How to Find a Birth Mother for an Adoptive Couple

Adoption is a loving gift bestowed by a birth mother.

A birth mother is the biological mother of a child who has been placed for adoption. The woman is making an adoption plan and has not yet relinquished her parental rights. A birth mother may wish for her baby to have a better life. Adopting couples are those who are struggling with infertility or may want to expand their family. The Internet has made finding a potential birth mother easier and there are online tools to help you learn what you need to know about adoption, finding an agency and finding a birth mother.

Instructions

1. Choose between an open or closed adoption. An open adoption involves communication between the adopting parents and the birth mother, relating to the child's welfare. In a closed adoption, there is no contact between the biological and adopted family.

2. Look a phone book or search online for an adoption professional, adoption attorney and/or an adoption agency. An adoption professional will normally pre-screen prospective birth mothers to reduce financial and emotional distress for the adopting couple. An adoption attorney will help you fill out the legal documents and file them in court. Many adoption agencies already have an adoption lawyer.

3. Acquire a home study through an adoption agency. This is an evaluation of your family life. It will involve your partner and anyone else living in your home. The home study is required for the courts. Have this done by a licensed child-placing agency. The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) reviews all adoption paperwork to ensure that it is in order. If this isn't done properly, it can delay the adoption or result in it being denied.

4. Write a birth mother letter to a potential biological mother who is looking to find a couple for her unborn child. This is an informative letter about you and your family, explaining why a birth mother should choose you. The letter will be posted on a website for potential birth mothers to view for a small fee.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the adoption laws in your region. Adoption laws vary by state.

References

• Adoption: Where do I Start?
• Child Welfare: How to Adopt

Resources

• American Public Human Services Association: Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children