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Decision & Counseling: Birth parents may decide to place their child for adoption for many different reasons. Such a decision is not one that anyone reaches lightly, and therefore, counseling is the first step in thinking about such an important decision. The most important factor when considering an adoption plan is the child’s best interest. Counseling will be provided before you decide on adoption, as well as throughout your pregnancy and after the baby’s birth. We will also recommend an Adoption Support group which will provide information, insight and emotional support from others with the same experience. Financial Assistance: If you have made an adoption plan, while you are pregnant and shortly after delivery, you may receive financial assistance for your medical expenses and actual living expenses from the adoptive parents. This includes prenatal and hospital care, prescription medications, counseling and living expenses such as rent, phone, utilities, food, clothing, and transportation. The law recognizes that one reason for making an adoption plan is the lack of financial and emotional support to the birth mother. Legal Services: Every adoption plan requires legal services to safeguard the rights of and explain the responsibilities of both the birth mother/parents and the adoptive parents. ~ Frequently Asked Questions ~ The South Carolina Statutes govern the requirements for adoptions in the state of South Carolina. If you currently reside in another state, the answers to the questions may be different because each state has enacted its own set of adoption laws. Please contact us for help regarding your state’s laws. Should I place my child for adoption? The decision to place a child for adoption is a difficult one and one that only you can make. We cannot answer this question for you. However, we can provide you with the information you may need to help answer the question. We will also provide you with caring support and make arrangements for you to receive counseling. How can adoption be good for my baby and me?
Are all adoption plans the same? No. We will help you design and adoption plan that is best suited for your individual needs and particular situation. Can I choose the adoptive parents? Yes! As the birth mother, you can participate, if you desire, in selecting the adoptive family. You are encouraged to specify your individual desires and the characteristics (age, religion, career, hobbies, etc) of the adoptive parents. We will present families we represent who meet those qualities you are looking for and provide you with their information, including letters and photographs. You may speak with the family that you choose by phone, or you may meet them in person, so that you feel assured that your have chosen the perfect family. We encourage such open communication throughout the pregnancy as it helps to establish a warm bond between the birth mother and the adoptive parents. Of course, you also have the option of choosing a more confidential adoption plan. How will I know that the adoptive parents will take good care of my child? Prospective adoptive parents must go through an extensive screening process before they are approved to adopt. The adoption process includes social worker visits to their home, interviews, child abuse checks, criminal background investigations, and the checking of references. All adoptive parents must be approved by the court. What will I know about my child’s life after he or she is born? Each adoption is different based on whether it is open, semi-open or confidential. It is your choice as to how much contact you wish to have with the adoptive family. At a minimum, we encourage our adoptive parents to provide you with pictures and updates for at least 5 years after the baby is born. You may use us as an intermediary for this correspondence if you desire. What will my child know about me? Again, that will depend on how open or closed the adoption is. However, no matter what type of adoption plan you make, your child will be provided with your complete medical and social history. This background information will include how you grew up, if you have siblings or other children, your education, your interests, hobbies and talents, and most importantly, a medical history about you and your family. You may choose to share your identity and where you live with your child, or you may choose to establish a more open, ongoing relationship with the adoptive family. Can I see my baby after it is born? Yes. The birth mother determines how much contact, if any, she would like to have with the baby after it is born. Any future contact will be decided upon by a mutual agreement between you and the adoptive parents. When will I sign the adoption papers? After you give birth, but before you are discharged from the hospital, you will sign the legal papers in which you will surrender your parental rights to your child. Once the adoption consent is signed, it is generally binding and irrevocable. Does my baby have to go into a foster home? No! The adoptive parents can take the baby home directly from the hospital. In fact, you can even choose to have the adoptive mother be present in the delivery room so that she can be with the baby from the moment of birth. What if my child is a minority child? If your child is bi-racial, multiracial, African-American, Native American, Hispanic or other minority, it is important to discuss this with us when you are making your initial adoption plan. There are many adoptive families who are looking for a child just like yours to adopt. What about the baby’s father? If the biological parents are married, South Carolina law requires consent of both parents. However, if the biological parents are not married, South Carolina law requires birth fathers to provide financial and emotional support to the birth mother during her pregnancy and after birth to be able to interfere with the birth mother's adoption plan. We are available to speak with birth fathers and help foster a mutual understanding of adoption. Do I have to pay for legal fees and expenses? No. All legal fees and reasonable expenses, including medical expenses, are paid by the prospective adoptive parents. You are not required to pay for anything. You are permitted to receive financial assistance for your actual living and medical expenses during the term of the pregnancy and for a period, not to exceed 6 weeks, after the baby is born. Do I have to appear in court? No, you do not have to appear in court to consent to the adoption plan. However, if you are a South Carolina resident and desire to place your baby with out-of-state adoptive parents, you will need to appear in court for one hearing before the baby is born. We will be glad to explain this special hearing to you further over the phone. What if I am under the age of 18? A birth mother under the age of 18 has the power to consent to the adoption of her child without parental consent. It is not necessary to for us to contact your parents or other family members in order for you to consent to an adoption plan. Do I have to live in or move to South Carolina to work with you? No. If you live in another state, we will coordinate efforts with other adoption professionals in your state to provide the best services possible to you. Will I be judged for situation that I am in? Absolutely not! You will have our continuous support and will be treated with dignity and respect for your loving and unselfish decision. You will also have the utmost respect of the adoptive parents. As one adoptive mother recently said when talking about the birth mother, “She has my respect. She must be a very brave woman.” How do I begin the process? Call us at (843) 723-1688 to speak with an adoption professional, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm EST. We will be happy to send you written information or to arrange a consultation at a time convenient to you, either in person or by telephone. We can come to you if necessary. You may also fill out our Birth mother questionnaire which will reach us via email. Our caring adoption professionals will listen to you and answer your questions about adoption. We can also share information about families we represent who are looking to adopt a child like yours and discuss the types of assistance available to you. We can assure you that you will receive a full range of necessary professional services, including counseling and medical care. All of the information you provide to us is completely confidential and in no way obligates you to choose adoption or us to work with. DISCLAIMER: The information provided above is an overview of the adoption laws of South Carolina. It is a brief introduction to a complex topic. This is not a complete dissertation of the law, is not tailored to a specific case, and you should not rely on this document. Moreover, the adoption law is new and untested; therefore, this information may change as the courts interpret the law. When you have specific questions regarding your particular adoptive placement, please address them with us, or another qualified adviser. |
Birth Mother Benefits:
There are many women, of all ages, who have an unplanned pregnancy and do not feel that they are ready to be a parent or are unable to care for a child. They know that there are countless couples who cannot conceive a child but yet have a loving home ready for a child. Their greatest dream is to be a parent and make your child the center of their lives. If you are not ready to be a parent, you can still give your baby the gift of life by choosing adoption. Adoption is a very loving and unselfish decision.