Pregnant?

• Important Things to Remember
• Common Q & A for Birthparents
• What Other Birthparents Say About Adoption
• Different Types of Adoption
• Making a Parenting Plan

There is a lot to think about if you or your partner is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Making an adoption plan is very loving, caring, and unselfish. No matter what you should choose for you and your baby, Adoption Services is available to help you. Whether you need help examining your options, preparing to raise your child, or finding a loving adoptive home for your baby, we are here.

We Offer:

• Free, confidential counseling as you develop a parenting plan
  
  
• Referral and information to help you make informed decisions
  
  
• Support services before and after the birth of your baby
  
  

Call toll Free for more information:
SE Wisconsin 1-888-686-0443
NE Wisconsin 1-877-335-6750

This page will help you think about the different options you have and introduce you to the basics of adoption.

Adoption is a legal process in which you, as a parent, terminate or end your legal rights to your child and a new set of parents takes on the responsibility of raising your child.

There are different types of Adoption. Should you choose to work with Adoption Services, you will be able to choose the type of adoption that is right for you and your baby. It is important to choose an adoption relationship that will work best for you, your child, and both of your futures. Click here to learn about the different types of adoption.

Women choose adoption for many different reasons. We all have different life situations that contribute to our decision making process. Perhaps you may have always had a dream about what life would be like when you were pregnant, and become a mother, and this just isn't it. It's ok to have feelings like this. Sometimes life doesn't always lead us in the direction we planned. Hear what other women have to say about adoption.

Circumstances that may influence your decision are your age, school, career paths, marital status, values and upbringing, or social pressures. Perhaps you are certain that your child needs to be in a two-parent home, and you are unable to provide that. All of these circumstances affect the way a woman sees her child being raised. If you feel you are unable to provide the best life possible for your child, you may turn to adoption as a loving parenting plan.

Adoption is a parenting plan. If you should choose adoption, you must never forget that you have acted as a parent. You made your decision out of love, and you have truly earned your title as "Mother" to your child. The very fact that you are researching different possibilities for your baby already means that you are being a responsible parent.

When facing an unplanned pregnancy, there are many things to think about. If you're not sure what you're thinking of doing to plan for the birth of this baby, the following questions may be helpful. Print out this page, Making A Parenting Plan, and think about the questions. After really thinking about these questions, you will begin to see what the right choice is for you and your baby.

Everyone is different; you need to make a choice that you can comfortably live with. The choice you make will be the best one for you and your future, as well as the baby inside you and its future.

Our best wishes to you and your baby!

For more information and support

Visit the Birthparent Forum at www.birthparentforum.org

Expectant Fathers

Being a father is a lot of responsibility. It also means you have rights and many decisions to make. If you decide to place your child for adoption, there are still a number of things you can do for yourself and your child. This includes deciding how much involvement you would like with your child (by the type of adoption you choose), and the personal, medical, and genetic background information you provide the agency to help your child in the future.

As a father, you have a right to parent. Under Wisconsin law, the mother of a child born out of wedlock has custody. However, you (as the father) also have rights to agree to in order to make your child available for adoption. In fact, adoption cannot be done without either your voluntary consent or a legal procedure to terminate your rights involuntarily.

Why choose adoption? Adoption is a big decision for you. It is a choice you make for yourself and your baby. Caring for a child is not an easy job. Look at yourself and decide what you want to do with your life. Think about your school and job situation. Think about who can help you with your baby and about the lifetime responsibilities you assume when you become a parent. Think about your baby and decide what you want for your child. You make the choice.

You may decide your child would be better off being adopted. You may believe you are too young to parent, or you may want your child to have the benefit of living in a home with two parents. If this is the way you feel, you may turn to an adoption plan for your child. Adoption is a parenting plan and is one way to fulfill your responsibilities to your child. Adoption may be the right parenting plan for you.

Your responsibilities to your child last a lifetime.Planning for a child's future is as much a father's job as a mother's job. Deciding to raise your child or place him or her for adoption is an important choice you will have to make. When contemplating an adoption plan for your child, it is helpful to talk it over with someone outside of your family. Adoption Services offers free and confidential counseling, which provides information on the adoption process, your rights and responsibilities, and answers to any questions you may have.

What If Only One Of Us Wants To Terminate Our Rights? The state will not terminate the rights of only one parent. If a mother and father do not agree on termination, a hearing would be made to determine custody and child support matters. If a mother or father is certain of their inability to parent appropriately at this time, but the other parent refuses to allow adoption, the mother or father has the right to refuse custody of the child, giving the other parent full custody.

There are so many decisions to make. The fact that you are thinking about all of them very carefully means you are already being a good father.

If you feel adoption is the best parenting plan for your child, Adoption Services will make every effort for you to be an active party in the adoption.

You have every right to:

Should you and the mother disagree on the adoption plan, the pre-adoptive parents, or the details of the adoption, we will coordinate separate meetings that will allow both of you some control over the process. We will also work to mediate the differences that arise during the process, as this can be a very difficult and emotional time. It is best when the two of you are able to work together.

We believe it is in the child's best interest to have both of their parents open and active in an adoption plan; therefore our goal at Adoption Services is to work with both expectant parents, whenever possible, to find a parenting plan that meets everyone's needs.

Questions from expectant father's can be directed to birthfathers at Birthparent Forum at www.birthparentforum.org

To speak with an adoption worker, Contact Us

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