Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does this cost me anything?
A. No. There are no charges for our services to birthparents.
Q. Must I be sure that I plan an adoption before I come to see you?
A. No. Our counsellors will spend as much time as you need to review your options and help you get the information you need to make the choices which are right for you. If you decide not to plan an adoption, we will refer you to resources and organizations which can assist you. We can put you in touch with birthmothers who have chosen to place a child for adoption, or birthmothers who have chosen to parent their children, who would be available to talk with you.
Q. How much control do I have in this whole process?
A. If you plan an adoption, you choose the family to raise your child. You determine the openness that is right for you and your child. You determine who will attend the birth, when your child will be placed, and how often you will visit and receive letters and pictures afterward. These matters are discussed with the adopting parents and an agreement is made.
Q. How do I pick an adoptive family?
A. Working with our counsellor, you will decide what type of family will raise your child. Here are some of the questions you might ask:
  • Should they live in the city or the country?
  • Should one parent stay at home?
  • Should my child have siblings?
  • Should the parents have a college education?
  • Should they want that for their child?
  • Is religion important?
You will decide the level of communication you want with the adoptive family after the adoption. Most of our birthparents have pictures and letters sent to them several times a year. Many have a close relationship with the adopting parents, some have less contact. It is important to decide what you need.
Q. What happens after I choose a family and we meet?
A. If your first meeting goes well and you think you made the right choice, you can continue to meet until you deliver the baby. Not all the meetings need to take place in the agency office. You can decide with the adopting parents to meet somewhere like a park or restaurant. This will be decided upon between you and the adopting parents. Once you and the adopting family come to know each other, you can decide on the exact terms of the openness agreement. This written agreement outlines precisely the terms of contact between you and the adopting family following placement. You will work to develop a birth plan, including: whether or not the adoptive family will be with you during the birth, how long you would like to spend with the baby before you sign the consents to adoption, when the baby will go home with the adopting parents, how the placement of the baby with the adopting parents will occur and any other things which are important to you.
Q. Will I be able to see my baby in the hospital?
A. Yes. You can spend as much time or as little time as you would like with the baby.
Q. Are my parents, friends and birthfather allowed to see the baby?
A. Yes. You determine who will see the baby.
Q. What if I already know someone who would like to adopt my baby?
A. You do not have to choose a family through our program. We will work with you and someone you know personally who would like to adopt your child. Sometimes it helps to have someone act as a mediator between you and the family you have chosen to help settle those matters which you may feel uncomfortable discussing: post-adoption contact, or counselling regarding the feelings you and the adoptive family will feel before, during and after the adoption.