How to Place Your Baby for Adoption in Ohio

Choosing to place your baby for adoption is a deeply personal and loving decision. If you are in Ohio and considering adoption, you may be wondering where to begin, what the process involves, and how to ensure the best outcome for both you and your baby. Fortunately, Ohio adoption agencies offer supportive resources and legal frameworks to guide you through every step of the adoption journey. From selecting an adoption agency to creating a personalized adoption plan, the process is designed to prioritize your rights and preferences while ensuring your baby’s well-being.

This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the adoption process in Ohio, offering insight into finding an agency, understanding your rights, and creating an adoption plan that aligns with your values and goals

Understanding Adoption in Ohio

What is Adoption?

Adoption is the permanent placement of a child, granting full parental rights and responsibilities to parents who are not the biological parents of the child.

What are the Types of Adoption in Ohio?

Open Adoption – This involves ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families after the adoption is complete. This may involve email updates, phone calls, and in-person reunions. The form and frequency of contact is determined by the expectant/birth parent and agreed upon by the adoptive parents. Open adoption also gives the birth mother the power to choose their child’s adoptive parents.

Semi-Open Adoption – This type of plan is a happy medium between open and closed adoption. The Ohio adoption agency may serve as the liaison for communication between birth and adoptive parents. The birth mother who chooses semi-open adoption may also choose their child’s adoptive parents.

Closed Adoption – With closed adoption, there is zero contact and personal information shared between the birth and adoptive family. This may be the right choice for those who wish to maintain a sense of privacy. At Adoptions With Love, photos and letters are kept on file should a birth mother decide to open the adoption later.

Deciding to Place Your Baby for Adoption

Exploring Your Ohio Adoption Options

Adoption is a very personal decision. No one can make you choose adoption. This is a path that you must make for yourself. When facing an unplanned pregnancy, it is important to consider all your options. In Ohio, you have the following choices:

• Parenthood
• Abortion (until 22 weeks of pregnancy)
• Adoption

How to Make an Informed Decision

It is important to research your options as you consider them. It can help to know what resources are available for each option regarding your pregnancy. Many expectant/birth mothers in Ohio consider parenthood when facing pregnancy, regardless of whether it was planned. Parenthood can be a rewarding journey, but it also can be an extremely challenging road for those who are unprepared. Parenthood is a life-long commitment. It is costly and will completely change the course of your life.

Termination may be a choice you are considering. This can be done surgically or with medication. There are pros and cons to each method. It is important to understand the health risks and side effects for termination. Speak with a physician before making any decisions regarding your pregnancy.

Learn More About Ohio Adoption

How to Begin the Ohio Adoption Process

1. Choose an Ohio Adoption Agency

Before you begin your adoption plan, you will need to choose a reputable, licensed adoption agency. The right adoption agency will support you throughout this entire journey – before, during, and after the birth of your baby. If you need financial assistance, your adoption agency should offer you help. Under Ohio law, adoption agencies can assist with certain living expenses (such as rent, utilities, food, and transportation) for expectant mothers.

It is important to choose an adoption agency that will discuss your options with you, listen to your wishes, and use those to help you make the best adoption plan. It should be an agency that you trust, one that will respect any choice that you make in the end.

2. Meet With an Adoption Counselor

Once you choose an adoption agency, you can begin your adoption plan. As an expectant/birth parent, you should meet with a licensed, compassionate adoption social worker at your agency of choice. This social worker will walk you through your options, educate you regarding your rights, and help you understand what to expect before, during, and after the adoption takes place. Your adoption counselor will also give you the option to design the type of adoption plan you want: an open adoption, semi-open adoption, or closed adoption plan. You can also select the family of your child if you wish.

3. Make a Post-Adoption Plan

If you choose to make an adoption plan with Adoptions With Love, you will have the option of meeting your child’s adoptive family and establishing a plan for communication following your baby’s adoption. During counseling, our trained social workers will help you design a post-adoption plan for contact with your child and his or her adoptive family. We also encourage and offer post-placement counseling.

Adoption can be the start of an emotional journey and the beginning of several lifelong relationships. Adoptions With Love can help you navigate these new emotions and relationships after your baby’s adoption takes place. As part of your post-adoption plan, we offer ongoing, confidential counseling services at no cost to you. You can view our other free services here.

The Adoption Process in Ohio

Pre-Adoption Counseling

It is important to speak with a professional counselor before you begin the adoption process. This professional can help you work through your feelings and listen to your concerns. Therapy can be a healing journey, even before the adoption is complete. It can also help you maintain your mental health throughout the adoption process.

Finding the Right Adoptive Family

In Ohio, you always have the option to choose an adoptive family for your baby. Your agency will show you waiting families who best meet your wishes and expectations. If and when you choose an adoptive family, you can speak to them through email, phone, or meet them in-person. This is completely up to you and your comfort level.

No matter the family you choose, you can rest assured your baby will be placed in a loving, secure home environment. In Ohio, it is required that all potential adoptive families complete a thorough home study. At Adoptions With Love, we carefully screen and interview all prospective families to ensure the safety and stability of their home.

Screening and Selecting Adoptive Parents

Expectant/birth parents can rest assured that their child will be placed in a safe, stable, and healthy home. This is ensured with the Home Study. The Home Study takes several months to complete and includes thorough screening and background check, multiple at-home visits, and the review of medical and financial documents. This can give you peace of mind that your child will go to an adoptive family that is healthy enough – physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially – to raise a child.

Legal Process of Adoption in Ohio

Terminating Parental Rights and Giving Consent for Adoption

To complete the adoption process, a birth mother must terminate her parental rights and consent to adoption. According to Ohio adoption laws, no birth mother can sign legal adoption documents until at least 72 hours after the baby is born. Birth fathers, not married to the birth mother, can sign prior to the birth of the baby. This helps to ensure that birth parents are confident in their decision. Once consent for the adoption is given, birth parents cannot change their minds. That is why, at Adoptions With Love, we want you to be completely certain that you are making the best possible decision for your child.

Post-Adoption Support

Emotional Support and Counseling

Adoption is a life-long journey. It does not end once the paperwork is complete. It is important to continue to seek professional counseling and emotional support where available. Your Ohio adoption agency should be able to provide you with ongoing counseling. At Adoptions With Love, counseling services continue – at no charge – for up to a year after the adoption is complete, and birth parents are encouraged to continue to seek treatment and get the care they need.

Staying in Contact

Adoptions With Love also offers ongoing support for birth mothers for years to come. We consider our birth mothers like family, and we stay connected for many years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio Adoption

What Are My Rights as a Birth Parent?

It is important to find an adoption agency that is specifically trained in and knowledgeable about the laws of your area that can offer you legal support – at no charge – throughout the adoption process. This professional can help you understand your rights as a birth parent and answer any questions you may have along the way. In Ohio, you have full parental rights until you sign consent to the adoption.

Can I Change My Mind After the Adoption Process Begins?

Yes. You can change your mind at any time before signing consent forms. That is why it is important to take as much time as you need before signing any legal paperwork. It is never too late to make an adoption plan.

How Will Adoption Affect My Child?

This is a common concern among expectant/birth parents, but the truth is that most children in open adoptions report feeling happy with their arrangement. Adopted children are more likely to be read to and sung to daily and enjoy a lifetime of love and opportunities. Children in open adoptions grow up knowing they are loved by two families, not just one.

How to Place Your Baby for Adoption in Ohio

At Adoptions With Love, we want you to know how proud we are, and how proud you should be, of your choice. 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 plan. Call us at 800-722-7731 or text us confidentially at 617-777-0072.