There are a lot of laws involving adoption. While you may not be a legal expert, you can still read up a little bit on the adoption laws in order to be prepared for what is up coming as well as to protect yourself. There are no federally mandated adoption laws. The laws differ from state to state.

There are laws that dictate when you can sign papers terminating your parental rights. Some states require you to wait a certain amount of time after the birth of your baby before you can sign relinquishment papers. For example, in Arizona you can not sign until... more

This question recently came to me via email from an expectant mother considering adoption and I thought it was important enough to bring to the attention of all expectant mothers considering adoption.

I am considering placing my child for adoption and am wondering how long I have to change my mind and get my daughter back once I sign papers?

Ok, first of all, if you are already thinking that you might want to take your daughter back, don’t sign those papers! Do not let an adoption agency, a family member, friend, partner, boyfriend,... more

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In another scenario, some women have done nothing that’s morally questionable, but still feel shame. They are victims of rape. I know a woman who was raped at age 14; she surrendered the baby who was conceived from the attack. You might think that her child would be an unpleasant reminder of a terrible ordeal, but far from resenting her son, she has gone on to have one of the best open adoptions I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t love him any less because of how he was created. She’s struggled through... more

Some birthmothers got pregnant during long-standing relationships with men they love. Unfortunately, that wasn’t my story, and it isn’t the story of many other women who have chosen to relinquish their babies. A lot of relinquishments, I’ve noticed, contain at least some element of shame. It’s as if we were trying to redeem ourselves by letting the baby go.

As for me, I had sex just one time with a man I didn’t know well. I hadn’t been sexually active for some time, and wasn’t at all intending to have sex with this person, so I wasn’t on birth control.... more

In my last post, I talked about the importance of spending time with your baby in the hospital. I mentioned that I am a firm believer in that you have to “say hello before you can say goodbye” and that spending time with your baby in the hospital can be healthy.

In one of the comments of that particular post, Faith who writes the Hoping to Adopt Blog here, commented about how her son’s birthmother chose to say goodbye. Faith mentioned that his birthmother took her time saying goodbye and that she chose to do so in the privacy... more

Signing papers to terminate your parental rights to your child is not a fun thing and not one that I like to talk about often, but one that I feel should be discussed here occasionally as it is something you will have to do if you follow through with making an adoption plan. With all the corruption in adoptions nowadays, you must be educated on your rights and the laws regarding terminating your rights. I am not an expert on adoption laws and don’t claim to be, so please do your homework regarding the laws in your state!

Laws on relinquishment procedures... more

Arising from Joseph Heller’s famous novel of the same name, the phrase "Catch-22" has become a way for people to describe their frustration with bureaucracy or ill-conceived rules. It’s used to indicate a no-win situation or contradictory messages that can’t be reconciled. In the book, Catch-22 is a dandy piece of circular reasoning that prevents anyone from ever avoiding a combat mission.

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate... more

Relinquishment is not a fun subject or one that we touch on much, but if you are considering adoption and do follow through with making an adoption plan, it is something you are going to have to deal with at some point and something I feel we should probably cover.

What exactly is relinquishment?

According to adoption.com’s glossary of adoption terms, relinquishment is defined as the following:

In the context of adoption, this term generally refers to a birthparent voluntarily giving up his... more