Adoption California

Are you a teenager who has just found out you are pregnant? Are you a college student who does not have the ability to care for a baby, go to school, and work at the same time? Are you parenting another child(ren) and just do not have the financial resources or capabilities to have another family member join your family? You are not out of options when it comes to making a decision. There are many couples and individuals who cannot have babies due to infertility or some other reason, and there are some who have children who want to add to their growing family. Adoption is an option you might have heard of but never thought you would consider. There are steps to this process that may seem daunting but luckily are easily explained.  

Have you ever wanted to visit California? Are there places you have wanted to see but no reason to go? If you are looking to adopt, this might be a great opportunity for you to go sightseeing or visit some of the tourist attractions you have longed to see. 

If you are the outdoor type, there are seven plus must-see places, according to PlanetWare.com. These include but are not limited to The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bridge is an iconic structure people think about when California comes up. You can enjoy this spectacular structure from afar or, if you dare, drive, walk, or even bike across it. Whatever you choose, it is a gorgeous structure to behold. Yosemite National Park is yet another beautiful place to visit as you hike through the area and take notice, mostly with wide eyes, the huge trees there are. There are awesome waterfalls, mountains, valleys, and rivers to witness. This place leaves you with a “wow” factor! Number three is Disneyland. It is a great place for children of all ages. Death Valley National Park, although extremely hot, would be a wonder to behold. You can drive through it, stopping at the various scenic lookouts to take in the gorgeous sites there. The next place you might find exciting as an outdoorsy-type person is Big Sur. This place, along with Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Garrapata State Park, are especially great places for those who love to camp, hike, or just enjoy nature. Lake Tahoe is one of those areas in California that you can enjoy year-round. During the summer, boaters, jetskiers, and swimmers can revel in its warmth and fun and, in the winter, ski and play in the snow. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are the home of the largest trees in the world and are thousands of years old. You can easily walk the trails here, and some of them are even paved. There are places to camp here as well. This is definitely one of the must-see places in California. The last place you never want to miss is the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Four Steps to Adoption California for Expectant Mothers 

Providing your baby with opportunities you did not have or a family that can provide more than you may be able to at this current point in your life is a difficult but necessary decision. It is also one of the most courageous and selfless decisions you may ever make. Perhaps you are a teen mom who does not know whether or not you can raise a baby, even if you have support of family and friends, you may have to give up pieces of the lifestyle you are used to in order to parent your child. Or maybe you are a college student that knows you cannot give a baby all the love and attention he or she needs while going to school and—quite possibly—working as well as keeping up with assignments. 

There are five steps to making certain your baby has the best chance possible at a better life. As stated on Adoption.org, the first and most vital decision you can make in this process is the choice to give your baby a better life. Although this can be one of the most selfless decisions you will ever make, it is not an easy one and should not be taken lightly. You should think long and hard before making this decision. A lot of times, there are parents, friends, and others who may influence the decision, but ultimately, it is yours as an expectant mother. No one should force or coerce you into placing your child for adoption. You must make the decision that you feel is in the best interest of your child and yourself. 

The second step in the five steps for you, the expectant mother, is deciding whether you want to have a private adoption or work with an adoption agency. A private adoption means you place the baby with someone you know. They may be a close friend or a friend of a friend. The other type of adoption is to use an adoption agency. One such agency is the Gladney Center for Adoption. Gladney can provide you with compassionate and nonjudgmental support as you decide what option is best for you and your baby. They have been part of the adoption world for 130 years. 

Step number three is coming up with an adoption plan. This step is where you, the expectant mother, choose the type of adoption plan you want to create for your child. There are three different types. The first type of adoption plan is open adoption. An open adoption means that you, and the family you choose to raise your baby, decide together whether you will have some kind of contact. The type of contact could be in the form of letters, videos, pictures, and sometimes even in-person visits. The expectant mother and adoptive parents will come up with an open adoption relationship they both feel comfortable with.  

