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Pregnant, Need Help?
You’ve come to the right place!
At the Adoption Center, we offer a unique service. We feel that we are a special adoption agency because many of us here have either adopted a child or have placed a child for adoption. Because adoption is a very special part of our own lives, we have a special connection to our job and a great desire to help others going through this process. We are a small adoption agency and this allows us time to give you all the personal attention you deserve. We promise that you will never feel like just a number. We truly enjoy getting to know our birth mothers and their adoptive families. Our favorite part of this process is making sure you have peace of mind and-- at the same time-- helping you get back on your feet.
Call our toll-free birthmother line 1-800-869-1005
We understand what you are going through and are here to give you support, as well as professional counseling, quality medical care and financial assistance. We are committed to you and will respect your feelings and emotions. We can assist you in developing an adoption plan that will meet your needs during your pregnancy and afterwards. Your well being and peace of mind are most important to us.
Your personal counselor will help you evaluate your options so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your baby. The fact is that having a baby doesn't always mean that you are ready or able to be a parent. You are giving your baby a gift that no one else can--the gift of life. We understand how very much you love your baby which is why you are seeking a family that can offer him or her all the wonderful things that life has to offer--a secure future, loving parents, opportunities for a great education, vacations, music lessons and a stable family. It is normal to feel sad even if you know you are making the right choice. Accepting the fact that this may not be the right time for a baby can be painful, but knowing that your baby is part of a stable, loving family can give you peace of mind.
Every year, hundreds of women with unplanned pregnancies call the Adoption Center. Many birthmothers choose to work with our agency because they prefer the personal services only available through a smaller adoption agency. Our clients also tell us that they like being able to choose the family themselves and decide what kind of contact they will have with the adoptive parents.
There are many advantages to working with an adoption agency in your own state, including convenient, easy access to services. Your personal counselor will be familiar with resources in your area such as: where to find excellent pre-natal care, how to apply for medical and other benefits and the best housing options available to you. You will not be asked to relocate, and we'll be here for you after the placement, too!
Private adoption: In a private adoption, an adoption attorney is hired by the adoptive family to represent their interests only. In most private adoptions, the birthmother does not have legal representation of her own. Although counseling may be offered to her privately, it is often limited to a few sessions and may be cut off soon after the placement. Agency adoption: Every birthmother is matched with her own personal adoption counselor who will assist her in making the best plan for herself and her baby. At the Adoption Center you can be assured of privacy and confidentiality and are entitled to free services for as long as you want.
For answers to your questions, please complete the form below and we will be happy to answer online at no risk or cost to you.
Why do women choose adoption?
What will my child think of me?Placing a baby for adoption is a special way of showing your love and maturity. With adoption, you would be giving your child the gift of life, a loving family and wonderful opportunities for their future. Your child's adoptive parents will understand the importance of sharing information in an honest and straightforward manner. Your child will grow up knowing the love and self-sacrifice that went into your adoption decision. Can I be involved in choosing the family to adopt my baby?Of course. Your Birthparent Advocate will present you with choices of many wonderful families eagerly awaiting the arrival of a baby. You will have the opportunity to select the adoptive parents yourself. You may meet the family and spend time with them, talk on the telephone, or exchange letters or e-mails. You will decide how big (or little) your role should be in the adoption process. How much contact can I have with the family after my baby is placed for adoption?It is very important that you and the adoptive parents discuss the kind of contact you will want both before and after the placement. Following an adoption, some birthparents choose to receive letters and photos once or twice a year; others want updates more regularly, and still others want less frequent contact. Sometimes the contact occurs by phone, mail or email, and some birth and adoptive parents have ongoing visits. It is important to choose parents whose ideas about ongoing contact are similar to your own. How will I know my child is with a good family?You will know because you are able to choose the parents, spend time together and get to know them. Also, the adoptive parents must complete a home-study to be eligible to adopt through our agency. The home-study process is quite extensive. It involves several interviews (with a social worker) to assess their stability, lifestyle, ideas about parenting, experience with children and their medical and financial circumstances. Families looking to adopt attend training, have criminal background checks and they must provide references. Their home is also visited to ensure it is a safe environment for a child. . What about my medical bills and other pregnancy-related 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. 