“Giving Baby Up” for Adoption in Kansas City, KS

You’re Not Giving Up. Here’s How to Make an Adoption Plan for Your Baby

An unplanned pregnancy can be a very overwhelming and scary experience. Knowing what options are available and choosing the right resources to be by your side is very important to the overall outcome. If you are considering adoption in Kansas City, Kansas, it is common to be filled with emotions, thoughts and questions. Whether you are just weighing your options or are ready to start an adoption plan, we are here to help.

This guide will inform you on the Kansas City, Kansas, adoption process, as well as provide resources you may need as you make this important decision. No matter what stage in the adoption process you consider yourself, if you are looking for advice or ready to get started today, contact an adoption professional anytime and they will be able to answer any questions you may have.

For now, continue reading for more information on adoption in Kansas City, KS.

How to “Give Up” a Baby for Adoption in Kansas City, KS

Unfortunately, in today’s society, there is a common misconception that a birth mother who decides to “give her baby up” for adoption, is carelessly “giving up” on the child altogether. For a birth mother who decides to place her baby for adoption, this could not be further from the truth.

When a prospective birth mother chooses adoption for her baby, it is a selfless, life-changing decision. Although other phrasing such as “placing a child for adoption” or “choosing adoption for her baby” is preferred, you will see “give up” used at times in this article, because the misconception needs to be addressed. A birth mother choosing adoption is not giving up or carelessly “giving away” her baby; she is making her decision knowing that adoption can provide her baby the opportunity of the best life possible. She is making her decision based out of love and compassion for the child.

The Kansas City, KS, Adoption Process

With the right professional by your side, the process of putting your baby up for adoption in Kansas City, KS, itself is not very complicated and can generally be grouped into five steps:

Step 1: Choose Adoption

Making the initial decision of “giving your baby up” for adoption is the first step. With so many great resources available to prospective birth mothers, such as a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-ADOPTION, pregnancy counselors, and adoption professionals, you don’t have to make this decision alone. Although placing your baby for adoption is an important decision to make, having the right adoption professionals by your side throughout the entire journey will help you find comfort in knowing you are making the right decision. Choosing a professional should be a top priority as well, seeing how this will dictate the overall outcome and experience of your adoption in Kansas City, KS.

Step 2: Make an Adoption Plan

After you have decided adoption is the path you want to pursue, and have chosen who will provide your adoption services in Kansas City, you will begin creating an adoption plan. This plan essentially keeps the prospective birth mother in control of how the adoption plays out. From the type of relationship she wants to have with her child after placement, to the type of adoptive family she wants to find, to creating a hospital plan, these aspects and more are covered in the adoption plan.

Step 3: Choose an Adoptive Family

One of the most important and fulfilling steps of the KCK adoption process is choosing the best family for your baby. When finding the adoptive family for your baby, your adoption professional will present you with prospective adoptive family profiles, which will include pictures, videos, demographic information and more. These profiles are to essentially give you a feel for the type of parents you relate with best. When you find a profile you connect with, you will have the opportunity to get to know the adoptive family and begin developing a relationship with them. You might choose to have phone calls, email exchanges, and even in-person visits with the potential adoptive parents throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.

Step 4: Complete Placement

Once you have met with the parents and have chosen a family which you feel best matches your desired family for you child, you will begin preparing for placement. This includes creating a hospital plan with your adoption specialist, which will determine your preferences for your labor and delivery experience and help you prepare for the consent process that takes place after your baby is born. In Kansas, a child must be at least 12 hours old before a birth mother can consent for her baby to be placed for adoption.

Giving consent means the birth mother voluntarily signs her legal parental rights away so that the family she has chosen can take them over. Once consent has been given, a birth mother cannot change her decision; in Kansas, consent can only be reversed if it is proven that it was not initially given voluntarily. Your adoption specialist will stress the importance of being certain of your adoption decision prior to signing consent forms.

Step 5: Adjust to Life and Continue Your Relationship Post-Placement

For many birth mothers, post-placement is the most emotional portion of adoption. It is important to know counseling services are available, not only during your pregnancy, but also after placement. The relationship you have with the adoptive family and your child will depend upon the goals and expectations put in place with your adoption specialist prior to placement. This is also essentially a new start of your life, where you can live knowing you gave your child the gift of love and opportunity.

We cannot stress this enough: with so many adoption professionals, no matter what stage you are at in the adoption process, you are never alone.

If you are considering putting your baby up for adoption in Kansas City, Kansas, please complete a contact form, or call 1-800-ADOPTION to get in touch with an adoption professional. From legal representation to hospital planning, an adoption agency in Kansas City will be able to provide you with all of the support you will need throughout your entire adoption process.

Here are a few adoption agencies near Kansas City, Kansas, that you may consider contacting:

Financial Assistance During Pregnancy

One common question surrounding adoption is, “Do birth mothers get paid to give their baby up for adoption?”

The short answer is no. The long answer is explained below.

Birth mothers cannot get paid for placing a baby up for adoption in Kansas City, or in any other city in the country, as it is illegal to buy or sell a baby. With that said, there are many adoption-related expenses that may be paid for by the prospective adoptive parents on behalf of the prospective birth mother. The use of an adoption professional is free, and the services and resources they offer will be free of charge as well.

