Placing a Baby for Adoption in NY & NJ: How We Can Help
Facing an unplanned pregnancy and deciding what to do can be one of the most difficult situations a woman confronts. If you are considering giving your baby up for adoption in New York or New Jersey, you are entitled to be represented by an attorney who will provide you with the support you require.
We are privileged to have assisted many parents to make loving and secure adoption plans for their children.
Because placing your baby up for adoption is likely to be a difficult emotional process, we strive to make this process as easy as possible.
Before deciding on an adoption plan, you need to understand your legal rights and consider all of your options. Because we believe that an in-person meeting is the best way to accomplish that, we will drive to meet with you in person. During that meeting we will answer all of your questions, ask you about any challenges you are confronting and refer you to resources to address your needs.
We have many years of experience assisting people in both the independent and agency adoption process. We can assist you to make a secure plan for you and your child that takes into consideration your emotional, medical and financial needs.
Because we have been working in the area of adoption for a long time, we know how important it is for us to create a strong, personal relationship with you. This will allow us to understand your situation and help us to address your needs. You will not be charged for our time, whether or not you decide to place your baby for adoption.
If you wish to more fully inform yourself regarding the legal aspects of the domestic adoption process, please feel free to call us on our toll-free number at 914-770-1050 or email us at info@adoptionlawny.com.
What Does Giving My Child Up for Adoption Mean?
Placing a baby for adoption in New York or New Jersey may not be what you think it is. In the past, adoption for newborn babies was a closed, secretive affair — but that’s not the way it is today.
Today you get to make the decisions which you feel are best for you and your child. You have the right to select the adoptive family and, if you like, you can meet the family before making a commitment to them. You also get to decide whether you would like to have ongoing contact with your child and the adoptive family after the adoption is complete. In addition, if you choose to place your newborn for adoption, you will not have to pay any of the expenses related to your adoption plan. Rumbold & Seidelman will not charge you a fee for our legal services because all legal fees, uncovered medical expenses, counseling and legally allowable living expenses will be paid by the adoptive family. You’ll have our support, and we strive to always be available to you when you need us.
Giving a baby up for adoption in New York or New Jersey allows you to make a loving and secure plan for your child if your circumstances make it hard, or impossible, for you to parent a newborn. It should be comforting for you to know that the families seeking to adopt go through a very strict legal screening process. This process includes an extensive background investigation and a close inspection of the adoptive parent’s home by a home study agency or licensed social worker. During the home study process the adoptive parents must prove that they have the financial and emotional resources to provide a loving home for a child. You can therefore feel confident that your child will grow up with a family that is able to provide him or her with the love and stability they need and deserve. Despite what you may think, choosing adoption for your baby is not “giving up”; rather it’s being strong, brave and selfless enough to make the best choice for your child when you know that you are not in a position to parent.
There are many reasons someone may be considering adoption in NY or NJ. It may be that they are not yet ready to become a parent or that having a child at this point in their life will require them to defer or abandon other important educational or life goals. Many people also choose adoption because they have other children and lack the resources to parent another child.
In the end, choosing to give your infant up for adoption is a decision that you’ll need to make for yourself. We will never pressure you in your decision. As your attorneys, our job is to provide you with the legal advice and emotional resources you need to help you decide what is right for you and your child. Before placing your infant for adoption in New York or New Jersey you need to be 100 percent confident in your decision. We have the experience, expertise and compassion to guide you through that very important decision.
How Do I Put My Child Up for Adoption in NY or NJ?
How to put a child up for adoption in New York or New Jersey varies depending on the state where you and the adoptive parents live as well as your personal circumstances. In general, the adoption process looks like this:
1. Decide whether adoption is right for you.
This is not a choice that’s made overnight, and that’s completely okay. We can provide you with information about placing your baby up for adoption and what that will mean for you. We can answer your questions, including any possible concerns you may have regarding the birth father and whether his participation in your adoption plan will be legally required. We can also provide you with a referral to an adoption counselor who can help you decide whether adoption is the best choice for you and your child.
2. Create an adoption plan.
Once you make the decision to place your baby for adoption, you have the option of choosing to place your baby either through an adoption agency or through a private placement adoption with the guidance of an attorney. We can explain what you need to know about each option and provide you with the legal guidance you need to complete either type of adoption.
3. Find an adoptive family.
As members of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, we can refer you to resources throughout the country in order to help you find a family for your child. We believe it’s our job to help you think about the criteria which are important to you in your adoption plan. These factors may include: the race of the adoptive family, their religion, the distance they live from your home, their marital status, whether you wish to place with a couple or a single parent, whether the family has other children, and whether you wish to have a personal relationship with the family after the adoption is finalized. Since every person making an adoption plan has unique goals and values, our job is to make sure you understand your options and to help you find the family that fulfills your dreams for your child.
Before selecting the adoptive family, you will likely have the opportunity to communicate with them directly, either by phone or through the internet. Depending on practical considerations – such as where the adoptive parents live – it may be possible for you to meet with the adoptive parents prior to making a decision. You will likely find that choosing the right adoptive parents for your child is the most important decision you make in the adoption process.
4. Prepare for your hospital stay.
After you have selected an adoptive family for your unborn child, we will help you to think through your hospital plan. Keep in mind that if you place your child for adoption you will not be responsible to pay your pregnancy-related medical expenses — so you don’t need to worry about that. In creating your hospital plan, we will ask you to decide who you would like to be in the delivery room, who you would like to hold the baby first after birth, the kind of contact you would like to have with the baby during your hospital stay and how much contact you would like the adoptive parents to have with the baby during that time.
5. Complete the legal consent process.
After the baby is born, but typically before the baby is discharged from the hospital, you will be asked to sign the adoption consent forms. Once the consent documents are signed, the baby can go home from the hospital with the adoptive family.
6. Utilize post-placement services.
After the baby is in the custody of the adoptive parents, we are still available to assist you if you need our help. We are happy to facilitate post-placement communication between you and the adoptive family, and we can also provide you with resources for the emotional support you may need after the placement. Regardless of how good you feel about your adoption plan, it’s important to recognize that adoption is a choice that will affect you for the rest of your life. For that reason, we will remain available to you even after the legal process is complete.
How can Rumbold & Seidelman Help Me Place My Child for Adoption?
Whether you’re still thinking about adoption or ready to start the adoption process, you can contact us at any time for no charge and with no obligation. We respect the process you’re going through, and you will be under no pressure to choose adoption if you decide that’s not the best option.
If you choose to work with us on your adoption plan, we will provide you with all the adoption services you need, including:
- Emotional support when you’re considering adoption, throughout the adoption process and after the adoption is complete
- Creating an adoption plan that’s best for you
- Helping you find an adoptive family that fits your preferences, whether they’re a family in New York, New Jersey or another state
- Determining your adoption-related expenses and helping you to find a family legally permitted to meet your pregnancy-related financial needs
- Facilitating the relationship between you and the adoptive family during the adoption process and after it’s complete
We have been working in the field of adoption since 1996. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time by calling 914-779-1050, emailing info@adoptionlawny.com or contacting us online.