When you choose to “give up” a baby for adoption in Illinois, you’re making a bold and brave choice for the good of your child.
But even when you know it’s the right decision, choosing adoption can be difficult. Deciding to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois anyway is an act of compassion because opting for adoption gives your child a chance to enjoy the bright future you want for them.
Have you contemplated your options and decided to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois? You probably have a long list of questions about the adoption process, such as:
- How do I give my baby up for adoption in Illinois?
- Who can I turn to if I want to get help with an unplanned pregnancy?
- Can I get help with my birth expenses from hopeful adoptive parents?
- What’s a birth plan, and how do I make one?
To get answers to these questions and more, you should speak to a professional at a licensed adoption agency in Illinois. You can connect with one by just completing our online form. But for now, read on in this guide for information on how to place a baby for adoption in Illinois.
Will I Be “Giving Up” If I Give Up My Baby for Adoption in Illinois?”
The phrase, “Give up baby for adoption?” can be misleading. That’s because when you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, there’s no “giving up” involved.
If you’re pregnant and want to give your baby up for adoption in Illinois, you should know everyone in the adoption triad will benefit from your choice. When you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, you’re giving the gift of a brighter future as part of a loving family. If you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, you will always know your child will be supported and cherished.
If you select open or semi-open adoption when you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, you also get to watch your child develop into the person they’re meant to become. Through open adoption, you agree to post-placement contact arrangement that allows you to build a relationship with your child and their adoptive parents.
Choosing to “give up a baby” for adoption in Illinois isn’t surrender at all. It’s actually a victory because everyone wins. It’s selfless and compassionate, and it’s a choice you make to improve your child’s future.
You get to choose the one that’s right for you, and if you elect to give up baby for adoption in Illinois, your reasons for doing so will likely be deeply personal. Adoption does have benefits, and the most significant one is that when you “give up” a baby for adoption in Illinois, you’re providing a loving home to your kid and helping hopeful parents build a family.
How to Give Your Baby Up for Adoption in Illinois in 5 Steps
Though every adoption is different, there’s a good chance that, as a birth mother, you’ll encounter some common steps when you choose to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois.
To begin, you should find a licensed adoption agency that can offer the support you deserve throughout the process. Your agency is there to be your guide, and that includes helping you determine whether you want to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois. Read more to learn how to give up a baby up for adoption in Illinois.
Step 1: Choosing an Adoption Professional
You can get adoption info from a number of sources when you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois: online research, local adoption authorities, friends and family, and adoption support groups in your area. But the most valuable source of adoption information throughout your journey will be the adoption agency you select.
Because of the importance of your adoption agency when researching what to know about adoption, it’s wise to take your time when searching for an agency to guide you. Your agency will be with you throughout the process to provide you with adoption info and handle things like:
- Counseling birth parents about the adoption process and what it can mean for them
- Assisting with creation of an adoption plan and birth plan
- Helping birth parents get adoption financial assistance
- Connecting birth parents with prospective adoptive couples who match their preferences
- Arranging for pre-birth and post-placement communication between the parties in an adoption
Your adoption professional will be a powerful ally throughout your adoption, so it’s important you choose an agency that is fully licensed if you plan to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois.
Step 2: Charting Your Course Through Your Adoption Plan
You’re in control of everything when you give up baby for adoption in Illinois, and your adoption plan is where you document your wishes. Your birth mother rights are protected by state adoption laws when you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, and that includes your right to create an adoption plan to record your wishes.
What’s an adoption plan, and how do you get started with making one? The adoption plan is your personal road map when you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois. It records and shares your preferences and wishes.
You can get help from your adoption professional when making your plan. They’ll teach you about how to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois and explain your rights as a birth mother. Your adoption professional may ask you questions like:
- What kind of family would you like to raise your child?
- Would you like to communicate with your child and the adoptive family?
- If so, how much would you like to share, and how often?
- What would the perfect birth and hospital stay look like for you?
- And many more
Those answers will give you the building blocks of your adoption plan when you give up baby for adoption in Illinois. You alone are in control of your decisions when you give up baby for adoption in Illinois and can alter your plan or change adoptive parents anytime you like.
You also control your hospital stay when you give up baby for adoption in Illinois, and your preferences are recorded in your birth plan. The birth plan establishes order during an often chaotic, emotional portion of the adoption journey. It can help you find peace and protect your rights as a birth mother.
When you give up baby for adoption in Illinois, consent for adoption can be provided 72 hours after the birth of the child, so be sure to think about that legal requirement when making your hospital plan. It’s wise to speak with your adoption professional or attorney to learn more about the consent-to-adoption requirements in Illinois.
The following agencies can help you develop an adoption plan:
- American Adoptions
- Adoption Center for Family Building
- Adoption Center of Illinois
- Angel Adoption
- The Cradle
Step 3: Finding the Perfect Adoptive Family
Deciding to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois is an act of love, and it gives you a way to provide your baby with a loving home and a bright future. That’s part of the reason that finding the right adoptive family is so important.
Your adoption agency is there to help when you’re pregnant and want to give a baby up for adoption in Illinois. They’ll help with tasks like:
- Providing guidance and resources during your adoptive family search.
- Finding possible matches from their adoptive family database using your adoption plan.
- Connecting you with profiles for adoptive families that match your preferences.
If you make a possible match, you can get to know them and make sure they’re the best family for your child. If everything checks out, you can stay in touch throughout your pregnancy and afterward (if you so choose.)
If you choose open or semi-open adoption when you “give up” a baby for adoption in Illinois, you’ll become part of an extended family that rallies around your child. Your unique relationship with the adoptive parents can span a lifetime because it grows from your shared love for your child.
Step 4: Getting to Know the Adoptive Family
If you were able to find an adoptive family that matches your criteria after choosing to give up a baby for adoption in Illinois, that’s good news. Next, you’ll need to get acquainted with them to ensure they’re the perfect potential parents for your child.
You can use online adoption profiles when you give up a baby for adoption in IL to get basic details and screen hopeful families. However, you’ll probably want to know more about a family than what you find in their profiles. To learn more about a family, you should get acquainted with them.
You get to choose whether you’d like to start off communicating with the family via email or phone or whether you prefer to go straight to video or in-person meetings. Once you get to know them, you can gain a good idea about whether they’ll give your child the kind of home and brighter future you want for them.
Step 5: Moving Forward Following Placement
After placement, your baby will be living with their adoptive parents, but that doesn’t mean your bond with them will be broken. If you choose open adoption when you “give up” a baby for adoption in Illinois, you can maintain your relationship with your child through continuing contact with them and the adoptive family.
Again, you determine what you want in a post-placement contact agreement. You decide the type and frequency of contact you prefer. It may include letters, photos, emails, and even videos. Or, you can just get updates about your child’s life with no direct contact once you give up a baby for adoption in Illinois. Through semi-open adoption, an adoption professional can mediate contact between you and the other parties.
Moving On to Life After Adoption Placement
Deciding to “give up” a baby for adoption in Illinois is never easy, and it’s not “giving up” at all. You’re giving your child a gift that includes a brighter future and a chance for your child to develop into the person they’re meant to be.
If you’re still trying to decide if adoption is right for you, you can talk with a compassionate adoption professional and ask, “How can I give my baby up for adoption in Illinois?” If you think you may want to give up baby for adoption in Illinois, you can get the help you need by completing our online form when you’re ready.
