perfect place to begin exploring them. Each state maintains its own adoption policies, so the process can vary considerably for families in different states. As a Missouri resident, you’ll want to work with an adoption agency or adoption attorney who is very familiar with Missouri adoption laws and policies. Below, learn all about the legal guidelines for families adopting in Missouri. Missouri Adoption Laws & Statutes Who Can Adopt in Missouri? Any single adult or married couple jointly may adopt, regardless of state residency. Can LGBT families adopt? Yes! Can adoptive parents advertise for birth parents? Yes. Can out-of-state residents finalize an adoption? Yes. Can adopting parents use an adoption facilitator or another paid intermediary? Yes, adopting parents may use…
Adopting a Newborn in the U.S.
Your guide to domestic adoption with Adoption Choices of Missouri with Facts: The annual number of infants adopted domestically (excluding foster and relative adoption) is estimated to be around 18,000 which is far greater than the annual number of international adoptions. The adoption process of a newborn in the United States is much faster than you probably think. A 2016/2017 study found that when using an adoption agency, 62% of families were matched within 1 year and 82% were matched within 2 years. In the majority of U.S. newborn adoptions, adoptive parents are selected by the birth parents of the child, and in at least half of the cases, the birth parents and adoptive parents meet. Adoptive families usually appreciate the opportunity to build a relationship with their child’s birth family. Ongoing contact, or open…
Women who Place their Children for Adoption – Who are they?
There is a stereotype about women who place children for adoption. It is that they are young, unwed, possibly drug-addicted women. While there are women who place their children for adoption that fit this description, the stereotype doesn’t hold true for many of the women who place their children for adoption. Who are these women? The answer is that they are women from all backgrounds and life experiences. Here are five quick examples: They don’t want another child Many women who place children for adoption already have children. That’s right. They are already raising children in loving, stable households. They simply do not want to raise another child. For example, a mother of three children may not feel financially stable enough to raise an additional child. Many of these women…
Daddy and Dad, Mommy and Mom: LGBTQ Adoption
Some people say that children need both a mother and a father to raise them, but there are many others who believe that gender does not matter when parenting. Of the 594,000 same-sex couple households in the United States, 115,000 have children. Over the years, the number of children living with LGBT parents has risen tremendously. As the trend continues, that number will only increase, as same sex adoption and parenting becomes more and more widely accepted. Some people still think being gay means you can’t be a parent. How untrue this is, is maddening. Parent-child relationships are typically just as strong in same-sex couples as in heterosexual ones. Research suggests that gay fathers show greater levels of interaction with their child than other types of parents. Same-sex families are…
How to Create an Adoption Plan (Steps)
Thinking about adoption? One thing to think about is your adoption plan. Creating an adoption plan is important because it has huge ramifications for your child’s welfare. You might be asking what is an adoption plan? The honest answer is that there is no such thing as a catch all adoption plan. Every adoption plan is unique and based on individual circumstances. However, adoption plans have common threads that are worth analyzing. This article will help you conceptualize some of the steps you should take when creating an adoption plan. Step 1 – Research Once you have decided to place your child for adoption, the first thing you need to do is research. You need to research what an adoption entrails, the different types of adoptions available, and the…
Insurance Eligibility for Adopted Child
Adoptive parents can be reassured that under federal and state law, their health insurance plan must treat an adoptive child the same as a “natural” or biological child and must provide coverage at the time the adoptive child is legally placed in their custody prior to finalization of the adoption. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA'93), Public Law 103-66, amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The amended law requires that any group health plan which provides coverage for dependent children must provide benefits to a child placed for adoption under the same terms and conditions as apply to a child who is the biological child of a plan participant. OBRA'93 specifically eliminated any requirement that the adoption be finalized in court before there is coverage.…
Why use an Adoption Agency?
Are you thinking about adoption? If so, you may be thinking about how to plan your adoption. One big part of that plan is whether you should use an adoption agency. The short answer is yes. But let’s dig deeper into that answer. Why Choose an Adoption Agency There are many reasons why you should use an adoption agency when planning an adoption. The first is that adoption is complicated. There are legal hurdles associated with adoption that may be hard to navigate on your own. For example, if you are planning an interstate adoption, you need to comply with the requirements of the Interstate Child Placement Compact. Even if you are planning an intrastate adoption, you would still need to complete legal paperwork. You would most likely need…