• Bill of Rights for Birth Parent and Answers to Questions about Adoption
• Myths About Adoption
• Paying for Your Care
• Your Other Choices
CHOOSING ADOPTION:
NEW YORK PRO-CHOICE ADOPTION RESOURCES
Another way of handling an unplanned pregnancy is to choose adoption. There are two types of adoption: open adoption and closed adoption. In an open adoption, you and the adoptive family can maintain contact as the child grows, through pictures, letters, email, phone calls, and visits. In a closed or traditional adoption, the records will be sealed and you will not have contact with your child or the adoptive family. You can, however, enroll with a “Reunion and Information Registry” so that your child can find you when he or she turns 18.
If you think you might want to choose adoption, you should begin planning and working with a reputable adoption agency while you are pregnant. Many women do not realize that it is important to begin planning with an adoption resource before the birth. However, it is possible to plan an adoption after the baby is born by letting the hospital Social Worker know you are considering adoption. Women who have left their infants in the hospital are considered to have abandoned their babies. Unfortunately, when this happens, the newborn is often placed into foster care and it can then take years to be adopted into a family. You can find an adoption agency to handle all the arrangements of placing the newborn with a family and make you feel comfortable and respected. The agency may also assist you throughout your pregnancy, including arranging for pre-natal care and even helping with housing, transportation, and maternity clothing costs. In this section is a list of common misconceptions about adoption and the “Birth Parent Bill of Rights,” which was prepared as a public service by Spence-Chapin, a non-profit, licensed child placement agency. Also included is a list of New York State agencies that were surveyed by NARAL Pro-Choice New York and vow to respect your right to make the choice that is best for you, even if after exploring adoption you make another choice.
For more information about the adoption process in New York State, go to the New York State Adoption Service website at http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/adopt/.
1-800-522-5006.
A birth parent is the woman who gives birth to the baby and then places the baby in adoption. The birth parent may or may not be able to see or contact the child as he or she is growing up, depending on the type of adoption chosen.
An adoptive parent is the mother and/or father who become the legal parents of the baby that is placed in adoption. These are the parents that will raise the child to adulthood and who have legal rights to make decisions about the child’s welfare.
