Are you planning to give up a baby for adoption in California as a way of dealing with an unplanned pregnancy? We want you to know you’re making a brave choice that will offer you and your child a brighter future.
However, that doesn’t mean your choice is easy. When you give up a baby for adoption in California, you’re choosing to provide the best life for your kid, though the decision often comes with conflicting emotions of grief and loss.
It’s normal for expectant birth mothers who are planning to give up baby for adoption in California to have a lot of questions about the adoption process like:
- Is there help for women facing unplanned pregnancy?
- How do I give my baby up for adoption in California?
- Is there help with birth expenses provided by hopeful adoptive parents?
- How do I get started with my adoption plan?
The easiest way to find the answers to these questions is to speak with an adoption professional with an adoption agency in California. To speak to someone, just complete our online form. For now, keep reading to gain a better understanding of how to place a baby for adoption in California.
Am I “Giving Up” If I Give Up My Baby for Adoption in California?
You’ve likely heard someone use the phrase “give up a baby for adoption” to refer to the act of placing a child in an adoptive home.
That phrase is inaccurate, though. When you’re pregnant and want to give your baby up for adoption in California, you’re not “giving up” at all. Quite the opposite is true. When you choose adoption, everyone involved wins.
Choosing to give up a baby for adoption in California means you’re giving your child a stable home and bright future. If you give up baby for adoption in California, you’ll know your child will be raised by a loving, pre-screened family while still getting to move forward with your own life. You’ll also help to make an adoptive family’s dream come true.
Opting for open or semi-open adoption when you give up a baby for adoption in California lets you stay a part of your child’s life. Open adoption involves a post-placement contact agreement between the parties that allows birth parents to continue contact with their children and preserve their bond while watching them develop.
When you “give up baby” for adoption in California, you’re not “giving up” anything. It’s a choice made to protect your child’s future.
How to Give Your Baby Up for Adoption in California in 5 Simple Steps
Each adoption scenario is different, but almost all birth mothers who wonder how to give baby up for adoption in California will face a few common steps.
The first thing you’ll need to do is identify the right adoption agency for you. Your agency will provide support through resources and counseling when deciding whether to give up baby for adoption in California, and they’ll be with you throughout your adoption journey. Read on to learn how to give up a baby up for adoption in California.
Step 1: Decide If You Want to Pursue Adoption
A surprise pregnancy can turn your life upside-down. It can certainly be overwhelming, but the good news is you have options. Choosing to give up a baby for adoption in California is one of them, and you alone can decide if it’s best for you.
If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy and are wondering if it’s best to give up a baby for adoption in California, you have three options:
Women like you choose to give up baby for adoption in California for a variety of personal reasons. No matter why women choose adoption, there are clear benefits. Deciding to give up a baby for adoption in California lets you offer your baby a stable home and help a hopeful family fulfill their dreams of starting a family. You also get to preserve your dreams for the future.
Step 2: Create Your Adoption Plan
Deciding to give up baby for adoption in California puts you in control of your future. You create an adoption plan to document your wishes for your experience, and state adoption laws protect your rights when you give up baby for adoption in California.
What’s an adoption plan, and how do you make one? If you’re asking that question, you should know your adoption plan guide is the blueprint for your experience when you give up a baby for adoption in California.
Your adoption professional will help you build your plan. They’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to give up baby for adoption in California. They’ll explain your rights and help you understand how your adoption journey could be impacted by other factors.
As you begin to create your adoption plan, your adoption professional asks some key questions, such as:
- What kind of family would you like to raise your child?
- How much contact do you prefer with the adoptive family?
- How much contact do you want with your child?
- What are your wishes for the birth and hospital stay?
- And many more
The answers you provide will shape your adoption plan and guide your journey when you decide to give up baby for adoption in California. Again, you control your future when you give up baby for adoption in California, and you can change your mind or switch adoptive parents anytime you like.
The following agencies can help you develop an adoption plan:
- American Adoptions
- Adopt Now
- Nightlight Christian Adoptions
- Family Connections Christian Adoptions
- Everlasting Adoptions
- Unique Adoptions
Step 3: Find the Best Adoptive Parents for Your Child
When you choose to give up a baby for adoption in California, your decision springs from a deep love for your child. You’re giving your child the gift of a brighter future rich with opportunity. That’s why finding the right adoptive family is so important.
Your adoption agency will be your top supporter and advocate if you’re pregnant and want to give baby up for adoption in California. They handle things such as:
- Extend guidance and helpful resources as you seek the right adoptive family.
- Rely on your adoption plan to find possible adoptive family matches in their database.
- Present you with adoptive family profiles for families that could be a good fit for you.
After finding the right family, you’ll meet them and ensure they’re the right family to adopt your child. If you select the family, you can stay in touch throughout your pregnancy and after (when you choose open or semi-open adoption.)
Opting for open or semi-open adoption when you give up a baby for adoption in California gives you and your child an extended support network. Your special relationship with the family that adopts your child stems from a bond created by your shared love of the child. That’s a wonderful thing.
Step 4: Build Your Birth Plan
Another part of the process you control when you give up a baby for adoption in California is your birth plan. It ensures your wishes are documented and respected during the birth of your child and the hospital stay, which can be the emotional pinnacle of your journey. A well-prepared birth plan gives you peace and protects your birth mother rights.
Your hospital plan should cover details like:
- Which hospital you’d prefer to use
- Who you’d like in the delivery room
- Who you want to hold your child first
- How much time you’d like to spend with the baby and adoptive family (if any)
- Whether you’re fine with photos being taken of you, your child and the adoptive parents
- When you’ll provide consent and sign the adoption documents
- When and how you plan to leave the hospital
- And much more
When you give up a baby for adoption in California, your birth plan expresses your expectations for your hospital stay, which ensures all parties understand them. Your adoption professional will help you make your birth plan and give you the support to ensure your hospital stay goes smoothly.
When it’s time to give up a baby for adoption in California, the law states that consent for adoption can be provided any time after the birth of the child in agency-assisted adoptions. In direct placements, consent can be given after the mother is discharged from the hospital.
Please take these consent requirements into account when building your hospital plan. Speak with your adoption professional or attorney to learn more about the consent to adoption requirements in California.
Step 5: Life Beyond Placement
Just because your child is living with their adoptive family doesn’t mean your bond with your child no longer exists. When you give up a baby for adoption in California, you can maintain a relationship with your kid.
In open adoptions, you can continue to communicate with your child and the adoptive family regularly. You decide the frequency and amount of contact. You can even decide if you want to stay in touch through letters, photos, emails, and even videos.
It’s okay if you plan to give up a baby for adoption in California and would prefer to just get periodic updates regarding your child’s progress with no direct contact. If that’s your preference, you can choose semi-open adoptions that allow an adoption professional to mediate contact between the parties.
Taking the Next Steps in Your Adoption Journey
Again, we want you to know that if you’ve decided to give up a baby for adoption in California, you’re not “giving up.” You’re making a choice to provide both you and your child with a brighter future. You’re giving your kid a chance to grow into the person they’re meant to become.
If you’re planning to give up baby for adoption in California, you can get the help you need by completing our online form whenever you’re ready. Getting assistance is as easy as asking, “How can I give my baby up for adoption in California?”
