Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption After Birth
Your baby has already been born, but it’s not too late to consider adoption in Alaska with our Licensed Adoption Agency.
Putting Your Baby Up for Adoption After Birth
If your baby has already been born and you are wondering about putting your baby up for adoption after birth, you have not missed your opportunity to consider adoption. You can begin making an adoption plan from the hospital, after you have gone home with your baby, or after you have spent some time parenting and realized that you need to consider another option.
At Alaska Adoption Services, we usually use the words “placing a baby for adoption” rather than “giving up” or “putting up” a baby. But we also know those may be the words you are typing into Google when you need help. Whatever words brought you here, what matters is that you know you can contact us.
You do not need to have made an adoption plan during pregnancy. You do not need to have everything figured out before calling. We can start with where you and your baby are right now.
Can I Choose Adoption After My Baby Is Born?
Yes. An adoption plan does not have to begin during pregnancy.
Some women know before delivery that they want to explore adoption. Others do not seriously consider it until they are holding their baby in the hospital. Sometimes a woman takes her baby home and realizes days or weeks later that parenting is not going to work the way she hoped.
There are many reasons your feelings or circumstances might change after your baby is born. You may be struggling financially, experiencing housing instability, dealing with an unsafe relationship, lacking support from the baby's father or your family, or simply realizing that you are not prepared to parent right now.
Whatever brought you to this point, contacting an adoption agency does not mean you have failed. It also does not commit you to adoption. It means you are asking questions about an option that may still be available to you.
What If I Am Still in the Hospital?
If you have just given birth and are considering adoption, you can contact Alaska Adoption Services from the hospital. You can also ask a nurse, hospital social worker, or another member of your care team to help you contact us. Starting an adoption plan at the hospital can happen quickly, but quickly does not mean carelessly. You still deserve information, counseling, time to ask questions, and an opportunity to understand the decisions you are making.
We can talk with you about what you want for your child, explain the adoption process, discuss your rights, and help you consider prospective adoptive families. You can still have preferences about the family you choose and the type of relationship you would like to have with them after adoption. Most importantly, you do not have to make these decisions alone simply because your baby has already arrived.
What If I Already Took My Baby Home?
You can still contact us. Going home from the hospital with your baby does not automatically eliminate adoption as an option. Sometimes it takes actually parenting for a woman to understand what she is able, or unable, to manage at this point in her life.
Perhaps you believed you would have more help than you actually received. Your housing situation may have changed. The baby's father may no longer be involved. Financial pressures may be greater than you expected. You may simply be exhausted and unsure what to do next.
Calling Alaska Adoption Services gives you a place to talk honestly about what is happening. We can explain what adoption could look like based on your baby's age and your circumstances and help you understand the next steps if you decide you want to move forward.
How Does Adoption Work After Birth?
The process may move more quickly when a baby has already been born, but many of the same important decisions remain yours. First, you will speak with Alaska Adoption Services about your situation and what has led you to consider adoption. We will gather information about you, your baby, your medical history, the baby's father, and anything else that may be important to the adoption process.
Next, we can talk about the kind of adoptive family you would like for your child. You may have preferences involving siblings, religion, location, lifestyle, cultural background, pets, education, or other things that matter to you. You can review prospective adoptive families and decide which family feels right. Depending on the circumstances, the process of identifying and connecting with a family may happen relatively quickly.
We will also talk about openness and what you would like your relationship with your child and the adoptive family to look like in the future. Alaska Adoption Services specializes in open adoption, which means adoption does not have to mean disappearing from your child's life.
Finally, we will help coordinate the legal process and make sure you understand what happens before any adoption documents are signed.
What About the Baby's Father?
The baby's father's legal rights must also be considered. His role in the adoption process depends on the circumstances, including paternity, your relationship, his involvement with the child, and other legal factors.
Do not assume that adoption is impossible because the father disagrees with you, cannot be located, has not been involved, or you are uncertain who the father is. Those situations need to be evaluated individually.
Tell us what you know. Alaska Adoption Services can help determine what needs to happen next and make sure the appropriate legal requirements are addressed.
What If My Baby Is Alaska Native or American Indian?
It is important to tell us if your baby may be Alaska Native or American Indian or if either biological parent is a member of, or may be eligible for membership in, a federally recognized Tribe. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) may apply to the adoption and includes additional legal requirements designed to protect Indian children, their families, and their Tribes.
This does not mean that you should avoid calling us or that adoption is automatically unavailable. It means we need accurate information so the process can be handled appropriately and the child's Tribal connections and legal protections can be respected.
When Can I Sign Adoption Papers in Alaska?
Under Alaska law, consent to an adoption can be executed after the child is born. The consent must meet specific legal requirements, including informing the person signing about the right to withdraw consent. For a non-Indian child, Alaska law generally provides a period during which a parent can withdraw consent or relinquishment. Your adoption professional will explain the applicable timeline and legal process before you sign anything.
You should understand what a document means and what rights you have before signing it. Starting an adoption plan from the hospital does not mean you should be rushed into making a legal decision you do not understand.
You Do Not Have to Decide Before You Call
One of the most important things to understand is that calling Alaska Adoption Services does not mean you have chosen adoption.
You can call because you are overwhelmed. You can call because you are curious. You can call because you are sitting in a hospital room wondering what happens next. You can call after bringing your baby home and realizing your situation is different from what you expected. Our job is not to pressure you into placing your child. Our job is to give you accurate information, answer your questions, and help you understand your options so you can make an informed decision for yourself and your baby.
If your baby has already been born and you are considering adoption in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula, rural Alaska, or anywhere else in the state, Alaska Adoption Services is here to talk with you.
Contact Alaska Adoption Services today. Tell us what is happening, and we will help you understand what comes next.