An unplanned pregnancy may make it seem like the world is falling apart, but there is hope and path forward.
One of the most challenging parts of an unplanned pregnancy is the complete sense of the unknown. This surprise wasn’t supposed to happen, and now the future you thought you knew feels like it has been torn apart. What happens next is completely unclear. That’s why learning about your unplanned pregnancy options is the first step to regaining control of the situation.
We’re here to help.
We’ve created this guide to adoption in O’Fallon, MO, for anyone, like you, searching for answers. “Giving your baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon is an unplanned pregnancy option that can create a better future for yourself and your child. This guide will give you the most important information about the O’Fallon adoption process, as well as links to agencies and other resources that you may find helpful.
For more immediate support, you can always contact a professional online today.
In the meantime, let’s jump into this complete guide to placing a baby for adoption in O’Fallon.
How ‘Giving a Baby Up’ for Adoption in O’Fallon Works
The adoption process is simple and complex — simple in that it follows only a few big steps, and complex in the intricacies and emotions of each unique situation. But, before we get into that, let’s talk for a moment about “giving your baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon.
That’s a phrase you’ve most likely heard and said. It’s one of the most common ways to talk about adoption. While there’s no harmful intent behind it, there is a falsehood baked into the phrase.
Nothing about adoption resembles “giving up” in the slightest. Choosing adoption is not an admission of defeat. It is a proactive step, taken from a place of deep love, which can create a better life for yourself and your baby. That’s not giving up.
Throughout this guide, you will see us say “giving baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon. We do this to ensure that this guide to accessible and relatable for anyone. However, adoption positive language would instead say “choose adoption,” “create an adoption plan,” or “place my baby for adoption.” These phrases are a more accurate way of explaining the brave choice a prospective birth mother makes.
Now, let’s take a look at how the O’Fallon adoption process works.
Each process is unique depending on the specific details of the situation. However, every adoption in O’Fallon will follow these five big steps:
Step 1: Choose Adoption
If you’re reading this, then you are already taking the right steps. Taking the time to learn about all of your unplanned pregnancy options will point you in the right direction. This is a big choice, and although adoption can be a beautiful journey, we know it’s not right for everyone.
How can you know if adoption is right for you? Each person is different. For many, a common factor is a desire to provide a wonderful life for your baby, even if that is with a different family. This desire paired with the knowledge that parenting won’t be possible for you could be a sign that “giving your baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon is the path forward.
Step 2: Choose an Agency and Create a Plan
Once you know that adoption is right for you, the next step is to find a good adoption agency near O’Fallon. Agencies are a vital part of your process. They provide the services and support needed to complete the process — from meeting legal requirements, to finding the perfect adoptive family, to emotional support during the journey.
With the help of a specialist at the agency you choose, you’ll create a plan for putting a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon. This plan is a way of ensuring that the process goes according to your wishes. It will include things like the qualities you want in an adoptive family, the level of openness you’d like after placement, and the details of the hospital stay.
Step 3: Choose an Adoptive Family
You may have noticed that there’s a lot of “choosing” in the O’Fallon adoption process. That’s because, as a prospective birth mother, you are in charge of this process. And one of the biggest choices of all is the adoptive family for your baby.
“Giving my baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon doesn’t mean giving up any influence on their life. On the contrary, you still have the opportunity to shape their future by choosing the perfect adoptive parents. For more detail on how this important step works, see below.
Step 4: Complete Placement
After choosing an adoptive family, you may have the opportunity to get to know them through pre-placement contact. This will depend on your level of openness (more on that below), which you set when you create your adoption plan.
Everyone will follow your hospital plan when the time comes for labor and delivery. What comes next is one of the most important steps for how to put a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon, MO. After birth, you will sign your official consent to adoption, relinquishing your parental rights and allowing the adoptive family to become the child’s parents.
Your agency and your O’Fallon adoption attorney will help you sign consent and make sure everything is done according to Missouri adoption laws.
Step 5: Adjust to Life after Adoption
Many adoption agencies will stay with you after placement, continuing to offer support as you work through the challenging emotions associated with adoption and learn how to have an open adoption relationship with the family. While this is the last step of the O’Fallon adoption process, it’s just the beginning of the rest of your life.
Adoption Agencies near O’Fallon
We’ve mentioned the importance of agencies a few times. So, you may be wondering: Are there adoption agencies near O’Fallon, and how do I choose the best one?
There are several O’Fallon adoption agencies to choose from. Picking the right one is a personal choice — what’s best for you may be different than what’s best for someone else. Here are a few things to look for in any agency:
Lots of Families: How many adoptive families does the agency work with? The more families, the more potential profiles and the better the chance of finding the perfect family for your baby.