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 and protects you and your child. What rights does the father of my baby have in an adoption?The law protects birthfathers’ rights, but adoption laws vary from state to state. It will be important for us to follow the adoption laws in your state. Working with an experienced adoption attorney, we follow all the legal steps to ensure that the adoption is binding. Some birthfathers are actively involved in planning their child’s adoption, and we are happy to work with the two of you together or separately. If the birthfather is not involved in the adoption, and we are able to locate him, he is invited to participate in the adoption. If we are unable to locate a birthfather or he refuses to cooperate, there are legal steps we would follow to ensure that your adoption is secure. What if there are complications and my baby is not born healthy? Will anyone want to adopt my baby?Every birthmother worries about the health of her baby and hopes to have a healthy child. Although it is rare, there are times when a birthmother discovers that she may be carrying a child with special needs. Birthmothers facing this kind of situation need extra support and care. There are families who are waiting to adopt children with special needs. We will do all that we can to help you find a family who can provide the love and care that this special child will need. Am I like other women and teenagers with unexpected pregnancies considering adoption?The answer is "yes." Every birthmother is unique and has a different set of circumstances, hopes and dreams. But the common theme is that everyone is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Read about a few birthmother situations below: Susan is a 34-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 wants this baby to grow up with two parents in a loving, stable marriage. Therefore, Susan decided to consider adoption. Today, she and her children visit with her two-year-old and his adoptive family twice a year. The adoptive family looks forward to these times together. Susan feels that open adoption was the right choice for her. Anna and Jim met in college. They had dated for a year when they found out Anna was pregnant. Both Anna and Jim wanted to finish school before raising a family. They read profiles of families waiting to adopt and chose the parents together. Now Anna is working on a master’s degree and keeps in touch with her daughter's adoptive family through phone calls, pictures and updates. Jim found a job in the area and he enjoys receiving pictures every Christmas. Although teenage pregnancy has serious consequences, Anna and Jim are pleased with the decision they made to place their baby for adoption. Nicole was a junior in high school when experienced teenage pregnancy. 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 and her birthparent services worker, Nicole selected an adoptive family. Nicole will graduate high school this spring and is very proud of her decision and accomplishments. She communicates with her son's adoptive family through periodic phone calls and letters and pictures. Nicole feels that adoption was the right option for her. Now in their late 20's, 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 and concluded it would be difficult financially and emotionally to add another child to the family. It was important to Lisa and John for the new baby to grow up with brothers and sisters. The adoptive family they chose had one child by birth and two children by adoption. Although Lisa and John developed a close relationship with the adoptive parents before their son was born, they did want ongoing contact. Their son's adoptive family sends an annual photograph to the Adoption Center in case Lisa and John change their minds about receiving updates. For Lisa and John, a semi-open adoption felt like the best option. What are the adoptive families like?Just like birthparents, adoptive families are all unique. The one thing they all have in common is a desire to bring a child into their family and provide him/her with a wonderful life. Jamie and Bob have experienced many years of infertility and miscarriages before deciding to build their family through adoption. Bob is an executive in a large public relations firm and Jamie is a freelance photographer. Jamie plans to reduce her work schedule to only one evening a week, so that she can be a stay-at-home mom. Bob is home in the evenings so childcare is not an issue. They live in a suburb of Chicago in a kid- filled neighborhood. Fran has been looking to adopt for many years. She has always dreamed of becoming a mother some day. A 35-year-old attorney, Fran admits to not putting any free time into dating. Although she is not married, she decided to look into adoption. Fran is very close to her extended family and baby-sits her young niece and nephew on weekends. Her parents, two siblings and their families live within minutes of each other. Fran is very involved in her church community and plans to share her religious values with a child. All of her family is anticipating with excitement the day that Fran will bring home a baby. Pam and Pete have been married for nine years. They both come from large families and have always hoped to have many children. Two years after their marriage, they gave birth to Theresa. Three years have gone by and Pam has not been able to become pregnant again. Now they hope to fulfill their dreams of a larger family by adopting a baby. Theresa is very excited about adopting a baby because she gets to be a big sister. If I place my baby for adoption, will I truly be okay and will my life return to normal?You will be okay-- whether you're single or married, already parenting other kids, or experiencing a teenage pregnancy or first time pregnancy. Placing a child for adoption is perhaps the most difficult decision you will ever make in life. The best answer to this question comes from other women who have placed a baby for adoption. They tell us that things get easier over time. They go on with their lives, get married, have other children, find employment and finish school. Nevertheless, they say they will always hold a special place in their hearts for the child they placed for adoption. Birthparents say that their sadness is balanced by knowing the love, security and wonderful life that their child's adoptive parents are able to provide.
LOCATIONS: This agency provides adoption services to birthmothers in Illinois and Indiana. Chicago metro: Cook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, Winnebago, Boone, Jo Daviess, Kankakee Counties (Rockford, Waukegan, Woodstock, Elgin, Joliet, Aurora Adoption Information), 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. About the
Adoption Center | How to In
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