Today, open adoption is a lot more common option and has been seen to be very beneficial to both the birth mother and her child. Because the child is able to have a relationship with his or her birth mother in an open adoption, there may be a lot less identity questions the child has later on in life. The child is also able to understand why she or he was placed and can further know if there are any medical issues that should be watched out for. There is also semi-open adoption which means that the birth parents may have minimal contact with the baby. Generally, all correspondence between the birth parents and adoptive parents in a semi-open adoption go through the adoption agency or another third-party organization. Finally, there is closed adoption. Closed adoption means there is no contact at all between the birth parents and adoptive parents. No identifying information is shared at all. With this sort of adoption, sometimes, it is easier for the birth mother not to see the baby after she or he is born and is placed with the adoptive parents. This might be hard later on when the child learns she was adopted but cannot find information on her birth mother. 

This step may also include a hospital plan. A hospital plan is where the expectant mother decides who gets to be in the delivery room when the baby is born. Some expectant mothers want to have the prospective adoptive parents in the delivery room so they get to experience as much of the event as possible. Other expectant mothers may only want the adoptive mother in the delivery room. As an expectant mother, the choice is yours to include whomever you want in the delivery room with you. Do what feels the most comfortable for you. You’ll also want to have a plan in place of who is going to be taking you home after the delivery of your child. 

Step number four is finding an adoptive family for your child. This step, along with the other three, may be easier to handle when you have an adoption agency to help you. Sifting through profile after profile of hopeful adoptive families can be a daunting task.. When looking for a family, trust your gut because your gut can be one of the best indicators you may have.

After your baby is born and you are continuing on with your life, one way to honor what you have done is to make certain that you make your life the best it can be by moving forward and following your dreams. Placing a child for adoption is one of the hardest things you may ever do. Make sure to take care of yourself. Go to counseling, do activities that you love, spend time with friends and family, travel the world. Share with those closest to you your true feelings regarding your adoption experience if you feel comfortable doing so and don’t feel like you have to wear a mask or hide your true emotions. Adoption is beautiful, but it is born out of loss. It can be a very traumatizing event. Make sure you get the support and counseling you need in order to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually well. You have sacrificed a great deal. Be kind and compassionate to yourself. 

Six Steps for the Prospective Adoptive Parents for Adoption California 

Making the decision to adopt a baby or child is not the easiest decision, especially when you are infertile. Every child who wants to be a parent dreams about this, and when you find out you are unable to conceive biologically, it can be devastating. 

The first step to adoption is making the decision. This might be difficult if you have children already who do not understand what adoption would mean, whether it be fostering first or adopting from an adoption agency. Children that may not understand this could take it personally as if you are trying to replace them. So, when you have made your decision to pursue adoption, make certain that you explain, in detail, what it means for your children. In California, after making your choice, you must attend an orientation. 

The next step is to fill out an adoption application and research which adoption agency you would like to use. Once that is done, a caseworker from the adoption agency will contact you to discuss your options. It is during this stage that you want to consider whether you want to adopt a baby, a toddler, a child, or a teenager. You’ll also need to decide if domestic infant adoption, adoption from foster care, or international adoption is the right path for you. 

Step number three is a hard part but needs to be accomplished. This is where the home study takes place. During this part of the adoption process, a social worker evaluates every member of the family, but especially, the prospective adoptive parents. Included in this is a criminal background check, medical assessment—to make sure the parents are healthy enough to take on this task of parenting—employment, which means being able to be financially stable to care for children, and what your home life is like which includes your parenting styles. 

Step number four is making your parent profile. In this step, you tell about yourselves and your family, your likes and dislikes, tell about your extended family and your community, your religion, whether or not you have pets, etc. These are just a few of the things you can talk about in your profile, but the more you tell and add pictures, the better. You want to be able to give expectant parents a really good idea of who you are and what life could be like for their child if they chose to place their child with you.

Step five is being chosen by an expectant mother. This can be exciting but scary at the same time.

Number six is the step where the adoption is finalized. When finalization happens, there is a hearing held to have the birth parent’s rights terminated. Once this happens, the adoptive parents become the legal parents of the adoptive child and a new birth certificate is issued with the child’s adoptive parents’ names on it. This is where you are made a forever family for good. This is the step that you have worked so hard toward. Congratulations! You are parents! But really, finalization of the adoption is only the beginning of your journey. May it be a beautiful one.

Adoption in California and other areas have a lot of similarities, but remember that adoption laws vary by state, and if you are adopting internationally, they vary by country as well. In the end, however, the thing that matters most is the child and what is best for her or him. I hope this guide along with other articles on Adopting.org may help both the birth mother and the adoptive parents in their endeavor to do what is best for the child.