Large Staff Size: Does the agency have an adequate staff? Small agencies can be amazing. But, if a few people are handling the work of 20, then details can be missed, and your experience can be negatively affected.
Experience: How long has the agency been operating? How many placements do they help complete each year? The more experience, the better for your O’Fallon adoption.
Licensing: Any agency you consider when putting a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon should be fully licensed. If you hear any other answer besides “fully licensed,” then you should look elsewhere.
With those qualities in mind, here are a few agencies to consider when you are “giving your child up” for adoption in O’Fallon:
7500 W. 110th St., Suite 500
Overland Park, KS 66210
1300 Hampton Ave. #202
St. Louis, MO 63139
7955 Big Bend Blvd.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
1340 Partridge Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63130
In addition to providing important services that are required for adoption, agencies can also connect you with O’Fallon adoption lawyers and other adoption services in O’Fallon.
Financial Assistance During Adoption
Many women experiencing unplanned pregnancies consider adoption because of the financial burden associated with parenting. This is an understandable and valid concern. It may lead you to ask, “Do you get paid for ‘giving your baby up’ for adoption in O’Fallon?”
It’s one of the most common questions we hear. In short: No. You do not “get paid” for putting a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon.
However, that’s not the end of this discussion. Many prospective birth mothers are eligible to receive adoption financial assistance, which can help cover the cost of pregnancy- and adoption-related expenses throughout the process. This assistance could go toward living expenses, medical costs, legal fees, transportation needs and other bills that Missouri adoption laws deem eligible.
Speaking with a professional about your specific situation is the best way to learn more about the financial assistance that could be available when you create an O’Fallon adoption plan.
Prospective Birth Father Rights and O’Fallon Adoption
The father of the baby is an important, and often confusing, piece of the adoption puzzle. It’s important to understand the prospective birth father rights that could impact your adoption in O’Fallon.
Birth father rights are dictated by Missouri law and depend on the details of your situation. Whether the father of the baby is absent, unknown or unsupportive could affect your process of “giving a child up” for adoption in O’Fallon.
If you have questions about prospective birth father rights and your adoption, you should contact an agency or an adoption attorney in O’Fallon.
Finding an Adoptive Family
Have you considered what your child’s future could look like? Perhaps you imagine them playing sports, having siblings, participating in your faith tradition and receiving a great education. You play a direct role in shaping their life when you choose the adoptive family.
A specialist at your agency will walk you through the process of choosing a family for your adoption in O’Fallon. After working together to create a list of qualities that matter to you, your specialist will gather adoptive family profiles for you to look at. When you’re “giving a baby up” for adoption in O’Fallon, you can look at as many profiles as you need. If you have it narrowed down to two or three families, you can ask your specialist to schedule interviews with each, getting to know them beyond the profile before making your choice.
Open Adoption in O’Fallon
When you create your O’Fallon adoption plan, you’ll decide on a level of openness you’d like after placement. Then, when looking at adoptive families, your specialist will only show you families who have preemptively agreed to the same level of openness.
Putting a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon does not mean severing the connection you have with your child. Rather, you can maintain a lifelong relationship through open adoption. You can stay connected as your child grows and thrives, becoming who they were meant to be in the love and care of the family you chose for them. This gives many prospective birth mothers an increased sense of peace and confidence in their adoption plan.
Researching Your Other Unplanned Pregnancy Options
There’s a lot to learn about adoption. If you’ve read this far, you know more than most people. Do you think that adoption in O’Fallon could be the right unplanned pregnancy option for you? If so, you can contact a professional today.
On the other hand, are you still unsure? Adoption may not be best for you. That’s why it’s good to research all possible options. If putting a baby up for adoption in O’Fallon doesn’t feel right, there are two different paths forward that you could take:
Parenting
You may already feel that parenting is not possible. If you are unsure, take your time. Parenting can be a challenge, but it can also be a life-changing experience. If financial concerns are a primary factor, you could consider reaching out to your local social services office to find out about nearby resources.
Abortion
It shouldn’t be taken lightly that adoption involves carrying a pregnancy to term and delivering a baby. For personal or medical reasons, this may not be feasible for you. In this case, abortion could be the necessary course of action.
Accessing abortion services in Missouri is not always easy. The state legislature has enacted barriers to the procedure, and there’s only one clinic that actually provides abortion services in the state.
If you are considering abortion, contact Planned Parenthood of Missouri to learn more.
Your situation is unique, and what you do in response to your pregnancy is totally up to you. We support whichever option will create the best future in your life.
If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, contact us to be connected with a helpful professional today.
