Adoption Agencies that Accept Infants After Birth
Infant, Toddler and Older Child Adoption Agencies
Not every woman makes an adoption plan as soon as she finds out the unexpected news.
In fact, choosing adoption after your baby is born is more common than you might think. Adoption isn’t a decision that you can, or should, make lightly — so, it’s okay to take as much time as you need to come to the right choice for both yourself and your child.
Below, learn more about adoption agencies that accept infants after birth or after you’ve returned home from the hospital with your child.
What are Older Child Adoption Agencies?
Older child adoption agencies typically refer to those that are open to placing children that are no longer newborns. Placing a baby for adoption after birth is sometimes referred to as a “last‐minute adoption” or a “pop‐up adoption,” and there are many reasons why a mother might feel that this is the best option for her and her baby.
The most important thing to remember about working with an older child adoption agency after your baby is born or after you bring them home from the hospital is that considering adoption doesn’t make you a bad mother, and it definitely doesn’t mean that you’re “giving up” on them. Many women have been in your shoes, and every day they make the hard, selfless choice to choose adoption to give their child a chance at a better life.
If you are wondering, “Can someone help find me an agency that adopts babies at birth?” you are in the right place. The following guide gives you all the information you need to find the best agencies for putting a baby up for adoption after birth.
What Kind of Services Do After-Birth Agencies Provide?
In most cases, when you are making a voluntary adoption plan for your child, you will need to work with a private infant adoption agency. While most private agencies specialize in placing babies for adoption at birth, many of these professionals can also work with prospective birth mothers who have been parenting their children for weeks, months or, in some cases, even several years.
Older child adoption agencies provide many of the same services as they would in a newborn adoption. When you first contact an adoption agency, you’ll be connected with an adoption specialist who will listen to your situation and answer any questions that you may have.
Your adoption specialist will also help you find the right adoptive family for your baby. This part of your adoption plan is also entirely up to you, so you can start thinking about the kind of environment that you want your child to grow up in. Do you want them to live on the east coast, thriving in a big city? Or do you want them to enjoy the quiet Midwestern life? What kind of holidays do you want your child to grow up celebrating? How important is religion in your family? Whatever you envision for your baby’s future, your adoption specialist can help you make it come true.
Your adoption specialist can also help you facilitate contact once the adoption is finalized. You can decide just how much or how little contact you plan to have with your child and the adoptive family once all the paperwork is complete. Because of the bond you’ve likely already developed with your baby, most older child adoption agencies strongly encourage prospective birth mothers to consider a fully open adoption, but again, it’s entirely up to you. You can always find an adoptive family that respects your wishes for post‐placement contact.
Is it too Late to Find an Agency that Accepts Older Children?
At a private adoption agency, older children adoptions can be somewhat rare. Most private adoption agencies primarily handle infant adoptions, and many can assist you if you are placing a child for adoption when he or she is a baby or toddler. In these cases, your adoption process will not be much different than it is for women who choose adoption during their pregnancies. You can still choose every aspect of your adoption plan, and you will always be in control of the process.
In some cases, you may also be able to place an older child up for adoption, although this comes with its own drawbacks. There is no official maximum age to place a child for adoption, so you shouldn’t let this be a deterrent in your decision. No matter how old your child is, it is worth reaching out to an adoption agency for help exploring your options and making the plan that you feel is best for him or her. Even if a particular professional isn’t equipped to complete an older child placement, they may be able to provide the parenting resources you need or refer you to another adoption agency that can help.
Costs shouldn’t restrict you from choosing an adoption, either. Older child adoption agencies don’t cost anything at all — just like infant adoption agencies. Realizing that you might not be ready for the challenges of parenthood is stressful enough, so you shouldn’t have to worry about your financial situation on top of it.
Are there Any Cons to Working with Adoption Agencies that Accept Infants After Birth?
While you can make your own adoption plan at any time, there are some advantages to contacting an adoption agency as soon as you can. Planning a last‐minute adoption can have some drawbacks, including:
- Less time to get to know your adoption specialist: The relationship that you build with your adoption specialist can be one that lasts a lifetime. But if you wait to make an adoption plan until after your child is born, you’ll be missing out on months of building a deep and meaningful relationship with your specialist.
- Less time to find the perfect family: Making an adoption plan during a last‐minute adoption unfortunately means that you’ll have less time for pre‐placement contact and to develop a relationship with the adoptive family. While you still have complete control over choosing the adoptive family, your experience may be sped up to help you find adoptive parents for your baby quicker.
- Less time to decide if this is the right option for you: Adoption is about so much more than just finding the perfect family for your baby. In many ways, it can be an overwhelming and emotional experience. If you’re considering adoption at the hospital, you may feel like you have to call an adoption agency right away, but this isn’t the case. Remember, you’re never running out of time to learn about all of your unplanned pregnancy options.
What are Some Adoption Agencies that Accept Infants after Birth that I can Contact?
If you just gave birth, who to contact about adoption might be your first thought. Here are some great adoption agencies that would be happy to help you make an adoption plan as soon as you’re ready:
Even if the adoption agency that you contact primarily works with infants, it’s never too late to give them a call and explore all of your options. An adoption specialist will always be waiting to help, whenever you need them.