Types of Adoption


There are many choices in adoption today. You can meet and choose the family. You can receive pictures and letters about the child throughout his/her whole life. You can send him/her pictures, letters, and gifts. In many cases, you may visit the child in a neutral location or at his/her home. There is still grief and loss on your part as you are relinquishing your rights to parent the child. However, you can always know how your child is doing. You can decide whether or not to share identifying/confidential information with the adoptive parents.

Adoption Plans – The Choice is Up to You!
At Bethany, we have seen first-hand the positive effects of adoption in the lives of many women we have been privileged to assist through their pregnancy. It allows women who do not feel ready to parent the ability to give their baby the gift of life, make a responsible plan for their baby’s well-being, continue pursuing educational and career goals, and learn valuable decision-making skills that will serve them well in the future. Through openness, adoption today offers additional benefits to birthmothers. Some of the openness options available to you through Bethany include:

  1. Selecting the family that you want to adopt your child;
  2. Meeting the family that you choose for your child, before and/or after your child is born;
  3. Receiving pictures of and updates on your child after the adoption takes place;
  4. Having post-adoption visits with your child and the parents that you chose for him or her;
  5. Exchanging identifying information with your child’s adoptive parents or using Bethany as an intermediary if you wish to maintain your privacy.

With Bethany, you choose the level of openness that is right for you. You also have choices when it comes to your time in the hospital. You are in control of how much time you spend with your baby – you can see her, have her room in with you, name her, feed her and receive keepsake mementos of your time in the hospital together. You also determine whether you want the adoptive parents you choose to be present at the hospital, and if so, when and how often you want them to be with you and your baby.

Once you have determined what kind of adoption plan is right for you, your Bethany Birthparent Counselor will work with you to find a family waiting to adopt that also wants the same amount of openness in their relationship with you. You can begin looking at the profiles of some of our waiting families. We also have other wonderful waiting families whose profiles are not on our web site that you can learn about when you meet with your Birthparent Counselor. We have a diverse range of families waiting to adopt who are excited about meeting you and adopting infants of all ethnic backgrounds. If you are concerned that your baby may have some special needs, due to prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol or conditions that you are aware of in your medical or social history, talk with your Birthparent Counselor, who will help you find a family open to parenting a child with possible special needs and giving your baby all the love her or she needs to thrive and live a happy life.