You can also do what is called an “identified” adoption through an agency in some cases. This is what we did. Because of complications with our son’s situation (he has special needs and the state was involved), our attorney recommended doing this. We went through the agency to insure all the paperwork for his special needs were handled properly since the lawyers were not familiar with those types of things. The way it worked is that the bio family contacted the agency along with us and indicated that we wanted to do an “identified” adoption which meant that the bio family had already chosen us and we were just using the agency to do the filing and home studies, etc. Even if you use an attorney, you will still need an agency to process the home study for the family you have chosen.

Good luck to you.

And, DO NOT LISTEN TO ADM19888! This person has been baby trolling all over Y!A… preying on vulnerable pregant women trying to unethically solicit their babies.

This goes out to everyone here. Do NOT put your faith in potential adoptive parents for your child on YAHOO ANSWERS. Do it legally, do it SAFELY, and remember that you never know WHO is on the other end of the connection… don’t EVER trust a screen name unless you know the person behind it.

Especially when it comes to CHILDREN.

The adopting parents will need a lawyer and an agency to do a homestudy (to make sure they can provide a good home). Also you’ll have to get the consent of the father, or otherwise legally terminate his rights.

There are a lot of anti-adoption voices on this site. I think it is good to know they are out there, and I think they are very sincere. However, there are also people that have positive experiences with adoption (first parents and adoptees) so don’t let the negative responses make the decision for you. Instead try to get as much information as you can to make the decision that is right for you.

You can consult with a lawyer, to see what your options are, what the best plan of attack is. You may be able to contact this site, they may be able to help as well…..

Best of luck,
Pamela

I would suggest you wait at least 6 months until after you have given birth and have had a chance to bond with the baby. You might want to wait until your homones are back to normal before handing your baby over to anyone. You’d be surprised how many girls have changed their minds and went on to raise the baby. I now a couple girls as young as 13 that have done this and they were so glad they didn’t place their baby. They struggled at first but managed. If money is the issue don’t worry about that…there are plenty of resources out there that will help you.

Good luck with your situation.

If after researching, you decide to go with adoption anyway:

If at all possible, you should avoid arranging the adoption before you give birth. Make sure it’s something you still want to do after you’ve seen and held your child. Remember that even if you do decide to “match” with prospective adoptive parents before the baby is born, you still have every right to decide to keep your baby. You are not obligated to place your child just because you considered or made an adoption plan. Nothing is final till the baby is born, the papers are signed, and the revocation period has passed.

You should make sure you have a lawyer of your own– NOT the prospective adoptive parents’ lawyer. You need your legal counsel to have your interests in mind 100%.

If you know who the biological father is, the father will also need to sign a termination of parental rights once the baby is born. If you aren’t sure, talk to your lawyer, as the rules vary from state to state.

You need to decide whether you want an open adoption, where you would receive things like pictures, updates on how your child is doing, and in some cases visits, or if you want a closed adoption. Open adoption is generally considered better for the child involved; if you choose it you need to think about what kind of updates you want and how often, and if you want visits and how often. Remember, though, that open adoption agreements are not legally enforceable, so pick adoptive parents you trust to keep their end of the bargain, since if they don’t you don’t have any way to make them.

There is no rush for you to sign the termination of parental rights. No matter who tells you otherwise, there is no time limit on when you can do this. You should NOT sign anything until you have rested after giving birth, any medications you were given have worn off, and you have been discharged from the hospital in good health. If you need to take more time even than that, go for it, even if you need weeks or months. It’s better to take the time to be SURE, than to do something you’ll regret.

The revocation period in Kentucky is 20 days… meaning up to 20 days AFTER you sign the termination of parental rights, you can change your mind and take your child back, no questions asked. If you do change your mind, you need to submit the paperwork as soon as possible, not wait till the expiry of the 20 days. That time is how long you have to file, not how long you are supposed to wait.

Obtain a copy of the baby’s original birth certificate before the adoption is finalized. These are amended and sealed at the time of adoption, so it’s a good thing to save an original for your child. It might be nice for you to have a copy to keep as well– you can request these freely until finalization.

Be sure to get counseling, both before the birth and also after placing if you do end up deciding on adoption. Make sure your counseling is from an independent therapist, not someone who works for an adoption agency– you need unbiased counseling where you won’t be pressured and your feelings won’t be minimized. Giving up your child to adoption, even if it was totally willing, is a loss, and you will need to grieve it. Don’t try to bury your feelings.

im not judging you.
because i don’t know you or your situation.
but u should seriously think really hard about this.

well yes,your most likely going to need a lawyer.