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Questions Expectant Mothers Ask About Adoption

(please click on question or scroll down this page for answers)  

1. I'm interested in exploring adoption. What are the next steps?

2. What if I'm not sure about adoption?

3. What is an open adoption and how does it work?

4. What if I am not comfortable with an open adoption?

5. How will I know that my child is with a good family?

6. Can I get help with my medical bills and other pregnancy expenses?

7. What are the rights of the birthfather?

8. Do you have adoptive families for African American, Latino and Biracial babies?

9. Am I like other women considering adoption?

10. Why should I work with the Adoption Center for Family Building?

11. What will happen after the baby is born?

12. I'm a teenager, do I need my parents permission to place my baby for adoption?

13. Why do most expectant mothers choose adoption?

14. My baby is due soon or is already born. I have not made a decision about adoption yet. What should I do?

15. If I choose adoption, when is my decision final?

16. What if I have used drugs or alcohol during my pregnancy?

17. What if I don't live in Illinois or Indiana?

1. I'm interested in exploring adoption.  What are the next steps?  

When you contact us, you will be matched with an experienced adoption counselor.  She will meet with you, learn about your situation, discuss your options, offer emotional support, and help you make the best decision that's right for you and your baby.

If you choose adoption, she will get the support and resources you need throughout your pregnancy, help you create a personal adoption plan and find an adoptive family that meets your needs. To get started, simply contact us at 1-800-869-1005 or by email at info@centerforfamily.com

2. What if I am not sure about adoption?

Adoption Center for Family Building offers expectant mothers free counseling.  A counselor will hjelp you explore your options so that you can make the best plan for yourself and your baby.  There is no pressure to choose adoption.  In fact, many women who contact us each year decide to parent their child.

3. What is an open adoption and how does it work?

Many women choose open adoption, which allows you to select the adoptive parents, get to know them, and stay in contact with the child and adoptive family through phone calls, social media or family visits.  Some birthparents prefer to receive letters and pictures instead of other types of contact.

4. What if I'm not comfortable with open adoption?

As a birthparent, you can choose the degree of openness you want with your child's adoptive family, or have a completely closed adoption if you wish.  The type of relationship with the adoptive parents is your choice.

5. How will I know my child is with a good family?

You will know because you are able to choose your child's adoptive parents yourself, spend time together, and get to know them.  Also, all adoptive parents must complete a home-study to be eligible to adopt through Adoption Center for Family Building.

The home-study process is quite extensive.  It involves several interviews (with a social worker) to assess the adoptive parents stability, lifestyle, ideas about parenting, experience with children and their medical and financial situation.  Families looking to adopt are required to receive training, go through criminal background checks and provide character references.  The agency staff also make visits to their home to ensure it is a safe and healthy environment for a child. 

6. What about my medical bills and other expenses?

Many different resources and programs are designed to assist pregnant women with their expenses. We will help you apply for any public assistance or insurance benefits to which you are entitled.  You may also receive financial assistance to cover pregnancy- related expenses such as rent, utilities, food, transportation to doctors visits, etc.  An adoption attorney is involved in every adoption, and she/he will help to ensure that your plan complies with the adoption laws in your state, protecting you and your child.

7. If I make an adoption plan, what rights does the birthfather have?

We can work with you regardless of your relationship with the baby's father. Whenever possible, a counselor will contact the birthfather to see if he wishes to participate in the adoption plan.  He will be asked to sign  a legal document agreeing to the adoption or denying paternity.  He will also be asked to provide medical and social history for the child.

Birthparents may receive adoption counseling together or separately.  If we are unable to locate the birthfather or he refuses to cooperate, there are legal steps to follow to ensure that the adoption is binding.  Working with an experienced adoption attorney, we carefully follow all legal requirements so that your adoption plan is secure.

8. Do you have adoptive families for African American, Latino and Biracial babies?

Yes.  We work with a diverse group of adoptive parents.  Many of our families want to adopt an African American, Latino or mixed race baby.  Adoptive parents choosing to adopt trans-racially are required to get additional counseling and education to ensure that they are fully prepared to adopt a child of a different race or ethnicity.

