An unplanned pregnancy can be a difficult time filled with confusion and uncertainty. Adoption Makes Family is committed to helping you make the decision that is best for you and your child. Our goal is to help you focus on your future and the future of your child.
Knowing that this is a very challenging time, it is only natural for your thoughts to be racing, for you to feel scared and even overwhelmed. There are adoption professionals who are prepared to help you. Adoption Makes Family counselors can assist you in finding a direction that can turn your struggle into a positive for you and a waiting adoptive family.
We promise to:
- Approach each birth parent with the sensitivity that comes from understanding the bond and respect that exists between the birth parents and adoptive parents.
- Help you create a loving adoption plan that will focus on your wishes and dreams for the future of your child.
- Share with you the adoptive family profiles so that you may be active in selecting the family to love and parent your child.
- Protect your anonymity in a closed adoption or develop an open adoption by connecting you with the adoptive family throughout the process.
- In an open adoption, we will help you communicate with the adoptive family by mail, telephone or in person. The choice is yours as a birth parent.
Our staff is caring, supportive, affirming and experienced. Our adoption workers are familiar with adoption on a personal level and a professional level. Some of our staff have adopted children. All have worked with families who have adopted a child. Our Executive Director has two adopted children. The vast experience of our staff has given us a unique perspective of what is meaningful in adoption.
Birth parents are encouraged to call our staff for additional information or to schedule an appointment to discuss your unexpected pregnancy. When you call, you will find an on-call social worker ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are professional adoption social workers on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions. Here is some information from commonly asked questions.
Here is some information from commonly asked questions.
- Are the birth parents involved in selecting an adoptive family?
- Birth parents may choose the adoptive family who will raise their baby.
- Is pre-placement counseling available?
- Birth parents may receive counseling from a professional adoption social worker who will help to explore options without pressure to make an adoption plan.
- What if one or both of the birth parents are under the age of 18?
- Birth parents who are under the age of 18 must receive legal representation. The fee is paid by the adoptive family.
- What happens if the birth mother does not know the birth father's name?
- If a birth mother does not know the identity of the birth father, assistance is still available.
- Must a birth father agree to the creation of an adoption plan?
- Yes. Both birth parents must sign the consent for adoption.
- Are both OPEN and CLOSED adoptions available?
- Yes, open and closed adoptions are available. Open adoption means that information may be shared
between birth and adoptive parents. The degree of openness depends on the wishes of the birth parents.
- Can birth parents receive money or other forms of payment for an adoption?
- In the State of Maryland, birth parents may only receive financial assistance for medical and
legal expenses.
- Can a birth parent under the age of 18 make a decision to create an adoption plan without
the consent of a parent?
- While a birth parent who is under 18 years of age is encouraged to talk the adoption plan
over with a parent, the birth parent is considered emancipated in the area of parenthood and
can make an adoption plan for the child.
Adoption Makes Family is a licensed non-profit agency, working with birth parents and adoptive parents.
