Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Iowa?
Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be scary, especially when you’re not sure what to do. But, if you’re considering adoption, know that Nelson Law Firm will be by your side to make the process as easy as possible, should you decide it’s the right choice for you.
There’s a lot that goes into placing a child for adoption in Iowa but, when you work with our law firm, every necessary step will be handled by us or another trusted adoption professional that we work with. Whether you’re still considering adoption or are ready to start the adoption process, attorney Ken Nelson can give you the information and support you need to make the decision that’s best for you — whatever it is.
When you choose adoption for your child, you are in control of the process through every step. You always have the right to change your mind, as well as the right to create the perfect adoption plan for you. As a woman considering adoption, you get to find the right adoptive family for your baby and choose an open adoption communication plan that will help you keep in contact with your child in the way that you want.
Attorney Ken Nelson is always available to answer any questions you have about the process of adoption and the legal services that he can provide along the way. To learn more, please contact Nelson Law Firm at 319-291-6161 or fill out our online form.
In the meantime, here’s what you should know about placing a baby for adoption in Iowa.
How to Place a Baby for Adoption
When you’re considering adoption for your baby, it’s important to recognize that you’re not “giving up” your baby. Instead, you’re choosing to give them the best opportunities in life with a loving family who is prepared to raise a child.
As mentioned before, when you choose to work with our law firm, attorney Ken Nelson will walk you through every step of the adoption process, which includes:
- Deciding if adoption is right for you. Even if you’re still considering adoption, Ken Nelson can give you the free, no-obligation information you need to decide if this is the right choice for you and your baby. He’ll work with you to determine your specific adoption circumstances and help you understand what your adoption process may look like.
- Making an adoption plan. Once you’re sure that adoption is the right choice for you, Ken will walk you through each part of your adoption process — like the services you want and the professionals you’ll need, the birth father’s involvement, the type of adoptive family you want and more.
- Finding an adoptive family. Some prospective birth mothers approach us after they have found an adoptive family, while others need assistance finding a family. Either through his own network or by referring you to a matching agency, Ken will help you find the right family for your baby.
- Planning your hospital stay. Like the rest of your adoption process, you’ll be in charge of the time you spend in the hospital, such as deciding whether to include the adoptive family. During this point, Ken will also ensure that you understand all of your adoption rights and, when you’re ready, help you sign your adoption consent.
- Staying in touch with your child. You have a right as a prospective birth mother to an open adoption, through which you can stay in contact with your baby and their adoptive family for years after the adoption. We can help you draw up a post-placement contact agreement with the family based on your contact preferences.
These are just the basic steps of the adoption process. Because every adoption is unique, we encourage you to contact our law firm to learn more about what your particular adoption may look like.
When you place your child for adoption, you have the chance to choose exactly what you want their adoptive family to be like. Where do you want them to live? What do you want them to look like? What kind of values do you want them to teach your child?
We have a network of waiting adoptive family profiles that we can show you, or we can refer you to a trusted agency for a wider network of waiting adoptive families. After you view a profile that you like, you’ll get the chance to speak to that family over the phone and even get to know them during your pregnancy and your hospital stay.
We know how important it is that you find the right family for you and your baby, which is why we’ll support you through every step of this process.
Get Help with a Last-Minute Adoption
No matter where you are in your pregnancy, even if you’ve already given birth, attorney Ken Nelson can help you complete the adoption process. We understand that deciding on adoption may take some time, so we provide the same quality and quantity of resources to prospective birth mothers that approach us early in their pregnancy as those who approach us later on.
If you have already given birth, one of our staff members will meet you at the hospital to discuss your adoption options and start the adoption process. It’s never too late to find the right adoptive family for your baby and for you to have a successful adoption process, so no matter when you’re considering adoption, you can give us a call at 319-291-6161.
Understanding Birth Father Rights
An important part of your adoption plan is the involvement of your baby’s birth father. We have worked with prospective birth mothers who have all kinds of different relationships with their baby’s father, whether they are uninvolved, supportive or somewhere in between. However, because there are certain laws that must be followed when it comes to obtaining birth father consent for an adoption, it’s important that you work with an experienced attorney like Ken Nelson as early as possible.
Whether you can place your child for adoption without the father’s consent will depend on your individual circumstance, and only a lawyer can accurately answer this question. Our lawyers will work closely with you to make sure your rights and safety are protected during this process while they efficiently obtain the consent from your baby’s father, if necessary.
In today’s modern adoptions, you not only have the chance to choose the family that you want to raise your child but also to create a genuine, respectful relationship with them during and after the adoption. Open adoption gives prospective birth mothers like you the opportunity to watch their child grow up and know that they’re happy, whether through mediated contact like pictures and letters or direct, face-to-face contact.
As a prospective birth mother, you have the right to decide what kind of communication you want with a prospective adoptive family. To ensure both parties fully understand their contact expectations and responsibilities, attorney Ken Nelson will draft a post-adoption contact agreement outlining this important information. While these won’t be legally enforceable, they’re an important reminder to both you and the adoptive parents about the communication agreement you made. In the majority of adoptions, however, they’re just a formality; adoptive parents are usually just as excited to share contact with you as you are to share contact with them.
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Placing a child for adoption can seem like a complicated process at the beginning, especially if you’re still considering adoption or not sure which unplanned pregnancy option is best for you. That’s why Nelson Law Firm and our professionals will be there to support you throughout, whether that means giving you the information you need to make the best decision, helping you complete the legal process or referring you to trusted professionals for services that we cannot provide ourselves.
To learn more about how attorney Ken Nelson can help you place your baby for adoption in Iowa, please contact us today for free and with completely no obligation.