If you are considering adoption for your child or baby, you probably have a great deal of questions. You may not be sure adoption is really the right path for you at this point, and that’s okay. You may even be asking, “Can I get my child back after adoption in Iowa?”
This is a normal question to ask, especially from women who are still considering their unplanned pregnancy options. Adoption is a big decision to make, and we understand that some expectant mothers have reservations and wonder if you can get your child back after adoption — just in case they decide to change their minds.
However, there is one thing that you should always know about adoption: It is irreversible. Once your adoption process is complete, you cannot regain custody of your child or your parental rights. This is why it’s so important that every prospective birth mother in Iowa speak with attorney Ken Nelson and his staff as early in the process as possible. Only by speaking with a local adoption attorney can you understand exactly what the legal process of adoption entails and what your adoption rights in Iowa are.
To learn more about your adoption rights in Iowa, we encourage you to contact our law firm at 319-291-6161.
Can I Get My Baby Back After Adoption?
Before you decide to place your child for adoption in Iowa, you’ll need to understand the adoption laws regarding consent and parental rights. Once you understand these aspects, you will see how if you give your baby up for adoption, you cannot get them back.
In the best interest of all involved, adoption is a permanent choice in the state of Iowa. Once a child has been placed with adoptive parents, transferring custody back and forth can be harmful to their development. That’s why prospective birth mothers are encouraged to be 100 percent confident in their adoption decision before signing their adoption consent.
If you are considering placing your child for adoption, your adoption attorney will explain to you the process of giving your adoption consent and what it means for your adoption rights. Your adoption consent cannot be signed until at least 72 hours after birth, which can give you the opportunity to consider your decision before making this life-changing choice. You will have limited parental rights after you give a child up for adoption and sign your consent, so this time can be very helpful if you are not 100 percent confident in your adoption decision. Attorney Ken Nelson will be there to explain the legalities of signing your consent before you do so, and you will always have the right to a free counselor if you need additional guidance at this point after giving birth.
If you have placed your child for adoption, changed your mind and are asking, “How can I get my child back after adoption in Iowa?” there may be a legal path available to you. If you have signed your consent within the last 96 hours, you can revoke that consent with a formal document. Any later after signing, and you will need to petition to reinstate your parental rights after you give up a child for adoption — all before the final adoption decree is issued to the adoptive family. The court would need to decide if reinstating your parental rights would be in the best interest of the child.
When you work with our law firm, our legal team will support you through this legal process and help you feel comfortable with your rights to give your child up for adoption — and what exactly those rights entail.
Birth Mother Adoption Rights in Iowa
Your adoption rights in Iowa as a prospective birth mother come into play throughout your adoption process, not just when you are signing your adoption consent. Know that the Nelson Law Firm is here to protect your adoption rights as a prospective birth mother when you choose to work with our law firm.
Our legal team works with pregnant women considering adoption across Iowa to help them understand their adoption rights as potential birth mothers and to help them make an informed and prepared decision about their unplanned pregnancy. As part of that, we will explain to you your rights in the adoption process, which include:
- The right to choose the adoptive family for your child and to speak or even meet with them before the baby is born.
- The right to design an adoption plan and a hospital and birth plan that puts you in full control of your adoption. This means that you’ll be able to make decisions about communication with the adoptive family, who you want with you in the delivery room, post-birth plans like whether or not you’d like to hold the baby, and more.
- The right to privacy during your adoption process. You can keep your adoption as private as you’d like, and any information you share with an adoption professional will be kept strictly confidential.
- The right to opt for an open adoption. Your birth mother rights in open adoption give you control over the post-adoption communication — such as letters, photos, visits and more — you’d like to have with the adoptive family throughout the baby’s life.
- The right to reconsider your decision to place your child for adoption throughout the process, including at any point in time before the baby is born.
- The right to receive free legal counsel through Nelson Law Firm, emotional counseling services, prenatal and medical care and more throughout your pregnancy and adoption process.
If you have questions about the process of giving your adoption consent, you can always contact us at the Nelson Law Firm to learn more about your guaranteed legal adoption rights before, during and after the adoption process is complete.