Life isn’t as predictable as we’d like it to be. Things change in an instant. You can get laid off from work, injured in a car accident, or lose your lease on an apartment.
When life throws us a curveball, we need to think ahead. For instance, if you’re facing an unexpected pregnancy, you need to determine if your situation is a safe and healthy environment for raising a child.
If it isn’t safe, you run the risk of having your child removed to foster care. Why not consider placing your child for adoption in a safe, secure, and loving home?
Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of making an adoption plan.
Why Do Children Go to Foster Care?
According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), over 343,000 children were in foster care in 2023. Foster care is a temporary service that state governments provide to remove children from harmful situations.
Foster care is a state-run system. When Child Protective Services (CPS) removes a child from a home, the child is taken into state custody and placed in the care of state-licensed adults. The foster parents receive physical custody of the child, but legal custody remains with the state.
The following are some of the reasons Focus Foster Care lists why children need foster care.
- Neglect. The neglect can be either physical, educational, emotional, or medical.
- Parental illness. A physical or mental health condition may prevent a parent from adequately caring for their child.
- Domestic abuse. If a child witnesses domestic abuse at home, it can harm the child’s mental health.
- Physical and emotional abuse. Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse requires a child to be placed in foster care.
- Family breakdown. Those curveballs, like financial problems, unemployment, and relationship conflicts, can create an unsafe environment.
- Drug or alcohol abuse. When parents have a substance abuse problem, children are often neglected.
Choosing Adoption Instead
If you are an expectant mother facing any of the above situations, you might want to consider placing your child for adoption. Making an adoption plan for your child gives them a chance at a stable, loving home.
As the expectant mother or birth mother, you receive the following benefits:
- You choose the adoptive family that raises your child. We thoroughly review all potential adoptive couples with background checks, financial and medical reports, a home study, and referrals from others.
- You determine the future you wish your child to have. You decide how and where your child should be raised by choosing their parents.
- You decide how much contact you want with your child and their family. You can create an ongoing relationship with them by choosing an open or semi-open adoption. Building a relationship lets you know your child is safe, loved, and cared for.
- All your medical and legal expenses are covered. If finances are an issue, we’ll help you get proper medical care and legal representation.
- After signing adoption papers, your baby immediately goes home with their new family. In Missouri, you maintain custody of your child until you sign the adoption papers, which can be anytime after a 48-hour waiting period. Once you sign the Consent to Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption, the court transfers parental rights to the adoptive parents.
Reach Out to A Gift of Hope Adoptions For More Information
More than anything, we want you and your child to be safe. If you are in a dangerous relationship, please consider contacting the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE.
If you would like more information about the benefits of placing your child for adoption, please give A Gift of Hope Adoptions a call at (888) 564-HOPE. We are here to help you in any way possible.
Calling doesn’t mean you’re committing to adoption. Let’s talk about your unique situation.
This blog is for informational purposes only. This is not legal or medical advice. While we try our best to reflect current laws with accuracy at the time of writing, please note the laws can change over time.