Adoption
Adoption is an option for your pregnancy. It is a decision that can be made any time in your pregnancy, and even after you have your baby. If you feel unable to care for your child, there are others who want to help. There are couples waiting to adopt who have specifically requested a child with special needs or a baby with a life-limiting condition.
For a variety of reasons, you may feel you are not equipped to parent a child with special needs and yet desire good things for your child. The waiting adoptive families are equipped specifically to care for a child with special needs and desire to stay connected to you, the birth family! There are many forms of adoption that you may choose, ranging from closed adoptions to varying forms of open or modern adoption, which allow birth parents to maintain a relationship with their child. Some adoption agencies specialize in or have extensive experience in adoption of children with special needs. These special needs can vary from child to child to encompass any disability or medical condition or behavioral or emotional condition. Every child is eligible and wanted.
Additional Resources
Read this article from Today.com or the related book I Will Love You Forever: A True Story about Finding Life, Hope, and Healing while Caring for Hospice Babies
If you would like to explore adoption further, you can search for adoption agencies that are equipped to assist you as you consider your options and can help you with a special needs adoption if you choose this option. There are also adoption or foster care options for children with life-limiting conditions, who may not live long. The following are just a few organizations that are equipped to facilitate adoptions for babies with special needs and/or life-limiting conditions.
- Search this Her PLAN link or this Christian Adoption Alliance link to find local adoption agencies. Check to be sure they are equipped for special needs placements
- Alexandra’s House is a place your baby may go for the remainder of his or her days. You may choose if you wish to be present or not. They also provide a wide range of support for families experiencing a prenatal diagnosis and/or a pregnancy loss of any kind.
- Lifeline Children’s Services can help you place your special needs child with a loving adoptive family. Although this video is targeted towards the adoptive family, it gives good information on how their special needs adoptions work. If you are looking to adopt a child with special needs, they can help you, too.
- Choosing Hope Adoptions in the state of Ohio can provide adoption services for babies with special needs; they offer lifetime ongoing support for both birth mothers and adoptive mothers.
- Special Angels Adoption is an example of a specific initiative designed to help facilitate the adoption process for babies with special needs.
It is important to consider all your options. You should never feel coerced into parenting or making an adoption plan. You should feel empowered to make the best decision for you and your baby. Explore both parenting and adoption by talking with a trusted adoption provider like the ones mentioned above and by educating yourself on the support available to you if you choose parenting by reviewing our other support organization pages.
If you are considering adoption, an agency can assist you. The best adoption agencies care for all members of the adoption triad - the birth family, the child being adopted, and the adoptive parents. Everyone deserves consideration in ethical adoption. Look for an agency that provides extensive training to prospective adoptive parents, ongoing support to birth families after they place the child, and counseling and other services to children placed in adoptive homes. Adoption agencies are not only the best-qualified entities to help with adoption placement, but many states also mandate adoptions through agencies. There is also extensive post-adoption support available from organizations such as Brave Love.