Birthing Mothers - Making an Adoption Plan

It's part of Caring Adoptions Mission: to help ensure successful adoptions, we counsel,

educate and provide care to birth families

Caring Adoptions Staff will guide you in designing your Individualized Adoption Plan.

Your plan will include needs you identify, such as financial, medical, housing and transportation.
Your plan will be flexible and include your desires in regard to matters such as independent living, type of adoption and criteria for Adoptive Parents.
Your plan will include confidential counseling with Staff members experienced in working with Birthmothers. If you wish, counseling will be arranged with an independent licensed professional.

Your initial Individualized Adoption Plan is a guide to be followed throughout the adoption process. It will be redesigned as your needs change and to recognize agreements between you and the Adoptive Parents you select.

Your Individualized Adoption Plan includes information to enable our Staff to identify Adopting Parents meeting your criteria. Profiles prepared by qualified Adopting Parents will be shown to you. These persons have been screened to meet the Adoption Standards of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

You select your level of involvement in the adoption process, by selecting the type of adoption:

Open – Complete identifying information exchanged; on-going contact both pre and post-placement
Semi-open – Some identifying information shared; meet either pre-delivery or at hospital; no direct communication following placement; on-going exchange of pictures and letters, usually through the agency
Closed – No identifying information shared; no contact before or after adoption; no on-going information of child shared
Designated – Birthmother independently selects Adoptive Parents

Caring Adoptions Staff work with both you and the Adoptive Parents to determine the terms of contact in the relationship both “pre” and “post” placement. The Staff will work to ensure the agreements are honored by both parties.

Financial and Other Assistance During the Pregnancy Period

Once you have designed your Adoption Plan, chosen Adoptive Parents and decided on the Type of Adoption, a long-term financial assistance budget will be developed that follows the needs and desires of your Individualized Adoption Plan. This budget will carefully follow the standards of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and provide assistance until six weeks post delivery.

Throughout the term of pregnancy the Caring Adoptions Staff will be assisting you in many ways. This includes:

payments directly to you for food, clothing, transportation and other allowable costs,
transportation, when other sources are not available
payments to services providers such as landlord, doctors and utilities
assisting with the set-up of services and independent living
birthfather location and termination of rights
coordination with Adoptive Parents
pre-natal education and counseling
hospital identification and coordination
counseling, as requested, with a licensed professional

When the time arrives the Caring Adoptions Staff and Adoptive Parents will respect your wishes as to the extent of their involvement in the birthing process. Some Birthmothers are alone and request a Caring Adoptions Staff member or Adoptive Parent to be present during the delivery. Others have family support or choose to be alone. Whatever your choice, a Staff member you have worked with throughout the pregnancy will be available to see that your wishes are respected and the Individualized Adoption Plan process completed in a smooth and professional manner.

The legal process will be explained in advance of your delivery. Forty-eight (48) hours after the birth a Caring Adoptions Staff member will assist you as you sign a Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights Document. If the Birthfather’s rights have not been previously addressed, the Staff will complete the appropriate legal requirements. If the Birthfather is your legal husband or common law husband, he too must wait forty-eight (48) after the birth to sign a Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights Document. If the Birthfather is not your legal husband or your common law husband, he can sign a “Waiver of Interest” at any point prior or post the birth of your child. These documents designate Caring Adoptions as the Managing Conservator (legal parent) of your child. The Adoptive Parents will then take physical custody of the child.

Caring Adoptions believes it is in the best interest of the child to be placed as soon as possible with the Adoptive Parents. Thus once the child is released from the hospital, he/she is placed by Caring Adoptions with the Adoptive Parents. This generally occurs following the signing of the relinquishments.

As required by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the day-to-day and financial relationship between you, Caring Adoptions and the Adopting Parents must end six weeks after the birth. During this six weeks, Caring Adoptions will ensure that you receive assistance as agreed in the Individualized Adoption Plan. At the appropriate time, Caring Adoptions will represent you in Court for the termination of rights process. Pictures and information can be exchanged with the Adopting Families through our office as long a both parties agree.

Caring Adoptions Staff will do their best to make a positive difference in your life during your adoption process.

Let Caring Adoptions help you make an informed decision. For a confidential consultation, call a Staff member 24/7 toll free 1-866-603-7162 or 281-920-4300, or send us an eMail.