An unplanned pregnancy is a life-changing experience. Right now, you might be leaning towards one of three options:

• “Giving up” your baby for adoption
• Choosing abortion
• Preparing yourself for parenting

No matter what you choose, this is a pivotal moment in your life. You are not alone, and there are resources available to you as you consider your options.

While this is your decision, you do not have to face it alone. Professionals are eager to help you as you contemplate what is the right path for you. If you are ready to benefit from the expertise of a professional, reach out to an unplanned pregnancy counselor today.

How to Give Your Baby Up for Adoption in Billings [The Adoption Process]

Unless you have had personal experience with adoption, you probably have questions about how to place your baby for adoption in Billings. Adoption professionals will facilitate your adoption process and help you to navigate each of these 6 steps:

1. Choose adoption for your baby.

This decision-making period is often a time of complicated emotions for a woman who is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Before you decide to “give up” your baby for adoption in Billings, Montana, you will want to:

• Inform yourself about each of your unplanned pregnancy options.
• Reflect on what you want for your life and your baby’s life.
• Assess your situation to determine what might be best for you now and long-term.

When you are working with the right adoption agency in Billings, adoption professionals will keep your best interests at the forefront of their minds as they consult with you. They will offer you objective information and unbiased support, while still conveying the benefits of adoption. Above all else, they will encourage you to make the decision that is best for you.

• Develop an adoption plan.

After you have made the decision to pursue adoption in Billings, you will be assigned an adoption specialist who will guide you through the adoption process. Every step of the way, they will support you and offer advice and counsel, using the resources of the Billings adoption agency you choose.

Your first task with them will be to create an adoption plan. An adoption plan is a sort of blueprint for your adoption process.  You will talk at length with your adoption specialist about your needs and preferences, and they will record all of them in this document.

Typical details that you will find in an adoption plan are:

• A description of the type of adoptive family you want for your child
• What kind of communication you want to have with adoptive parents
• A hospital plan that outlines your needs during labor, delivery, and after birth
• Your choice of post-adoption agreement:
• open adoption
• semi-open adoption
•  or closed adoption

• Choose the perfect family for your child.

You are given a lot of choices when you “give up” your baby for adoption in Billings. But the opportunity to select the family who will adopt your child is considered by many women the most important choice in the entire process. It certainly will impact your child’s life in a profound way, and this decision is completely up to you.

As stated before, your Billings adoption will begin with creating an adoption plan that will include a description of the family you envision for your child. Using this description, your adoption specialist will compile some family profiles that match your needs. You will review them, ask any follow-up questions you might have, and – in your own time – choose the perfect adoptive family for your baby.

• Start your relationship with your chosen adoptive family.

Your first contact with your chosen adoptive family will likely be a telephone conversation mediated by your specialist from a Billings adoption agency. At this time, you can ask any additional questions you may have. After this initial call, your adoptive family will take your cues regarding how and when you want to continue your communication with them.

Your preferences at this time will probably align with the kind of relationship you want to maintain with your adoptive family. If you want to pursue an open adoption in Billings, you might want more contact. If you are interested in a closed adoption, you might prefer your privacy at this time. This is completely up to you.

Some common communication between birth mothers and adoptive families are facilitated by:

• Pictures and letters
• Emails and text messages
• Phone calls and video calls
• In-person visits

• Give birth to your baby and sign adoption placement paperwork.

Your hospital plan will be your voice during this time when your focus will be on your labor and the delivery of your baby. It will communicate your needs to healthcare providers, adoption professionals, and the adoptive family.

When completing an adoption in Billings, you will sign the final adoption paperwork no sooner than 72 hours after your baby is born. While you will sign a lot of paperwork throughout the adoption process, this will indicate your voluntary consent to the adoption placement.

• Continue a loving relationship with your child and their adoptive family.

Another benefit to “giving up” baby for adoption in Billings is that you get the opportunity to maintain communication with your baby throughout their childhood. Choosing open adoption has many benefits for you, the adoptive family and your child. With open adoption in Billings, you get to design your open adoption agreement to meet your needs and allow for the kind of relationship you want with your baby.

If you are ready to start working with an adoption specialist, reach out to an adoption professional today!

Billings Adoption Agencies

Of course, before you can begin working with an adoption specialist, you will need to choose a Billings adoption agency to facilitate your adoption. You will want to partner with a reputable agency that is licensed in Montana.

Some adoption agencies in Billings are:

• American Adoptions
• Catholic Social Services of Montana
• Saint John’s United
• Youth Homes

As you make this decision, you will want to keep in mind the different support that you receive when you partner with a national agency rather than a local agency. With a national agency, it is more likely that you will have more resources, and you will definitely be offered a wider selection of adoptive families to choose from. Often, women are given dozens or even hundreds of family profiles to consider.

When working with a local adoption agency in Billings, you may be able to more easily find an adoptive couple who live close to you, and you may also have an increased chance of working in person with your adoption specialist.

Whatever you decide, a Billings adoption agency should offer you the following services:

• Unplanned pregnancy help
• Counsel while developing your adoption plan
• Adoption opportunities and matching services
• Legal counsel
• Post-adoption support
• And more

Finding an Adoptive Family in Billings

You are at the center of your Billings adoption experience. This is true throughout the adoption process, but it is especially important to most birth mothers that they have control during the selection of an adoptive family for their child. When you “give up” your baby for adoption in Billings, you get to choose the family that will adopt your child.

Your adoption specialist will:

• Match you with families from their adoption agency database
• Give you access to family profiles to review, and
• Support you in your decision about which adoptive couple is right for your baby.

If you are ready to begin this process, reach out to an adoption professional today!

Getting Adoption Financial Assistance in Billings

For many women considering adoption in Billings, finances are not far from their mind. This is a valid concern you might have as you consider your unplanned pregnancy options.  Billings adoption agencies receive some common questions about this topic, which we have answered below:

“Is adoption free?”

Yes. Adoption is always free for a birth mother. It is the least expensive unplanned pregnancy option. Abortion can cost between $0-1500 and parenting can cost an average of $13,000 a year during a child’s adolescence. There is no cost associated with adoption, and there is even financial assistance for birth mothers that covers expenses during their pregnancies.

“Can I get paid for “giving up” my baby for adoption in Billings?”

No, you cannot get paid for “giving up” a baby for adoption in Billings. The same laws also apply anywhere else in the United States. What makes this a little confusing sometimes is that birth mothers can receive significant adoption financial assistance.

“Is there available adoption financial assistance for birth mothers in Billings?”

Yes, and you will be eligible for at least the following:

• Adoption agency services (everything is free)
• Pregnancy-related medical costs to be covered
• Legal representation and counsel will be free of cost

Depending on your circumstances, you might also qualify for assistance with:

• Housing costs
• Utilities
• Groceries
• Phone and internet services
• Counseling
• Childcare

If you would like to know more about what you might be able to receive, reach out to a Billings adoption professional.

What’s Next for Your Unplanned Pregnancy?

The benefits of adoption in Billings are clear. If you have decided that it is the right path for you, some next steps to consider are:

• Browse the family profiles of waiting adoptive families
• Build your adoption support system
• Choose between a national adoption agency or a Billings adoption agency.
• Contact an adoption professional to begin developing your adoption plan!

If you are still considering other unplanned pregnancy options like abortion or parenting, it may benefit you to reach out to an unplanned pregnancy counselor who can help you sort out your priorities and make the decision that is best for you.

Whether you feel confident in the direction you are headed or you are still feeling uncertainty, you can always gain insight from an adoption professional.

Contact them for the empathy and information you need to either move into the next phase of your adoption or to choose another path that is best for you.