If you are considering placing your child for adoption in Missouri, learning the process is critical to feel confident about your decision. Adoption isn’t a one-time event. It is a lifetime choice for you and your child. We want to fully inform you at A Gift of Hope Adoptions.
The earliest you can release your child for adoption is 48 hours after their birth. You are not legally allowed to sign anything before that time. The courts give you time to determine if adoption is still in the best interest of you and your baby.
The Adoption Process
You begin the adoption process by choosing the right adoption coordinator. You want a reputable, licensed agency. A Gift of Hope Adoptions is a full-service, nonprofit, licensed child-placing agency based in Columbia, Missouri. You pay nothing for our services.
When you choose to work with us, the very first thing we do is talk. We talk about you, your situation, and your thoughts about the pregnancy and your future. Contacting us doesn’t mean you’re committing to adoption. Making an adoption plan takes time.
Our adoption caseworker thoroughly explains the process. We do not manipulate or pressure you. This is your life, and adoption must be your choice and yours alone.
Although our office is in Columbia, Missouri, we work nationwide to bring families together through adoption. We are confident we can find the perfect family to adopt your child.
Choosing Your Adoption Plan
You choose an adoption plan that fits your life. There are three plans to choose from. How much contact you want to have with your child and their adoptive family determines your plan.
Open
Open adoption means you and the adoptive family communicate directly with one another. You might share full names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. Hopefully, you develop a lifelong relationship with one another for everyone’s benefit.
Semi-Open
This plan still lets you communicate with the adoptive family and your child, but it provides more privacy. Instead of contacting one another directly, all communication goes through a third party, like A Gift of Hope Adoptions.
Closed
With a closed adoption, you remain entirely anonymous. The courts seal the original birth certificate; neither you nor the adoptive family know anything about the other.
Choosing the Adoptive Family
Adoption today gives the expectant woman or birth mother the ability to choose who will raise her child. At A Gift of Hope Adoptions, we have access to potential adoptive families nationwide.
You begin by telling us what is most important to you. Do you want your child to be the oldest or to have immediate siblings? Should your child live in the city or the country? What about particular hobbies, religion, education, etc? There is a waiting family for you.
Adoption in Missouri
In Missouri, an expectant woman can receive assistance throughout her pregnancy. All of her medical and legal expenses are covered. In addition, she may receive additional pregnancy-related help depending on her needs and the courts’ approval. Once the birth mother places her child with the adoptive family she has chosen, it takes six months to finalize the adoption.
How Can We Assist You?
Placing your child for adoption is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. It takes time to determine if it’s the right step for you.
If you want to consider this option, please contact our agency today. Only you can determine if adoption is the right choice.
Our counselors meet with you regularly to help you create a life plan that meets your needs. We promise to walk with you through every step of that plan and beyond.
Please fill out our confidential Contact Form or call us at 1-888-564-HOPE (4673). We’re here to help.
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.