Birth Parent Matching
When a family is selected by a birth parent, the Adoption Specialist will gather information on the birth parent’s background and work with the Pregnancy Planning Counselor to facilitate a first meeting.
This first meeting is a time to become acquainted with each other, to discuss intentions, agree on the hospital and waiting period, and talk about the post-adoption relationship. During this time, you will work closely with the Adoption Specialist to address specific needs and concerns.
Birth parents in this program sign voluntary surrenders. A birth father can sign a voluntary surrender prior to the birth of the child. However, the surrender can be revoked within the first 72 hours after the birth. Once a child is born, birth parents must wait 72 hours after birth before signing a voluntary surrender. It is important to note that the 72-hour period is the minimum amount of waiting time prior to signing a voluntary surrender.
The birth parent and their Pregnancy Planning Counselor will identify if and when it is best to sign the surrenders. This may involve a waiting period of longer than 72 hours. The Adoption Specialist will be kept abreast of the situation by the Pregnancy Planning Counselor. The Adoption Specialist will be in contact with the prospective adoptive parents as well.
Placement and Finalization
Once the Surrenders have been signed, the infant will be placed in the home of the adoptive parents. An Adoptive Placement Agreement will be completed between the agency and the adoptive parents identifying the post-adoption supervision time frame and requirements. Any legal risk situations will be explained, and a plan to address these may be discussed. The child must be in the home at least 6 months before the finalization process will begin. The Center for Youth & Family Solutions requires a minimum of four post-placement visits before a final report can be submitted to the courts for legal finalization.