9. Am I like other women with an unplanned pregnancy who are considering adoption?

The answer is "yes and no"  Every birthmother is unique and has a different set of circumstances, hopes and dreams.  The common thread is that most birthmothers are facing an unplanned pregnancy, and are not able to raise this child.  Read about a few birthparent situations below:

• Susan is a 31-year-old woman who is already a single parent of a four-year-old girl. She also has a 16-year-old son living nearby with his father. Susan enjoys spending time with her teenage son on the weekends. When Susan learned she was pregnant again, she was quite concerned. She wanted this baby to grow up with two parents in a loving, stable family. Susan chose open adoption. Today, Susan and her children visit the child and her adoptive parents twice a year. 
• Nicole was a senior in high school when she became pregnant. She wondered how she would ever finish school and enjoy her teenage years if she were responsible for raising a child. With the support of her parents, Nicole selected an adoptive family.  Nicole will graduate high school in the Spring and is very proud of her decision and accomplishments. She communicates with her son's adoptive family through periodic phone calls, texts and on Facebook.
• Lisa and John have been married six years and have three children together. John lost his construction job and had difficulty finding work. Soon the couple was struggling to pay rent and feed two small children. They decided that they could not afford another child at this time.  It was important to Lisa and John for their baby to grow up with brothers and sisters. The adoptive family they chose had two children already. Although Lisa and John got to know the adoptive parents before their son was born, they did want to continue contact after the placement. Their son's adoptive family sends an annual photograph to the agency in case Lisa and John change their mind. For Lisa and John, a semi-open adoption felt like the best option.

10. Why should I choose the Adoption Center for Family Building?

Each year, hundreds of women facing unplanned pregnancies contact the Adoption Center for Family Building.  We understand what you are going through, and our experienced adoption counselors are ready to listen, discuss your options, offer emotional support, and help you make a decision that is right for you.  Our services are free, offered at no obligation, and confidential. 

If you feel that adoption is your best choice, we will help you get the support and resources you need,  design a personal adoption plan for you, and help you find an adoptive family that meets your needs. You are not alone. We will be there for you throughout your pregnancy and afterwards.

Adoption Center for family Building is a private, non-profit adoption agency that is licensed in Illinois and Indiana.  Since l996, we have place about 800 babies with loving adoptive families. To learn more about our agency and services, please call us at 1-800-869-1005 (days, evenings and weekends) or visit us online at www.centerforfamily.com .

11.  What will happen after my baby is born?  Most women stay in the hospital for 24 to 48 hours after the delivery, and you can have as much time with the baby as you wish.  Some women prefer to be moved off of the maternity floor.  Your adoption counselor will visit you in the hospital and help you to finalize your adoption plan. You may request that the adoptive parents be there for the birth or spend time with you in the hospital.  After the required waiting period you are able to sign the legal documents.  In Illinois, the final paperwork cannot be signed until the baby is at least 72 hours old.  The adoptive parents can take the baby home from the hospital prior to your signing the legal papers.  In Indiana, you would typically sign the consent to adoption prior to being discharged from the hospital.  This is typically done on day two, and the adoptive parents may take the baby home from the hospital at that time.

12.  I'm a teenager.  Do I need my parents' permission to place my baby for adoption? No, you do not need your parents' permission to place your baby for adoption.  Choosing to place your baby for adoption is a very personal choice.  Any contact you have with the Adoption Center for Family Building is private and kept confidential.  Based on our experience, however, the adoption process will be less stressful if you have support from family and/or friends.

13. Why do most expectant mothers choose adoption? 

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you're not alone.  According to industry experts, half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned --about 3 million each year

Although each woman's situation is different, many birthmothers place a baby for adoption as a selfless act of love, and because they want to give their child the best life possible.  Since we were founded in l996, Adoption Center for Family Building has placed about 800 babies with loving adoptive families. 

