What to Expect


Birthparent Adoption Services
If you choose an adoption plan for your baby, we can help. We help birthparents develop a plan for the baby's future. We have professionally trained counselors who are knowledgeable about all aspects of adoption and who provide services with Christian compassion.

We are so glad that you have found our website. Facing an unplanned pregnancy changes your life in many ways. You are now not only looking out for yourself but also for your unborn baby. We know that making decisions for both of you is challenging. We hope that the information provided here will be helpful.

All birthparent counseling is at no cost to you!


What to Expect...

At the Hospital

1.You will create a hospital plan prior to delivery in order to inform everyone involved of your wishes.
2.You will have the right to stay in the hospital with the baby up to 48 hours after the baby is born.
3.You will be able to hold the baby, feed the baby, and bond with the baby.
4.If you prefer, you may choose to have the baby spend some of the time, especially when you are asleep, in the nursery.
5.You may have whomever you would like in the delivery room with you. Some birthmothers choose to have the adoptive parents in the room; others do not.
6.You may order newborn photographs of the baby and receive the baby's footprints.
7.You may name the baby or choose to write the name the adoptive parents choose on the birth certificate.
8.You may have the adoptive parents visit you and the baby in the hospital or you may request that they not see you or the baby until after you leave the hospital.
9.Your birthparent counselor will visit you in the hospital and support you.
10.On the day of your discharge from the hospital, your birthparent counselor will have you sign paperwork that allows Bethany to take temporary custody of your child and place him or her in the adoptive home. You are still able to change your mind at this point.

At the time of Placement...
  1. You will spend some time alone with the baby while your counselor is having the adoptive parents sign necessary paperwork.
  2. Photos can be taken for you and your child to have of this important day in your lives.
  3. A placement ceremony will be performed, if you choose, and you, the baby, and the adoptive parents will all receive a blessing.
  4. Your birthparent counselor will support you during and after this difficult time.
  5. You can give your child a gift, letter, or scrapbook that they will always treasure.


The Legal Process
If you choose adoption for your baby . . . we will stand by you throughout the process. In the State of New Jersey, birthparents can sign the legal surrenders as early as 72 hours after their child’s birth. Once signed, they are irrevocable. You do not need to appear in court. The baby’s adoption will be finalized in court after a period of supervision by the agency.