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The decision to place your baby for adoption is a decision made with love and thoughtfulness. It is one of the most selfless and long-term choices you can make for your child and should always be well-informed. Before choosing to make an adoption plan, it is essential to do your research: Ask questions. Assess all your options. Learn about the steps you need to take to place your baby for adoption in Nebraska. As a licensed adoption agency serving Nebraska, Adoptions With Love can help. We are here to listen to you, educate you about adoption in Nebraska, and help you make the most positive, informed decision for you and your baby.
Adoptions With Love has great relationships with expert adoption counselors and attorneys licensed in your state. If you need help placing your baby for adoption in Nebraska, know that you can always contact us. We partner with experienced counselors and trusted adoption attorneys across your state.
Placing a baby for adoption is a deeply personal and emotional decision and understanding the process can provide clarity and comfort during a challenging time. If you are considering adoption in Nebraska, it is essential to be informed about the steps involved, from choosing an adoption agency to understanding your legal rights and options. This guide will walk you through the process of placing your baby for adoption in Nebraska, offering insights into the support available and what to expect at each stage, ensuring you can make the best decision for you and your child.
Introduction to Placing Your Baby for Adoption in Nebraska
Understanding the Adoption Process
Adoption is a complex, legal process. The first – and most important step – is to choose an adoption agency that is fully licensed, reputable, and trustworthy. This professional can walk you through the process every step of the way. Your adoption agency can help you find an adoptive family for your child and offer you supportive services – including financial support, free counseling, and free legal guidance. The best adoption agencies in Nebraska will give you the guidance you need without adding any pressure, judgment, or criticism. Your adoption agency can help custom design an adoption plan that best meets your needs.
Reasons for Considering Adoption
Adoption is not the right choice for everyone, but it can be a positive path for anyone who is not yet ready to parent. If you are considering adoption, you may be glad to know that it offers many benefits for expectant/birth parents. With adoption, a birth mother can rest assured that her child is safe, well cared for, and loved while being free to pursue her personal and professional goals. She can also enjoy the peace of mind that adoption does not have to be a “goodbye forever.” Thanks to open adoption, many birth mothers go on to have a deep and meaningful relationship with their child’s adoptive family and, therefore, child.
Legal Requirements for Adoption in Nebraska
Consent to Adoption
Each state has its own set of adoption laws. In Nebraska, a birth mother cannot consent to adoption until 48 hours after the baby is born. The best adoption agencies will offer you an experienced attorney who is well-versed with Nebraska adoption laws.
Requirement of Counseling
Another Nebraska adoption law states that any birth parent considering adoption must be offered at least three hours of professional counseling services – at no cost to the birth parent – by their adoption agency. Adoptions With Love offers Nebraska birth parents counseling services before and up to a year after the adoption is complete.
Choosing an Adoption Agency in Nebraska
Types of Adoption Agencies
There are a few different types of adoption agencies in Nebraska. Here is an outline of the most common Nebraska adoption agencies:
Private adoption
Private adoption agencies are the most popular choices for Nebraska birth mothers choosing adoption for their child. A full-service, private adoption agency handles everything related to the adoption and offers free supportive service to birth parents.
Foster care adoption
Foster care is a state-run system that places children in temporary and permanent homes. The children placed in foster care have been removed from their homes due to an unsafe or unsuitable environment. This is not the path chosen by birth mothers voluntarily placing their baby for adoption.
Questions to Ask an Adoption Agency
- What type of adoption plans do you offer?
- What type of support do you offer birth mothers?
- How often can I contact someone for guidance?
- How are adoptive families screened? /What does your Home Study entail?
- What happens after the adoption is complete?
Types of Adoption in Nebraska
Adoption can be custom-tailored to meet the needs of the expectant/birth parent(s), adoptive family, and growing child. At Adoptions With Love, you can choose between the following types of adoptions:
Open Adoption
Open adoption entails ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families after the adoption is complete. The form and frequency may vary and are up to you, the birth parent. You may choose to stay connected via text messages, emails, phone calls, or in-person reunions. The choices are yours.
Closed Adoption
A closed adoption is exactly as it sounds. Once the adoption is complete, there is no communication between birth and adoptive families. There is no information shared between the two parties. This can appeal to expectant/birth parents looking for privacy and a fresh start.
Semi-Open Adoption
A semi-open adoption falls somewhere in between open and closed adoption. You may want to choose your child’s adoptive family but have limited to no direct contact with them. You may want to use your adoption agency as a liaison for any shared communication with your child’s adoptive family. Your adoption agency can help you find the type of plan that best meets your needs.
How to Give My Baby Up* for Adoption in Nebraska?
