If you are a woman considering adoption for your baby, you may be wondering, “If I give my baby up for adoption, will it go to foster care?”
The answer is no. The most important thing you need to remember about private infant adoption is that you’ll never have to live in fear of your child going into foster care. Working with an infant adoption agency means that you’ll be able to pick your child’s future family, no matter how far along in your pregnancy you are. If you decide to place your child through an infant adoption agency, you will have a trusted adoption specialist to help you find the perfect adoptive family that will raise your child for the rest of their life. There are plenty of families for you to choose from, so you’ll be certain to find the one that is the perfect fit for you and your child.
So, as long as you follow your adoption plan to its completion, you shouldn’t have to wonder, “When you put a baby up for adoption, does it go into foster care?”
What Makes Foster Care Different from Private Infant Adoption?
“If I give my baby up for adoption, do they go to foster care?”
“I’ve heard that putting a baby up for adoption means it ends up in foster care. Is that true?”
“If I don’t have an adoptive family lined up, can my baby go to foster care?
These are just a few of the most common questions that we receive when people confuse private adoption and foster care. While foster care and private agency adoption have the same overarching goal — placing a child with a loving family — there are some key differences.
When you choose to place your child through an infant adoption agency, you are in charge of the process from the very beginning. Many prospective birth mothers worry about what happens if they’re not able to find a family or that nobody will want to adopt their baby — leading them to think that it’s possible that their child will end up in foster care.
We want to reassure you that this will not be the case if you work with an infant adoption agency. You will be in charge of making a voluntary adoption plan from the very beginning. You will choose the adoptive family for your baby, and you will place your baby directly with the adoptive family when you are ready.
Foster care works a bit differently from private infant adoption. Usually, children that are placed into foster care come from homes with neglect and abuse. Children that are in state care tend to be older and part of a sibling group as well. So, when a child is placed into foster care, it’s usually involuntary.
While biological parents or their closest family relatives can go through the reunification process to be with the child again, they won’t be able to decide who the child is placed with in the meantime, unlike in an infant adoption placement.
If I Don’t Have an Adoptive Family Lined Up, Can My Baby Go to Foster Care?
Many prospective birth mothers are not only worried about their child going to foster care, but also that they won’t be able to find an adoptive family. They might also be wondering, “If you give a kid up for adoption and it doesn’t get adopted, does it go to foster care?” Finding an adoptive family can often be the most stressful part of an adoption plan. Not being able to find one right away can put even more pressure on your shoulders.
No matter what stage you’re at in your pregnancy, not being able to find an adoptive family right away does not mean that your child will go to foster care. You can take as much time as you need to find an adoptive family, and your adoption specialist will work closely with you to find the adoptive parents that are perfect for your baby, no matter how long it takes.
Can the State Make You Give Up Children for Adoption?
If you already have children in foster care, you may be worried that the state will take custody of your baby when he or she is born. If you are concerned about this possibility, contact a private adoption agency right away. You may be able to take control of your situation and help your child avoid foster care by making a private adoption plan for him or her. Know that when you are working with a private infant adoption agency, placing your child up for adoption will only ever be your decision, and no one can or should pressure you into making this choice.
If you have serious concerns about your child being placed into foster care when they are born or if you’re wondering how private adoption works, don’t be afraid to talk to an adoption specialist. They will be more than happy to give you more information on the process.