Giving an Older Baby Up for Adoption

Regardless of your pregnancy plans, it is possible to make an adoption plan for your baby at any time. You can decide to make an adoption plan immediately after your baby is born, or several months after your baby’s birth. Here’s what happens if your decide to put your baby up for adoption after birth.

1. If you decide to give your baby up for adoption while you’re in the hospital, you should request to talk with a social worker during your stay. A hospital social worker will contact an adoption professional like us to help you make decisions like choosing a family for your baby and how ongoing contact with the adoptive family works in an open adoption plan.

2. If you’re exploring adoption for an older baby, contact an adoption counselor whenever you’re ready. The first conversation with your counselor can happen via email, text message, online chat or a confidential phone call. Your counselor will help you talk through the reasons you’re considering adoption for your baby and possibly help with some of the things that are making parenting difficult.

3. If you decide to place your older baby for adoption, your counselor will help you take the next steps like choosing a family to adopt your baby. She will help you learn about open adoption, where you can continue to have a relationship with your baby and the adoptive family over your baby’s lifetime. She will show you several profiles of qualified, waiting families who are ready to adopt a baby like yours and help you choose a family that fits your wishes.

4. Once you’ve chosen a family to adopt your baby, your counselor will help you plan the next steps. If your baby is older, these steps might include meeting with the family several times to prepare for the transition to adoption placement. If you are in the hospital, the family might come visit you. Remember that your counselor is here to support you every step of the way.

5. Prepare for post-placement contact with your baby and the adoptive family. Once your baby has been placed with their adoptive family, your counselor will help to prepare you for the type of open adoption you’ve planned. For some birth parents, this means staying in touch through letters and pictures. For others, this means getting together in person as a child grows up.

Read a Birth Mother’s Story