We have wonderful families who will meet all of your hopes and dreams for your child. We strive to have stress-free adoptions, making the process easier for the birth mothers and for the adopting parents. The decisions are yours: You can talk to the family on the phone, meet them in person before you decide, or have no direct contact with the adopting parents.

Adoption Legal Services also can ensure you have the financial assistance you need during your pregnancy. In Arkansas, we can help a birth mother with medical bills and pregnancy-related living expenses such as food, housing, clothing and more.

We want you to feel comfortable throughout the adoption process. At the hospital, you may spend private time with the baby if you like. Then, thebaby can be given directly to the adopting parents at the hospital. No foster care is involved, so you can be certain your baby receives lots of love and attention from the adopting parents from the start.

Some birth mothers request annual pictures and updates. Others want to stay in contact with the adopting parents and the baby, and some prefer no contact after the birth. Whichever way you prefer, we can find adopting parents that will be the answer to your prayers.

If you would just like to learn more about our services and how we can help find the right family for your baby, please call me at 1-800-874-5025

Shortucts to main sections of this page:

Who Adopts	Birth Mother Frequently Asked Questions
Benefits of an Adoption	Adoption Myths
Differences between Adoption and Abortion

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Who Adopts?

The families who choose to adopt want to build a family. The reasons for this need are many and different. Most couples have struggled for years with the pain of infertility. Other couples act out of love to help a birth mother who cannot keep her baby. Regardless of their individual circumstances, these couples are committed to family and children and want to fill a void because they do not have a child.

All families must complete a thorough family assessment which includes:

• FBI and State Police checks for criminal backgrounds and for any history of child abuse or neglect
• A review of the family's financial stability
• An assessment of lifestyle, values, and parenting abilities
• Letters of recommendation from family, friends, co-workers, employees and pastors.

You are encouraged to select the adopting family for your child. We will show you a profile (pictures and information) created by a family for you. You will have as many profiles to review as necessary.

Some adopting couples put that same information on the Web for birth parents to view. You can see examples of adoptive family profiles by clicking here.

Profiles include information about a couple's home, family members, pets, fertility, financial status, child care plans, and much more. They may also include a letter written to the birth parents about their family and why they want to adopt a child.

Profiles should not be used as the chief source for selecting the adopting parents. Be sure to read their "Dear Birth Mother" letter and talk to them on the phone to see what they are really like and if they meet your expectations.
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If you are thinking about abortion consider the benefits of adoption compared to abortion are as follows:
With either ...
You can pursue your plans and goals.
You can live independently.
You will be free from the financial burden of parenting.
You will avoid being forced into a hasty marriage.
You may resume your youthful lifestyle.
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The differences between adoption and abortion are stark:
With adoption your pregnancy ends with giving life. With abortion it ends with death.
With adoption you can feel good about your choice. With abortion you may feel guilt and shame.
With adoption you will remember giving birth. With abortion you will remember taking life.
With adoption you will have a future with your baby. With abortion the decision is final.
With adoption you can hold, name and love your baby. With abortion you will never know your baby.
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Birth Mother Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Should I consider adoption?
A: Adoption is a strictly personal decision that you should make based on your own circumstances. In making the decision, you should consult with family, friends and professionals that you trust, but only you can make the final decision.

Q: What should I consider when making my decision?
A: Several things are important to take into consideration. First, consider all the things going on in your life such as social and personal relationships, your financial situation, any health issues and the timing of your decision. Second, will keeping the baby complicate your life, your other children's lives (if applicable) or, in the long term, the baby's life? Third, are you ready to be a parent at this point of your life? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what would be best for you and your baby? If there would be any way to hold your world together and keep your baby, then you should definitely keep your baby. However, if placing your baby for adoption is the best option for you and your baby, then Adoption Legal Services can help you find a loving, caring family to adopt your child.

Q: What if I'm not sure that I want to place my baby for adoption?
A: You should investigate the adoption process. Be open and honest about your feelings when discussing adoption with friends or family. Keep in mind, however, that as you learn more about adoption and the adoption process, the support services, the adopting parents and the long-term welfare of your baby the right decision will become more apparent. Whether you decide to keep your baby or place your baby with a family, the ultimate decision will be easier to make when you are informed.