1. Choose and Meet with a Trusted Adoption Professional
The first and perhaps most essential step in the adoption process is choosing the right adoption professional to guide you through the process. There are many adoption professionals in Nebraska who can help, but it is important to find the people that you trust, who are reputable, compassionate, and that will listen to your needs. Choose adoption professionals that will discuss your many options with you, adoption and beyond, and that will respect any choice you make. The right adoption professionals will stand by your side throughout the entire adoption experience – as you prepare for the adoption, after you place your baby, and throughout your life. These counselors should always be available to you at any time of day, any day of the week, to help you through the adoption process or just to talk.
2. Decide on the Adoption Plan that is Right for You
Open adoption is a positive choice available to expectant/birth mothers in Nebraska. This means that if you choose to work with an open adoption agency, you will have the option to continue a relationship with your child’s adoptive family following his or her placement. This may involve receiving pictures of your child over the years, or even having monthly Skype or FaceTime meetings with your child and his or her adoptive parents. As an expectant/birth mother, you can decide if you want contact, and how much contact you are comfortable having with the adoptive family.
At Adoptions With Love, we understand open adoption is not right for everyone. Here, you can choose from an open adoption, semi-open adoption, or a closed adoption plan. One of our compassionate adoption counselors will explain each option to you and, if you would like, can help you personally design the type of adoption plan that fits your wants and needs. At AWL, you can also select and meet an adoptive family for your baby, if you wish.
3. Select a Loving Adoptive Family
Many expectant/birth parents find peace of mind in choosing the adoptive family for their baby. If you would like to make this loving choice, your open adoption agency will share with you a selection of prospective Adoptive Parent Profiles. These family profiles, consisting of letters and photos, will help you get to know each waiting family and choose the best match for your baby. At Adoptions With Love, we will listen carefully to your wishes and show you the waiting families that can meet all you envision for your child.
No matter which adoptive family you choose, know that your child will be safe, secure, and loved. All waiting adoptive families at Adoptions With Love are thoroughly screened and evaluated through an extensive home study process, as well as a series of background checks to ensure each family is fit and ready to raise a child.
4. Understand the Laws of Adoption in Nebraska
Adoption laws vary from state to state. In Nebraska, you cannot sign any legal adoption documents until at least 48 hours after the baby is born. This will give you more time to spend with your baby and think about your choice. Adoption is a lifelong decision, and we want to ensure you are comfortable and confident that it is the best one for you and your child.
If you decide to place your baby for adoption in Nebraska, it is important to find an agency that is knowledgeable, experienced, and specifically trained in the laws of your area. If you choose to work with Adoptions With Love, for example, you can meet with our attorney partners who are experts in Nebraska adoptions. They can meet with you – wherever you are – to help walk you through the legal adoption process.
Adoptions With Love’s legal services are always free of charge. In fact, all of the birth parent services at our agency are free of cost. We can provide financial assistance for pregnancy-related expenses needed before, during, and up to six weeks after your baby’s adoption, such as:
- Complete counseling
- Help designing your adoption plan
- Assistance finding quality medical care
- Housing assistance
- Financial assistance
- Legal assistance
5. Pursue Continued Adoption Support
Adoption is a lifelong journey full of new, delicate feelings and relationships. You do not have to navigate these alone. Adoptions With Love can help you manage any difficult emotions or adoption relationships that arise post-placement. We extend our free ongoing, confidential counseling services to you. We can also mediate any open contact you wish to have with your child and his or her family down the road.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption in Nebraska
What are my rights as a birth parent?
The best Nebraska adoption agency will offer you support for all aspects of the adoption journey. This includes an adoption attorney specifically trained in Nebraska adoption laws. This professional can ensure that your rights as a birth parent are protected and that you understand your rights throughout the adoption process.
What financial assistance is available?
At Adoptions With Love, expectant/birth parents choosing adoption in Nebraska can get financial support including:
Rent support, including several months of payments and a security deposit
- Utilities
- Phone bills
- Transportation
- Food
- Maternity clothes, as needed
How to Place Your Baby for Adoption in Nebraska
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you should take as much time as you need to consider your options. If you think you may want to “give baby up for adoption” in Nebraska, the first thing to know is that adoption is anything but “giving up.” *Making an adoption plan for your baby is a loving, brave and thoughtful decision you make in the best interests of your child.
At Adoptions With Love, we want you to know how selfless and brave you are for making this choice. Know that we are always here for you. Whether you are pregnant or have already given birth to your baby, it is never too late to start your adoption in Nebraska. Call us at 800-722-7731, text us confidentially at 617-777-0072, or contact us online.
This is our State by State Adoption blog series. To learn about the different areas we service, or to find the specific steps of adoption in your state, please visit adoptionswithlove.org/areas-we-service.