So—you and your spouse have decided that you want to have a baby. And, you decided that you want to adopt that baby. This is a beautiful choice that many parents choose each year as a way to grow their family. However, it can be a little confusing to know where to begin the process. But don’t worry. St. Elizabeth Foundation is here to help you through the adoption process with our Baton Rouge professionals. Trust us to help you find your baby in a way that makes the situation easier for you and your family.
When You’re an Expectant Mother
Some agencies tend to neglect talking about the mother’s process. However, we like being thorough and want to help everyone involved in the adoption process. And this is especially true for the mother.
Depending on who you are, the first step might be the easiest or the hardest part. This first essential step is simply to reach out to us. Feel free to call, email, text, or even just chat with us. This leads to the next step—counseling. During this part, one of our counselors goes through all of your options and helps you figure out the right choice for you. If you do choose to go with adoption, the next choice is to choose the family. Because we want you to have as much choice as possible, mothers at St. Elizabeth get to choose the family who will be accepting the child.
Every adopting family at St. Elizabeth meets our standards and regulations and is one of the best choices available in Baton Rouge. As you continue with the pregnancy, our team is here to offer pregnancy assistance in whatever way possible. This could be living, medical, legal, or even counseling costs. After the baby is born, we help you and your chosen family finalize your adoption plan. The process changes from here depending on what type of adoption you choose. And even after everything is said and done, there is still more to do. Because we know that this is an emotional decision and process, we’re still here after the birth to offer post-placement counseling.
Adopting As a Couple
Of course, everything is different on the other side. Before you begin the process at St. Elizabeth Foundation, your family must first meet our qualifications. To qualify, prospective adoptive parents must be a married couple who have been married for a minimum of five years. If you meet these qualifications, you can apply to officially begin. After we review this application, we then begin the home study process. Please be aware that this does take some time. While this may be frustrating for some, it is simply so we can confidently provide our expectant mothers with the best possible family for the child. During the home study process, families must undergo background checks, a visit to the physical environment, assessments of emotional and relationship stability, and a parenting philosophy discussion.
We also provide prospective parents with our education program. This program helps by informing parents about the unique attributes of adoptive parents, how to help your child understand adoption, and more. Prospective adoptive parents will also create a family profile book to describe themselves to any mothers looking for adoptive families. Once a birth mother does choose you to parent her child, it’s our job to help your family process and finalize your adoption by the court. Depending on the type of adoption this is, things can progress differently from here. But that’s why we’re here to help. If you have any questions about the adoption process, feel free to get in touch with our Baton Rouge professionals, and we can answer any questions you may have.
Begin the Adoption Process in Baton Rouge Today
We understand this can be a challenging time. But our professionals are here to assist you throughout the adoption process. So, feel free to get in contact with us today by either giving us a call at 225-769-8888 or sending us an email at info@stelizabethfoundation.o.