Sometimes, women considering adoption ask us, “What papers are needed to give a child up for adoption in North Carolina?”
While the papers involved in a North Carolina adoption are easy to name, the process is much more complicated than the simple filing of forms and consents. All women wondering how to sign up for adoption in North Carolina should contact an adoption professional to begin this process, so they can appropriately protect their rights and choose the right path for them and for their babies.
The adoption professionals at the Parker Herring Law Group PLLC can always help you begin the process of placing your child for adoption when you’re ready, explaining all of the legal papers required and the steps you will need to take. You will always be provided the assistance of an experienced adoption attorney throughout your adoption journey, completely for free.
To learn more about how to place your child for adoption and to complete an adoption application for pregnant women, you can contact our adoption professionals at 919-821-1860.
How to Sign Up for Adoption in North Carolina
When you first start considering adoption, you may wonder, “How do I start the adoption process? Is there a ‘give my child up for adoption’ sign up form? What papers are needed to give a child up for adoption?”
Every woman’s adoption process will be unique but, when you make the educated decision to work with an adoption professional from the beginning of your process, you will be provided guidance through all the steps of placing a child for adoption in North Carolina.
The first step in starting your adoption process is to contact an adoption attorney at the Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC, or, if you wish to work with an adoption agency, contacting a local agency that can provide all of the services you need during your adoption journey. These professionals will help you complete an adoption application for pregnant women, which is a form that helps your adoption professional understand your personal situation and your goals for your personal adoption plan. It is not, however, a form that determines whether or not a professional will work with you; at our law firm, we will work with any prospective birth mother or refer you to an appropriate professional if we cannot provide the services you desire.
During this time, your professional will also speak with you about all of your unplanned pregnancy options to confirm that adoption is the right choice for you and your baby. They will also explain how adoption is not “giving up” your baby, but instead choosing to give them the best chance at life possible.
Once you fully understand the process and confirm that adoption is right for you, your professional will start gathering the forms that are needed to place a child for adoption.
Necessary Adoption Forms in North Carolina
When you work with an adoption attorney at the Parker Herring Law Group PLLC, they will work with you to gather any and all documentation necessary to place your child for adoption. There are usually three kinds of paperwork needed for an adoption process:
1. Medical and Social History Forms
When you first begin your adoption process, your adoption professional will take the time to learn more about you, your situation and your personal adoption preferences. During this time, all prospective birth mothers must provide personal information, so their professional can better tailor an adoption plan and services to their needs.
Medical and social history forms help your professional find the perfect adoptive family for you situation. Understanding your family health history and your baby’s social background provides a better chance that you will more quickly be presented with adoptive families that match your preferences and meet your baby’s needs.
These forms are also crucial while you receive prenatal care and prepare for your hospital stay. The more medical information you can provide, the better prepared your medical professionals will be to provide the care that you and your baby need. Remember, your medical costs will always be completely free to you if you pursue an adoption plan.
2. Adoption Planning Forms
Once your initial personal forms are gathered, your adoption professional will help you create an adoption plan that meets your goals and expectations for your adoption process. This plan will cover all aspects of your adoption, and you may need to fill out additional forms to provide information like:
- Your background information
- Pregnancy information (due date, baby’s gender, etc.)
- Support information (your adoption support team and emergency contacts)
- Birth father information (identifying information and whether he is involved in your adoption)
- Marital information, if applicable
- Medical history and records from any previous pregnancies
- Contact information for your doctors
- Preferences for adoptive families
- Contact preferences for an open adoption
- And more
Again, your adoption professional will guide you through all of these “giving up for adoption” forms, helping you gather the information you need and create an adoption plan that is perfect for you. Remember, you will be in charge of every aspect of your adoption plan.
3. Adoption Consent Forms
Usually, when women ask, “What papers are needed to give a child up for adoption?” they are curious about the adoption consent step of the legal process. These are the legal papers required to place a child with an adoptive family, and your adoption attorney at the Parker Herring Law Group PLLC will help you complete these documents as your personal situation requires.
Once you have given birth and decided that you wish to place your child for adoption, your attorney will meet you at the hospital to help you sign your adoption consent forms. They will explain exactly what these forms mean and your adoption rights to ensure you receive proper legal counsel before signing away your parental rights. In North Carolina, you will have seven days to revoke your consent, but it’s encouraged that you are 100 percent confident in your adoption decision before signing these consent forms.
These forms will usually relinquish custody of your baby to your adoption professional, who will then sign a consent form to place your child in the custody of the adoptive parents that you have chosen.
You may ask, “Are there online forms for giving a baby up for adoption?” Because the legal process of adoption can be complicated and it’s important that you understand your adoption rights before you make this decision, we encourage all women considering adoption in North Carolina to contact an adoption attorney, rather than attempt to complete an adoption on their own. The legal guidance our adoption attorneys provide will always be completely free to you and is helpful in shaping a positive adoption plan that you are comfortable with.
To learn more today, please contact the Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC.