How to Help a Pregnant Teen With Open Adoption

Being a pregnant teenager is a very difficult and confusing thing, no matter what the teen says. A decision needs to be made and it is not a simple one like what to wear to prom. One possible decision is open adoption. Many believe that open adoption is the best available, as it allows the birth parents to have whatever relationship they feel most comfortable with.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Make sure that the pregnant teenager is absolutely confident with her decision to go through the open adoption process. She must know exactly what adoption means: that she is giving up her rights, particularly parenting rights, to her child.
2. Identify exactly what kind of open adoption the teenager would like to have. Many open adoptions allow for the birth parents to have a relationship with the family that they choose to place their child with, or it can simply mean allowing the child to find them parents once that child reaches the age of 18.
3. Choose the family. The teenager needs to feel comfortable and develop a relationship with the family who will raise her child. Picking a family with similar beliefs and lifestyles is important. If the pregnant teenager wants to have some relationship with her child, she needs to like the family her child is placed with.
4. Create a legal agreement about the kind of relationship the pregnant teenager would like to have with the child and the adoptive family. There are people out there attempting to "scam a baby," and it is important to be aware of this. It will do a lot of good in the long run if there is a legal document that states the terms of the adoption.
5. Remember to always be supportive and understanding. The pregnant teenager is going through many things physically and emotionally. Being supportive and listening to what she wants is the best way to help her through this time.

Tips & Warnings

• Throughout the process, remember to give your advice but to do so in a non-confrontational way. You are dealing with a teenager.