What are a Birth Mother’s Rights Regarding Adoption?
In every adoption, you have rights and adoption related choices to make.
The rights that birth mothers are usually concerned about are the ending of her rights, the birth father’s rights, and your rights regarding ongoing contact with the child and adopting family.
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If you decide on adoption, we make sure your rights are protected, your child is placed with the perfect family, and that you receive all the financial assistance and medical help as well as other types of help that the law allows. Please visit the link “Ways we can help you”.
Every state has their own multiple adoption laws. The laws of the state in which you live and the adoption agency you work with help define your rights and the rights of others.
More about a Birth Mother’s Rights Regarding Adoption?
All of your rights and options and those of the birth father, and even the child’s grandparents, cannot, and should not, be overlooked and should be fully and carefully reviewed with you by the adoption agency.
It is important to understand that biological father has rights whether or not he is still involved with the birth mother and even if his name is not on the birth certificate.
There is no adoption situation where the rights of the biological birth father should be ignored. Even if the birth mother is not sure who the biological father is, his rights must still be addressed.
Given the above, the decision to proceed with an agency or private adoption and the selection of your adoption agency is so important. Please keep reading…
When is the final Termination of Parental Rights?
One of the first concerns many birth mothers have is about ending their parental rights and how much time they have to change their mind.
It helps to know that parental rights can end in two ways. They can be ended voluntarily, which means you choose to sign and give your permission. Or they can be ended involuntarily, which means it happens without your permission. In most cases involving private adoption agencies or adoption attorneys, more than 98% of birth mothers choose to end their rights voluntarily.
Involuntary termination usually happens only in situations where a child has been placed in foster care through the state system. That is very different from private adoption.
The ending of parental rights may be called termination, surrender, or relinquishment. The exact rules are different in every state. However, one important rule is the same everywhere: any document signed by the birth mother before the baby is born is not legally binding.
After the baby is born, the timing can vary. Some states allow a birth mother to sign right away. Others require a waiting period, such as 1–3 days, 15–21 days, or even 30 days or more.
Because each state has its own laws, it is very important to understand the rules where you live before making any decisions.
What are the Birth Father’s Rights?
For information about Birth Father Rights click on this link.
Where Can I Find Additional Sources of Information?
Visit the links Birth Father Rights and Grandparents rights.
To see the adoption laws of your state of residence, visit the link State-by-State laws. You may want to look for the section “termination (or surrender or relinquishment) of parental rights”, of the state in which the birth father resides. This can be done at ChildAdoptionLaws.com. You may also find it helpful to read the Child Welfare Information Gateway article “Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights“.
Additionally you may want to find a family law attorney from the adoptionattorneys.org website.
Can your Agency Help a Birth Parent Living in Any State?
Our agency, Adoption Services, can help a birth mother living in any state or a U.S. birth mother living in any foreign country. Dr Vince Berger, a PhD psychologist and founder and director of the Agency, has been working with birth parents for over 45+ years. Adoption Services has helped over 6000 birth parents and families. Feel free to contact us or call (toll-free 1(800)943-0400) if you have any questions or if you want our guidance or help.