Friday November 21st, 2008

Your Rights

Adoption Home

Placing your baby for adoption is a permanent, legal process. Before you make this important decision, you must talk to an adoption assessor. An adoption assessor is a person who has been specially trained and certified by the State of Ohio. Greenleaf Family Center offers four (4) certified assessors, who are also Licensed Independent Social Workers or Licensed Certified Counselors.

You must talk with the adoption assessor at least once before you sign any adoption paperwork. She will give you complete information about services and options you may have, and can tell you about:

• Making an adoption plan

• Parenting your baby

• Placing your baby with a relative, temporarily or permanently

• Placing your baby with a friend or non-relative

• Guardianship and foster care options

• State and federal laws on adoption, including the Indian Child Welfare Act

An adoption plan means placing your baby for adoption. You may place your baby with a relative, friend, or an approved adoptive couple.

An assessor will tell you about community resources and other information, such as:

• Counseling

• Birth parent support groups

• Financial help, both state and federal

• Housing services

• Employment services

• Child care

• Health care

• Nutrition services

• Legal Services

You can also call the Help-Me-Grow Hotline, 1-800-755-GROW, Ohio’s family support telephone line, for more information.

Ohio law states, if you place your baby for adoption:

• You must wait at least 72 hours after your baby is born before signing a Permanent Surrender, to terminate your parental rights.

• The adoption assessor must provide information about your options, and community services, at least 72 hours before you sign the Permanent Surrender.

Other Things to Know:

You will be provided copies of any forms you sign. It is your right to have these forms. Be sure to save them.

Once your baby is adopted, he or she is issued an amended birth certificate and the original is sealed. Many birth parents who make an adoption plan for their baby choose to get a copy of the baby’s birth certificate before it is changed.

Birth certificates are available from the Ohio Department of Health (614-466-1497).

Adoption is permanent and final. Greenleaf Family Center’s adoption assessor will talk with you about what services are available to you, such as counseling or support groups. Many birth parents have found such services to be very helpful.

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