The Basics
"Place your baby for adoption"
�Give� means to place physically into or within another�s grasp; to
present as a gift; to donate; to offer; to exchange or trade.
When a women chooses to make an adoption plan for her child she is not
giving that child as a gift, nor is she donating him/her. She is placing her
children in the arms and hearts of another. She is not giving away anything,
but gaining everything.
There are many different ways to make an adoption plan for your baby.
Open Adoption:
So what is an open
adoption? The primary difference between a truly open adoption and a
semi-open adoption is that the adopted child has the potential of
developing a
one-on-one relationship with his or her birthfamily. It is not about
the adoptive parents bestowing birthparents with the privilege of contact,
nor is it about birthparents merely being available to provide information
over the years. Direct contact, in the form of letters, phone calls and
visits between the birthfamily and the adopted child, along with
his adoptive family, is essential if they are to establish their own
relationship. After all, how can we honestly call an adoption open if the
child is not involved?
Source: What is
Open Adoption? by Brenda Romanchik
You can also visit: OpenAdoption.org,
Open Adoption Services or read Some wonderful stories from mothers who participated
in open adoptions for their children.
Closed
Adoption: In closed adoption the birth mother might see the baby for an
hour or two and then sign the adoption papers. A closed adoption means that you sign the
papers releasing your baby without knowing the identity of the new family. The birth
parents, however, can usually write a letter to their baby.
Independent Adoption:
This means going through a private organization, doctor, or lawyer instead of an adoption
agency. The birth parents present the child directly to the adoptive parents instead of an
adoption agency.
Semi-Open: This means that you can make an adoption plan for your
baby by going through an agency, or a lawyer. Non-identifying information is
exchanged among the birth parents and the pre-adoptive couple. The adoptive
couple and birth parents can agree whether or not both parties are willing
to continue communicating after the child has been placed. On going contact
is normally done through the intermediary of the
adoption agency, the attorney who assisted in the placement, or through a
private mediator (this could include a family member or a friend).
Rights of the Baby's Birth Father:
The baby's father must give permission for adoption. He could sign a statement denying
paternity, sign away his rights to the child, or give permission for the child to be
adopted. If the father cannot be found, abandonment proceedings may be carried out.
