As a Christian woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may have decided that adoption is the right choice for you and your baby after much prayer. But you may be asking yourself, “What is the cost to put up my baby for adoption?”
The answer is easy. There is never a cost to you as a birth mother. Your choice to place your baby with another family is a priceless gift, and you don’t have to face financial hardship because of it.
Free Adoption Services
Lifetime believes that expectant mothers deserve all the services and support they need. Women making the loving choice to place their child with an adoptive family deserve access to information, resources, and extra special attention.
Here are the adoption services that you can receive for free:
- Counseling
- Legal fees
- Pregnancy-related expenses
- Medical care for you and your baby
- Living expenses like food, rent, and utilities, depending upon your needs
- Adoption planning services
Counseling
Choosing to place your baby through adoption is an emotional decision. God can give you the grace to walk through this tough decision with the help of experienced counselors. You’ll need someone to talk to, especially on days when you’re feeling tired and weary of being pregnant.
If you need help, Lifetime will connect you with a licensed counselor. They can answer your questions and help you sort through your emotions at this time. These services are entirely free for you during your pregnancy and after your baby is born.
Legal Help
An adoption lawyer will make sure that your baby’s adoption is handled safely and legally. Their services work to ensures that there aren’t any last-minute problems with the court process. The adoption lawyer will explain the legal documents to you before you sign anything. Having a lawyer working with you is necessary, and all their fees will be free to you.
Medical Care
If you need financial help, the adoptive parents you choose may be able to pay any medical fees not covered by your insurance. This means that you may be able to have your check-ups, including sonograms and prenatal care you need during your pregnancy, paid for you.
Whether or not they can help pay your medical bills depends on what state you live in. So having an adoption lawyer working with you is essential.
Living Expenses
During your pregnancy, you may be eligible to have some or all of your living expenses covered by the adoptive family. This could include your rent, utilities, food, and other expenses. Talk with your adoption coordinator about your financial needs and ask them if you could have these covered. Every state has different laws regarding what is covered for birth mothers. Even if your state doesn’t cover all the expenses, your adoption coordinator will find a way to help you financially.
Adoption Planning Services
Lifetime Christian Adoption has been helping expectant mothers work through the open adoption planning process since 1986. Our services for birth mothers are comprehensive, and always free.
Every woman we work with has different needs. Lifetime Christian Adoption’s services for expectant mothers are meant to provide as much or as little support as you choose for yourself. That’s why we offer so many resources for women who are thinking about adoption.
Here are some of the adoption services Lifetime offers that you can expect:
- 24/7 availability through our adoption hotline to answer your questions: call or text us at 1-800-923-6784
- Tender, personalized care and support, no matter if you decide to parent or choose adoption
- Quality counseling from a licensed therapist
- Access to peer support from a woman who’s placed her child for adoption
- The opportunity to choose your baby’s adoptive parents
- A nationwide selection of screened and qualified adoptive families who are ready and excited to adopt
- Information about and access to adoptive families of all races, religions, and ages
- The option to meet the adoptive family and to exchange ongoing letters, photos, and visits after placement (known as “open adoption”)
Do I Want an Open Adoption?
Today, open adoptions are very common. Open adoption allows you to have contact with the adoptive family and your child through letters, emails, text, and even visits. Every open adoption looks a little different depending upon the birth mother and the adoptive family’s preferences.
Studies have found that birth mothers who participated in an open adoption experienced less grief and sadness after the baby’s birth. Getting to see your child grow and become an adult is a wonderful experience. Many birth mothers have great relationships with their adult adopted children, and having an open adoption is often the reason for this.
Compassionate, Personalized, and Free Adoption Services
As a Christian, you probably never thought you’d find yourself in an unwanted pregnancy. If you’ve prayed and felt like God directed you to choose adoption, you may have wondered, “What is the cost to put up my baby for adoption?”
Of course, the answer is absolutely nothing! If you need help as you walk through the adoption process, contact Lifetime Christian Adoption. Our experienced adoption coordinators can answer all your questions and guide you through the steps of an adoption plan.
As the Vice President (VP) of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.