Understanding Adoptions Laws [And Your Rights]

As a prospective birth parent, you will always have certain adoption rights throughout this process. American Adoptions of Missouri will make sure that you understand these adoption rights and that they are protected. 

If you have adoption legal questions, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re asking “What are my rights to “give my child up” for adoption in Missouri?” or, “How can I get my child back after adoption in MO?” we have the answers in this guide. At American Adoptions of Missouri, we are dedicated to making sure that you understand your adoption rights and domestic adoption law in Missouri. Adoption is a process with a lot of moving parts, and you deserve to feel informed enough to be confident in your decisions.

Please remember that every situation is different, and nothing in this article should be used as legal advice. Always consult an attorney for information on Missouri adoption laws, the legal adoption process and your rights as a prospective birth mother.

You can get free legal adoption services by working with an adoption agency and adoptive family that will cover your expenses. To get more free information about adoption and help finding an adoption attorney, contact us today.

5 Adoption Rights You Have

When you choose to pursue adoption, you become a prospective birth mother. As a prospective birth mother, you will have certain rights during your journey. We will do everything in our power to help you understand those rights and answer your adoption legal questions. At American Adoptions, we will always protect your adoption rights and make sure you understand every portion of the adoption process.

A woman’s right to “give a baby up” for adoption includes more than just her right to choose this option and legally complete the process — it also encompasses all the rights she has to plan her own adoption journey. When you work with our agency, you can know you will have these protected rights along the way:

1. The Right to Change Your Mind About Adoption

If you’re asking, “Can I get my baby back after adoption in Missouri?” the answer is no. Missouri does not allow for a revocation period after you have legally completed the adoption.

However, you can change your mind about adoption at any point before signing the paperwork that relinquishes your parental rights. No matter how early or late in your pregnancy you are, or even if you’re already at the hospital, you can change your mind about adoption in Missouri. If you decide to parent your child or that adoption just isn’t for you, this is well within your rights.

You are never obligated to choose adoption, no matter how far along you are in your adoption plan, and your adoption specialist will always respect these inherent legal adoption rights behind putting a baby up for adoption.

2. The Right to Receive Free Unplanned Pregnancy Counseling

Adoption is a brave and selfless choice. Even if you know that it’s the best choice for you and your baby, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to make. It’s perfectly valid to experience feelings of grief and loss after your adoption. American Adoptions of Missouri will always offer you free 24/7 counseling. Your adoption specialist is only a phone call or text away. They can help you navigate these difficult emotions and provide guidance on how to cope. 

“Even though adoption was the hardest decision I will ever make in my life, American Adoptions also made it the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” said Erika. “Even to this day, I know that every time I call [my adoption specialist] Shannon, I feel like I am her only birth mom that she has to deal with because she has no problem talking to me and listening to everything I have to say.”

3. The Right to Create Your Own Adoption Plan in Missouri

Your adoption legal rights as a prospective birth mother mean that you run the show of your own adoption journey. You get to create your own adoption plan outlining what you want from your adoption. You are always in control, and your adoption specialist will be there to support you from start to finish.

You will never be judged for any decisions you make when you work with American Adoptions of Missouri. Your adoption specialist will make all appropriate arrangements on your behalf and will always be available to talk you through these decisions.

“You could tell they weren’t just putting on a front to make you want to do it or push you into it,” said Angelica about her experience working with American Adoptions. “They want whatever you want, and that’s what they told me during the whole process. It wasn’t up to them; they were just going to be there for me no matter what decision I made.”

One of your prospective birth mother rights in open adoption is being able to choose the family that you feel is a perfect match to raise your child. This is a big decision to make, and you will always be the one in charge of choosing a wonderful family for your baby. Your adoption specialist can aid you in this decision and will speak with you at length about your desires for an adoptive family and present to you profiles of families who meet those preferences.

You will have the chance to meet with and get to know the family when selecting them for your baby. You can take as long as you want to find the perfect family for your child, and American Adoptions will support you through this decision. You will always have this right, no matter how late in your pregnancy you are choosing adoption.

4. The Right to Choose Your Post-Placement Relationship in Missouri

Another of your prospective birth mother rights in open adoption is choosing the kind of contact you want to have with the adoptive family before and after your adoption is complete. You always get to choose what kind of relationship you want — whether it’s a closed, semi-open or open adoption.

“Alyssa and I felt so privileged to have such amazing support from American Adoptions,” said Josh, Cassius’s birth father. “We couldn’t believe how fortunate we were to make the choices of who would adopt Cassius, what sort of contact we might have, and how regularly we might have contact. To have that kind of control over the situation made all the difference for us.”

While you will have no legal parental rights after you “give a child up” for adoption, open adoption allows you to remain a part of your child’s life. Your adoption specialist will always be there to coordinate communication and make sure the adoptive family maintains their communication with you.

5. The Right to Sign the Paperwork When You’re Ready

Before you place your baby for adoption, a local adoption attorney will always explain your adoption rights in the process. However, adoption is a permanent choice that will terminate your parental rights, and if you are making a voluntary adoption plan, no one can adopt your child without your permission if you are pregnant. When it comes to state adoption laws in Missouri, you must wait at least 48 hours from the time your baby is born before you can sign the adoption paperwork.

Missouri does not have a revocation period. Once you sign the adoption forms, the adoption is permanent. While you won’t have parental rights after you “give your child up” for adoption, you can still be an important part of your child’s life through open adoption.

American Adoptions respects your brave and heroic decision to place your baby for adoption, and our specialists will never pressure you into a decision. Remember, if your baby has not yet been born or you have not consented to your adoption, you always have the right to change your mind.

To get more information about your legal rights in the adoption process, contact us online.

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