However, there can also be a lot of good feelings when making this decision. You are giving your child life and giving that life to a family that probably cannot birth children. It is a huge sacrifice for the benefit of that child and family. You will also be able to continue your life, or even change your life to a better standard. Adoption is a very loving, unselfish act. It takes serious consideration of the needs of both you and your child and your particular situation.

Adoptions today are very different than years ago. You have the option of choosing the couple that you want to raise the child. You can look at profiles and even get to meet them face to face, and get to know each other. There are various degrees of openness and you will want to think carefully about where your comfort level is. Some will choose a couple that wants to get together periodically as the child grows. Others will choose a family that they never meet face to face, but exchange pictures and letters for many years. And there are those that may still choose to do a closed adoption where they will not meet and do not exchange pictures and letters. You will want to choose a family that has the same feelings about this as you do so you or they won’t be disappointed later that things didn’t go as planned. Remember, adoption is the transfer of legal guardianship to the new family. This is not co parenting. You will not have any legal rights after the adoption, and will not have a voice in decisions made for your child.

Adoptions can help you financially. An adoptive couple can be asked to help with living expenses during part of your pregnancy. They will also pay for medical bills for you and the baby. They pay for all of the legal expenses. However, you do not make an adoption decision based on money. There are other ways to provide for your child if you decide you need help raising your child. If you decide to parent those bills become your responsibility.

You will be asked to name the father of your child. If you do not know, or there ar two or more possibilities, a caseworker will help explain the laws to you. In Illinois, his parental rights are terminated by his signature on a paternity denial, an adoption surrender, or through the courts at the appropriate time. If you or the father is in another state there are procedures to follow to terminate parental rights.

You have the opportunity to spend time with your baby at the hospital. You are the legal parent of the child at this time and it is your opportunity to hold you child and care for him/her for a while to be sure that you want to continue your adoption plan. It is also the opportunity for you and your immediate family to say good-bye to the child. You may want to give your child a birth name and a keepsake.

You are not alone. There is a caseworker that can take you through a decision making process to help you decide how you can best meet the responsibilities you are now facing. It may be the right decision for you, but it may also not be. Contact Us today to make an appointment. There is no obligation to continue working with ICMinistries, but we will be glad to answer your questions.