The Adoption Process – Placing for Adoption

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It’s Your Choice

The adoption process starts by meeting with one of our licensed social workers so we can learn more about your situation. This initial meeting is also a time for you to get your questions answered about adoption. We want to get to know you, your situation and talk through your options. We can meet with you in person or virtually.

As the expectant parent considering adoption, you have choices. We are here to answer your questions and help you explore if adoption is the best choice for you and your child. We will be here with you the entire process helping you think through your decision, provide support, and be your advocate. We will walk you through each step and help you make a unique adoption plan that fits what you are looking for. We have adoptive families that are approved and waiting to adopt and you can choose a family that fits with your values and desires for adoptive parents.

No Pressure

Remember, considering and/or exploring the option of adoption does not mean you are fully committed to it. All of our services for expectant and birth parents are free and you can change your mind and decide that adoption is not the best choice at any point during the process until you sign legal paperwork (which is after the birth of your child). To get started, contact one of our Expectant Parent Social Workers listed below.

 

The Steps in the Adoption Process

Meet With Us

Our Expectant Parent Social Workers will talk with you about your situation, discuss your options, answer questions, and be available to support you during this time. We can meet with you at a place that is convenient for you, whether in one of our offices, a coffee shop, or in your home. We can also meet with you virtually. You can meet with an Expectant Parent Worker as often as needed to help you explore your options.

Look at Waiting Family Profiles

To determine which adoptive families best fit your personal adoption preferences, we will talk with you about your values, desires for openness in adoption, and other specifics about your ideal family. Based on your stated preferences, you will receive available waiting family profiles that are a match. You can review and discuss your impressions of each family with us and choose which family(ies) you would like to meet in person. A list of our waiting family profiles can be found here.

Choose a Family

Once you have selected the family(ies) you would like to meet, we will help you set up a time to meet with them, help prepare you for the meeting, and also be present with you during the initial meeting. Meeting families gives you a chance to get to know them before you decide if they are the right family. Once you choose a family, you can continue to get to know them in a way that is comfortable for both you and them while you wait for the baby to arrive.

Delivery and Placement

With the help of your social worker, you can decide what your time in the hospital will look like. The adoptive family may be included in this time if you desire. We will visit you, help answer any questions you may have and navigate your feelings during this time. This includes continuing to talk through your decision. Once you and the baby are ready to be discharged, the child can go home with the adoptive family. If you need more time to make a decision, New Life Adoptions has licensed families to provide interim care to your child while you continue to meet with your social worker and make a plan.

If you have already delivered, it’s not too late to make an adoption plan.

Putting the Plan Into Place

In Minnesota, birth parents voluntarily sign consents to adoption between 72 hours and 60 days after birth. Once signed, there is a 10 business day period until the consent to the adoption is final. During this time, we will check in to support you as you finalize your adoption decision and your openness agreement with the adoptive family.

Ongoing support

After placement, New Life Adoptions provides ongoing counseling as needed and other post adoption services. These services are available whenever a need may arise, even if it is years down the road. New Life Adoptions also hosts a yearly Birth Mother event in May to honor you and your loving decision.