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FAQs

What is a private adoption?
Adoption is the legal placement of a child with people who will raise the child as their own.  A private adoption agency or an attorney makes all the legal arrangements.

Is private adoption legal?
Yes.  Private adoption is legal.

Does a birth mother need an attorney for an adoption?
Yes.  A birth parent must have an attorney to place a child for adoption.  The adoptive parents and the baby must have a separate attorneys.  Adoptive parents pay for the cost of the birth parent’s and the baby’s attorneys.

Are adoptions confidential?
Yes, adoptions are confidential.  The court records involving the adoption are confidential.

Can I select the adoptive parents for my baby?
Yes.  You have the right to choose the adoptive parents, all of whom have been carefully screened.  You also have a right to ask the agency to choose if you prefer not to make that choice.

What is an open adoption?
In an open adoption there is some form of contact between you and the adoptive parents.  You can decide the form of contact and how much contact you want.

Can I meet the adoptive parents?
Yes.  Your counselor will set up the meeting between you and the adoptive parents.  Meeting the adoptive parents can help reassure you that you are placing the baby with good people.

Can I see the baby after it is born?
Yes.  While you are in the hospital, you can spend as much time as you want with the child.  You may want to see, hold, or feed the baby and take pictures, or you might prefer as little involvement as possible with the baby.  It is your choice.

Do I need to identify the birth father?
A specific answer will depend on your particular circumstances.  This is an issue to discuss with your attorney.

Do I have to go to court?
Yes.  Under Kentucky Law, a Termination of Parental Rights hearing takes place in the Circuit/Family Court.  It is a closed hearing and generally only lasts a few minutes.  There will be only a few people in attendance, including you and your attorney.  Your attorney will prepare for the hearing.  Your counselor will be there to offer emotional support.

Does the adoption cost me any money?
No.  The expenses involved in the adoption are generally paid by the prospective adoptive parents.

What expenses will the adoptive parent(s) pay?
Adoptive parents usually pay counseling, medical and legal expenses, any necessary living expenses not already covered, or special expenses related to the pregnancy.  Expenses must be reasonably related to the pregnancy, birth, and placement of the child for adoption. The goal is to provide you with adequate and safe living conditions and to alleviate emotional.  When you appear in court, the law requires that an affidavit must be submitted of monies paid on your behalf.  The court has the discretion to approve or modify the expenses and cost.

Is counseling provided?
Yes.  We encourage you to accept the counseling offered by the agency.  Counseling services provided for you are paid for by the adoptive parents as part of the adoption costs.  Most pregnant women who are considering adoption find that counseling is helpful for them.  While counselors do not make decisions for you, the counseling process helps you make a thoughtful decision decision based on sound reasons.  Your counselor also will help you deal with the grief and loss issues surrounding adoption.

Won’t it be painful to place my baby with the new parents?
We would not be truthful with you if we suggested that placing a child was pain free.  You will likely feel sad and grieve, but you will have made the decision to place your child for adoption only after a great deal of thought and consideration.  You may also feel relieved because you will have placed the best interests of the baby above your own personal feelings.  You have determined that adoption will result in a better life for your child.  Once the initial grief has passed, you may feel a great deal of satisfaction knowing that you did the very best thing for your child.

How do I know my baby is going to a good home?
Adoptive families are carefully screened and interviewed.  They provide us with a great deal of information about their lives to prove that they are financially secure, emotionally stable and able to become loving and caring parents.  We also require references from other people who know the adoptive parents and can recommend them as parents.  A family from another state or adoption agency must satisfy both the Kentucky requirements and the requirements of their state of residence.

When my baby grows up, can he or she contact me? Yes.  Kentucky Law allows adopted children to search for their birth parents when they reach 21 years old.  If you sign a consent agreeing to release identifying information and if an adoptee who is at least 21 years old requests it, he or she can obtain the information needed to contact you..

Does the baby go into foster care until the adoption is final? No.  The baby goes home from the hospital with the adoptive parents if they live in Kentucky.  If they live in another state, the baby goes to an agency bonding home with the adoptive parents, who stay in Kentucky until the adoption is finalized.

Why do women place babies for adoption? While the reasons may vary with each individual, mothers place babies for adoption because they love them and want their children to be raised in a loving, nurturing, and secure family.

What happens to me after the adoption? You will always be the child’s birth mother.  After the adoption is final, you can pursue the path of your choice, knowing that your child is safe and cherished with an adoptive family.

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