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If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may be considering making an adoption plan for your baby. This is a loving, selfless decision. It is also one with which you will have many choices. Facing this situation may be overwhelming, and, at times, discouraging. You may feel as though you do not have much control over what is happening. Many expectant/birth mothers are comforted, however, to learn that they have many options within the adoption path. This includes finding and choosing a family to adopt your baby.
As the expectant mother, you have the power to determine who will adopt your baby. If you would like, you can choose the family to love and raise your child. Many expectant/birth mothers find peace of mind in this choice, knowing they picked out the perfect family for their children.
If you find yourself wondering, ‘how do I find the right family for my baby?’, you are certainly not alone. Many women find themselves in the same exact position every day. Here, Adoptions With Love outlines how to find a family to adopt your baby.
- Work with a Reputable Adoption Agency
The first step toward finding the right family to adopt your baby is to work with a reliable, reputable, and trustworthy adoption agency. This adoption agency should be licensed and knowledgeable in all things related to the adoption process. Its staff should also be compassionate and understanding of your wants and needs.
Adoptions With Love is a licensed, private, non-profit adoption agency. For more than 32 years, we have been helping expectant/birth mothers nationwide place their babies with loving adoptive families. We understand how important it is to find a safe, loving, and stable home for your baby.
In addition to helping you find an adoptive family, your adoption agency can also help you with the costs and services related to the adoption, including scheduling and getting to your prenatal appointments. Adoptions With Love offers financial assistance in addition to free counseling and legal support.
We also take the time to get to know each of our waiting adoptive families, and ensure they are ready to raise a child. Each family is thoroughly screened and assessed through a series of background checks, home studies, and in-depth reviews of their personal records, so that you can assure your baby is going to the safest possible home. If you are looking for a family for your baby without the help of an adoption agency, you will not get this same level of assurance. Read more here.
- Consider the Perfect Adoptive Family
Once you have found your adoption agency, you will want to think about what the “perfect” adoptive family means to you. Imagine your child five or ten years down the road. What kind of life do you wish him or her to have? Does he or she have siblings? Is he or she living in a city, or more of a rural setting? What are his or her parents like?
As you begin this process, jot down a list of must-have characteristics that the family will possess. This list will help you clearly see what you value as important in a family, and what quality of life you feel is necessary for a child – your child – to have. Take the time to talk about your wishes with your adoption counselor.
At Adoptions With Love, your wishes for your child are our priority, and they will always be respected. Whether you want your baby to have two parents, grow up with a certain religious background, or have a family that looks similar to your own, you are the one who will make these calls when seeking the right match. This is your baby and your adoption plan. Adoptions With Love will support you in this search, and in your decisions.
In your search for an adoptive family, you can also focus on small, specific things that matter most. Do you want the child to grow up with incredible academic opportunities? Travel? Play sports? Are there certain traditions you want your child to experience, like visiting Santa or making a wish at midnight on New Year’s Eve? You may be surprised to find that these little things can help ease your mind when choosing an adoptive family.
- Share Your Wishes with Your Adoption Counselor
Once you have a clear idea of what traits your child’s adoptive family should have, it is time to share your “wish list” with your adoption agency counselor. At Adoptions With Love, our loving staff will take the time to talk with you, listen to you, and understand every detailed hope and dream you share with us. We are here to talk 24 hours a day, seven days a week – whenever you are ready.
- Review Real Adoptive Families
After you have shared your wishes with your adoption agency, you will be presented with some profiles of families looking to adopt. These families will match up with the “must have” list you provided earlier in the process. You will have the opportunity look through their information, as well as photos and letters from families waiting to adopt a baby. Should you have more questions about a particular family, your adoption agency can help you get some answers. You can learn more about researching and reviewing adoptive family profiles here.
- Take Your Time
When it comes to making an adoption plan, there is no rush to choose a family for your baby, or to make a final adoption decision. You will never feel pressure from an agency like Adoptions With Love.
Before choosing an adoptive family for your baby, take the time to consider how you want your adoption plan to go. Do you want your adoption plan to be open or closed? This is one of the most important considerations when looking for the right adoptive family. In order for your adoption plan to be successful, you will need to choose an adoptive family with whom you feel most comfortable, and who is open to the level of contact you wish to have.
Many birth mothers say they simply “know” when they have found the perfect family for their baby. For some, it is clear by reading an adoptive family profile that matches all of the important criteria. For others, it is more of a “vibe” they get from the family’s photo album and letters. Fear not if this process takes longer than you anticipated. Once you know, you will know.
- Make Contact with an Adoptive Family
Once you have decided on the right family for your baby, you will have the option to meet them in person or over the phone. This is something that most expectant/birth mothers do today, as it allows them to get to know the adoptive family better.
If you choose to meet with a prospective family, be sure to ask questions. Try to think of what matters most to you in a family. You may want to ask how long the couple has been married, or what makes their marriage so special. By seeing how much love they have for each other, you can begin to understand how much love your child will receive. You can ask about how many children the adoptive parents plan on having, why they are adopting, and their plans for the future. You can also ask about their parenting philosophies, and what truly sets them apart from other parents out there. What do really want to know about this family that could potentially adopt your baby? What will help ease your mind and feel comfortable with this precious decision? More question ideas are listed here. Your adoption agency can help facilitate this meeting, as you get to know one another more.
Adoptions With Love can help you start the adoption journey, and walk you through every step of the way – including finding (and choosing) the best possible family for your baby. To start your adoption plan today, or for more information on our adoptive families, call us toll-free at 1-800-722-7731. You can also text us confidentially at 1-617-777-0072. We are available to talk or to listen at any time of day, any day of the week. Come join us on this special path together.
