What Is An Adoption Plan?

Sometimes couples expecting a baby aren’t able to care for the child. They decide to make an adoption plan to allow someone else to raise the child. This article explains the basics about adoption.

It is giving a child to someone else to raise. The birth parents give up legal rights to the child. Adoption is permanent. Rules about adoption vary by state. To learn about rules in your state, contact your local family or human services agency, or click on "Infant Adoption Awareness: State Laws" on the right.

There are 2 main types of adoption:

Adoptions are usually handled by adoption agencies. These agencies help place children with adoptive parents. They screen people who want to adopt. This means that they interview them, check their backgrounds and spend time with them to make sure they are ready to raise a child. Adoption agencies also help birth parents with medical care, support and counseling. There are public and private adoption agencies. All of them are licensed by the government.

No. Some adoptions are not handled by an agency. These are called independent adoptions and are handled by lawyers. The adoptive parents usually hire the lawyer. Birth parents may also have a lawyer. The adoptive parents usually pay the birth mother’s hospital and medical bills until the baby is born. Some also pay for her living expenses during the pregnancy.

After the baby is born, the adoptive parents take the baby home. The state evaluates them as parents for 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, either the adoptive parents or the birth parents can change their minds about the adoption. Once the adoption is approved, it is permanent.

Yes, but they have to go through the same evaluations as other adoptive parents.

Birth parents are usually allowed to see the baby in the hospital. They should check with the adoption agency or lawyer before the baby is born.

It is different from state to state. In most states, there is usually a waiting period of at least 48 hours. The birth parents are then asked to sign a form that ends their rights as parents. After they sign the form, the baby is given to the adoptive parents.