Some of the common reasons pregnant women contact us include:

• She may feel too young to be a parent or without the financial means to raise a child.

• She may not have any help or family support.

• She may have plans for her future that would be difficult to achieve with a new baby.

• She may believe that adoption is the best chance for her child to have a secure future.

• She may want her child raised in a two-parent stable household.

• She may be a single mother already struggling to meet the needs of her family.

• She may be choosing adoption as an alternative to abortion.

14. My baby is due soon or is already born. I have not made a decision about adoption yet.  What should I do?  Making an adoption plan is a difficult decision.  We don't want to pressure you or rush your decision.  That's why we encourage you to call us at anytime during your second or third trimesters or after your baby is born.  Our adoption counselors are prepared to visit with you at a location and time that is convenient for you, help you evaluate your options, and provide the emotional support and freedom to make your own decision.

If you need more time after the baby's birth, we can arrange for temporary care for your baby while you decide if adoption is right for you.  You would remain the baby's legal parent during this time. If you decide to move forward with an adoption plan, your counselor will assist you in finding adoptive parents for your baby.

15.  If I choose adoption, when is my decision final?  You do not sign the final papers until after your baby is born.  In Illinois, the baby must be at least 72 hours old before you may sign.  In Indiana, the final paperwork may be signed before you leave the hospital (typically two days after birth).  Once you sign the legal documents your decision is final.  For this reason, it's a good reason to contact the agency during your second or third trimesters so that you have time to think about your plans and choose the family.

At the Adoption Center for Family Building, we will never pressure you to make a decision until you are ready.  You are encouraged to sign the legal documents when you are ready.   The necessary waiting period for signing the legal paperwork is only a minimum requirement.  You may take as long as you need to make your decision, and sign the final paperwork only when you are ready.

16.  What if I have used drugs or alcohol during my pregnancy?  We can help you make an adoption plan even if you have used drugs or alcohol during your pregnancy.  You will be given information about waiting adoptive families who are comfortable parenting a child who has been drug exposed.

Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy may increase your baby's risk of certain conditions.  Therefore, it is important that you tell your counselor about any alcohol or drugs you may have taken during your pregnancy.  Our goal is to help you find the best parents for your child.

17.  What if I don't live in Illinois or Indiana?  If you would like to place your baby with one of our adoptive families and you don't live in the same state, we can still help you.  The Adoption Center for Family Building has considerable experience with interstate adoptions, and we can guide you through the process.  Contact us and we can discuss a plan that works best for you.

What is the Safe Haven Law

The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act grants parents immunity from criminal prosecution if they safely leave their infants -- within 30 days of birth -- with personnel at designated "safe havens," including police stations, fire stations, hospitals and medical emergency facilities.

Unplanned Pregnancy | Waiting Families
About the Center | How to Adopt a Baby | Contact Us

Privacy Policy: At the Adoption Center for Family Building, your privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance.  Our policies and practices are designed to protect your personal information, and provide you with the highest possible level of service and support.

Questions about open and semi-open adoptions for women considering adoption for her unborn baby.  Financial support and adoption counseling services are available to pregnant women looking a their options.

Unplanned pregnancy resources in Illinois and Indiana: The Adoption Center provides adoption resources and information to birthmothers and birthfathers and prospective adoptive parents in Illinois and Indiana including -- Chicago and Chicago suburbs -- Cook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, Winnebago, Boone, Jo Daviess, Kankakee Counties: Rockford, Waukegan, Woodstock, Elgin, Joliet, Aurora , Central and Southern Illinois -- Bloomington, Danville,  Decatur, Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Belleville, Alton, Marion, Northwest Indiana: Hammond, Merrillville, Whiting, Valparaiso, La Porte, Porter County, Lake County, Southlake County, Highland, Munster, East Chicago, Gary, Michigan City, Northern Indiana,  South Bend, Kokomo, Ft. Wayne, Goshen, Central and Southern Indiana -- Indianapolis, Lafayette, Bloomington, Evansville, Terre Haute, Anderson.