WHAT
IS THE NEXT STEP TO FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT ADOPTION?
You might be thinking:
“What is the next step to find
out more about adoption?”.
Here are some suggestions:
- Call one of our caring and experienced staff at 1.800.982.3678 who will
answer your call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; or
- Set up a meeting
with one of our caseworkers; or
- Send your question to FIA BY
CLICKING HERE; or
- CLICK
HERE to request a confidential information packet; or
- Read some
of the other sections on our website listed on the left side of your screen.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Because the participation of the birth father
is so important to the adoption process, we have provided answers to the frequently
asked questions posed by birth fathers.
- What are my legal rights in adoption?
- Can
I sign legal documents placing my child for adoption prior to the child’s birth?
- Who
is responsible financially for the child? I am worried about the medical
bills and child support.
- May
I receive counseling to help handle the placing of my child for adoption?
- Is
it possible to speak to another man who placed his child for adoption?
- May
I choose the family for my baby?
- Are
all adoptions that FIA handles open adoption?
- How
do I know the family I choose will provide a safe and stable home for my child?
- Does
the agency treat biological fathers the same way they treat biological mothers?
What
are my legal rights in adoption?
A more secure placement
for your child results if you, as the biological father, participate in the adoption
plan. You have the right to participate in planning for your child’s adoption
and to provide medical, social and family history information. The laws
regarding a father’s rights may vary based upon the state where you reside.
Our staff can help answer some of your legal questions or provide you with a referral
to an experienced adoption attorney. There are no charges for any of the
services provided to birth fathers.
Back To The Top Can
I sign legal documents placing my child for adoption prior to the child’s birth?
In some states, you may sign a legal document prior to the child’s
birth. In other states, you must wait until after the child’s birth to
surrender your legal rights to your child.
Back To
The Top Who
is responsible financially for the child? I am worried about the medical
bills and child support.
If you and the
biological mother decide to parent, then in most if not all states, you as the
legal father are financially responsible for all expenses involving the child
and that would include medical bills and child support. If you decide to
place your child for adoption, then the adoptive parents would be responsible
for the medical bills as well as your legal and counseling bills and those of
the biological mother. You would not be responsible for child support because
it would be the adoptive parents’ responsibility to cover all child-related
expenses.
Back To The Top May
I receive counseling to help handle the placing of my child for adoption?
We encourage counseling throughout the process and you may attend counseling
with your baby’s biological mother or alone or both–depending on the circumstances.
In addition, sometimes you may need the counselor’s help explaining your decision
to family members. Your family members could be included in the counseling
sessions too.
Back To The Top Is
it possible to speak to another man who placed his child for adoption?
Yes, some of our fathers stay in touch with FIA and would be happy to
speak with you or respond by email regarding their experience. They believe
that every person considering adoption for their child should be able to hear
from others who are living the experience.
Back To The Top May
I choose the family for my baby?
If you
and the baby’s mother are making this plan together for your unborn child, then
it would be important for the two of you to sit down together and choose the family.
If the baby’s mother has already chosen a family, then we would be happy to
provide you with the prospective adoptive family’s profile and assist you with
speaking to or meeting with the family.
Back To The
Top
Are
all adoptions that FIA handles open adoption?
No,
the type of post-adoption contact varies depending on the birth parents and adoptive
parents that are involved. For example, if you call our toll-free number and tell
us you are looking for a family for your baby and you want one visit a year, then
we will send you the profiles of prospective adoptive families that want the same
type of contact. If you want letters and pictures through the agency twice
a year, and want us to keep them in a file until you are ready, then we help you
achieve this contact also. Sometimes, the biological mother and father want
different post-adoption contact and we work with you and her and the prospective
adoptive family to help make this happen.
Back To The Top How
do I know the family I choose will provide a safe and stable home for my child?
Friends In Adoption is a small agency that prides itself on REALLY knowing
each and every one of our prospective adoptive families. Unlike many other
agencies, we have met in person all of our families because they are required
to attend an in-depth workshop before signing on with FIA. In addition,
all of our families have been approved to adopt through a lengthy, but necessary
process, called a home study during which we ensure that the adoptive family is
financially and emotionally secure. The home study includes physicals and emotional
health reports by a physician, as well as child abuse and criminal clearances.
FIA requires its families to keep their home study and clearances current.
Back To The Top Does
the agency treat biological fathers the same way they treat biological mothers?
Yes, everyone we work with receives the kindness, caring and support
they deserve from our kind and caring staff at Friends In Adoption. Your
thoughts, fears and needs will be addressed with the same compassion as the biological
mother's.
Back To The Top | 