In addition to there being no cost for the use of an adoption professional, financial assistance for adoption is in place in Kansas to ease the burden on the prospective birth mother. This assistance helps cover expenses such as the medical bills of the prospective birth mother related to pregnancy and birth, the child’s medical expenses, and any reasonable living costs that occur during or because of the pregnancy. These totals must be accounted for and documented for the adoption hearings.

An adoption professional in Kansas City will guide you through the adoption process, including the financial aspects. If you have any questions about what assistance is available to you, 1-800-ADOPTION provides 24/7, no-obligation support.

Birth Fathers Rights During a Kansas City Adoption

We have spent a lot of time discussing resources and the adoption process for a prospective birth mother, but you may find yourself asking, “When it comes to adoption, what rights does the birth father have?”

The answer: every birth father circumstance is different.

We know that is not a very specific answer, but birth father rights in Kansas are regulated by Kansas state laws. Depending upon the situation, different laws and rules apply. As a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption, it is crucial to understand how birth father rights may affect your adoption decision and/or adoption process. In every birth father situation, it is strongly advised to work with an adoption attorney in Kansas City to avoid any confusion or misinformation.

As a woman considering adoption, it is very important to understand how birth father rights may impact your adoption decision and process. Given every situation being different for each prospective birth mother, only an adoption attorney should provide legal advice. It’s best to take any questions you may have to your adoption professional so that they can answer them for you with an adoption attorney.

The adoption agency you choose will help facilitate the legal representation you will need throughout your adoption. If you would prefer to speak with an adoption attorney prior to selecting and adoption agency in Kansas City, KS, you may consider contacting any of the following Kansas City adoption lawyers:

Finding an Adoptive Family in Kansas City, Kansas

When you think about the perfect family you would want to place your child with, what qualities should you look for?

How will you know you are making the right choice?

Where do you search?

During your adoption in Kansas City, KS, Your adoption specialist will help guide you through the process of finding adoptive parents in Kansas (or any other state you prefer) and provide you with adoptive family profiles to review. It is important for the prospective birth mother to determine what characteristics and traits she is looking for the adoptive family to possess; this way the adoption professional she has chosen will provide her with adoptive profiles of families who fit her preferences as close as possible.

For a prospective birth mother, there are so many thoughts and questions when it comes to in Kansas City, KS. Luckily, a potential birth mother can review as many adoptive profiles as she feels she needs, to help her make a decision she is completely comfortable with. The expectant mother is always in complete control of deciding who she wants to place her baby with.

Once a prospective birth mother has narrowed down her list of potential adoptive families, her adoption professional may set up a meeting between the two, so both parties can interact on a personal level. Oftentimes, this interaction ultimately helps ease any concerns and adds a level of confidence toward making a decision on which family you would like to place your child with during your adoption in Kansas City, KS.

You can take a deeper dive into finding an adoptive family in Kansas here, or consult with an adoption specialist. They will be more than happy to help answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Open Adoption with Your Child

A reoccurring concern prospective birth mothers share is their fear of a lack of involvement in their child’s life, if they decide “giving their baby up” for adoption is best for them.

Open adoption helps ease these concerns and can completely change the overtone of the adoption process.

It is important to note, there are different levels of openness in adoption. and an adoption does not have to be open at all. These levels include open adoption, semi-open adoption, and closed adoption. Although there is not a precise definition of what makes an open adoption in Kansas City, KS, it generally refers to a post-placement agreement between a birth mother and adoptive family for the birth mother to continue having a relationship with her child after placement.

When both parties are able to determine their preferences and establish a mutual agreement, open adoption is a great opportunity for not only a birth mother to remain involved in her child’s life, but also to keep transparency for the child as they grow older. It is necessary to point out, this agreement will be established prior to placement and may change over the course of time as your relationship with the adoptive family naturally grows and evolves.

Discussing your intentions and preferred outcome with your adoption specialist for your adoption in Kansas City, KS, is very important as you look for a potential adoptive family for your child. Your adoption professional will help educate you on the options available and also narrow down which type best matches your adoptive goals. Find more information on open adoption in Kansas here.

Exploring your Unplanned Pregnancy Options in Kansas City, KS

Experiencing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy in Kansas City, KS, can be a very troubling time for a woman. Having to make such an important decision for not only your future, but the future of your child, can be a lot to handle.

Making the decision of how to handle your pregnancy is a choice that takes plenty of research and thought. When it comes down to it, a pregnant woman ultimately has three options: parenting, adoption or abortion.

This decision is not something to be taken lightly. Given a pregnancy lasts nine months, and that there are certain legal timeframes that prevent abortion after a certain point in pregnancy, a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy must make her decision somewhat quickly. Although you are dealing with a short timeframe, it is important you are well educated about each option before making a decision.

There are several pros and cons to each of these difficult choices. For more information on other services available, you may also consider contacting any of the following options in the Kansas City, Kansas, area:

Even if adoption in Kansas City, KS, is not the path you are leaning toward, specialists can provide you with 24/7 support and all of information you may need on the options available during an unplanned pregnancy. If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, contact us for a no-obligation consultation and to have an experienced, knowledgeable professional by your side.