Q: What if I'm still not sure?
A: I would recommend that you tell your adoption service that you are not ready at this time and you should withdraw from the process until you are comfortable with your decision. Remember, once you commit to a couple, it is devastating to them and to you if you change your mind.

Q:Can I ask the adoptive parents for money to pay for things I need?
A:In many states the adoptive parents are legally allowed to pay for only the birthmother's medical expenses and legal fees. In other states they may also pay the birthmother's housing and pregnancy-related expenses, such as maternity clothes. None of the states allow the adoptive parents to pay for the birthmother's college tuition, vocational training, or a vacation, or to give the birthmother any type of financial reward or anything of value that would appear to be payment for the baby the birthmother is allowing them to adopt. A detailed accounting of all expenditures that the adoptive parents have had in connection with the adoption must be presented to the court that oversees the adoption.
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Adoption Myths:
When considering placing your child for adoption you will need to address the following seven common myths about adoption that birth mothers struggle with. Replacing the myths with correct information will help you decide what is best for you and your child.

Myth 1: Birth mothers should not consider adoption because people will think that you are a bad person.
You may think that if you consider adoption for your child, you are a cold, uncaring, selfish person. Maybe you're afraid others will think you don't love your child. In fact, women who make adoption plans for their children are among the most courageous because they put their child's needs first. You may speak to birth mothers who have already placed a child for adoption and struggled with this issue. You will see how much they love their child. Allowing your child to be born, rather than choosing abortion, is a loving choice. Choosing to place your child with a family that can provide a stable, loving home is an act of love and sacrifice, not an act of abandonment.

Myth 2: A birth mother will not know how the child is doing after the adoption.
You may think that you will never know anything about your child's future life if you choose adoption. But today sharing information is very common. As the birth parent, you can help to develop an adoption plan that has the degree of openness you want from pictures, letters, or videos to in some cases open adoptions.

Myth 3: Adoption is an unacceptable solution to an unplanned pregnancy.
Perhaps you're ruling out adoption because you think you have an obligation to parent this unplanned child. Remember, just because you got pregnant does not mean that you are ready to be a parent. And even if you aren't able to be a parent at this time in your life, you are still a good person and may be a wonderful parent when you are older or in a different situation.

Myth 4: A birth mother should forget about the child released for adoption.
If you believe you should forget about your child when you choose adoption, your decision will be very hard to live with. If you make an adoption plan for your child, you will not forget and will not want to forget your child. You will want to live without being emotionally crippled by your loss. You will want to remember your pregnancy, your baby's birth, and those precious hours shared with your child in the hospital. Remember, you'll feel that you made the most loving, mature, and selfless decision possible, given your circumstances. Remember too, that when the child reaches age 18, it's up to the child if he or she will want to have a relationship with you. Our adopting parents will always tell the child how wonderful you are and what a wonderful act of love it was to place the child with them.

Myth 5: Birth mothers will have regrets if they choose adoption.
Some birth mothers are afraid that if they choose adoption they will have regrets or never be happy again. When you recognize such fear is caused by a misunderstanding about adoption, you don't have to worry anymore. Your regrets over losing your child can be painful, but knowing that you selected the right adopting parents and the child is doing well usually prevails. Remember the adopting parents will not interfere with you two having a relationship after he or she becomes of age.

Myth 6: A child doesn't really need a father.
Studies show that children benefit from having good, nurturing parents who can provide both positive father and mother role models. Two-parent families - where fathers take their responsibilities seriously and parents support each other - can be vital to a healthy childhood and strong family. Relationships, self-esteem, and achievement all can be positively affected when a child is able to grow up in a two-parent, loving home.

Myth 7: Will the adopting parents love a child as much as the birth mother can?
Adopting parents will love their child as fully and selflessly as biological parents. Good parenting is a matter of unconditional love and acceptance and consistently nurturing and caring in a way that puts the needs of the child first. Adopting parents love their children as much as if they had given birth to them. When you meet the parents and get to know them, in most cases you will wish that they could also adopt you.
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