“What is open adoption?”

Open adoption describes a relationship where the adoptive family, the child, and the birth parents remain in contact after the permanent placement of the child with the adoptive family. The birth family and the adoptive family mutually decide the degree of openness they desire. At ECFA, an openness covenant is signed by both parties with the understanding that the birth parents and the adoptive family will adhere to their agreements.

Openness can range from periodic letters between the parties to ongoing face-to-face contact. Openness is very important to ECFA and our adoptive families. Your worker will discuss the level of openness you desire and match you with a selection of adoptive families based on your preferences for openness and other preferred characteristics.

“Will I get to choose and meet the adoptive family?”

Yes. About 4-6 weeks prior to your due date, you will be given profiles of adoptive parents to review. The profiles contain pictures of the family, a letter that they have written to birth parents, and other non-identifying information about them. You then choose which family you would like to meet, and a meeting will be set up prior to your due date. If you do not want to review profiles and/or meet the family for any reason, your wishes will be respected. ECFA then selects a family for your baby or child.

“Can I know where the family lives?”

Due to Illinois laws, ECFA is not permitted to release identifying information (i.e. last name, address, place of employment, etc.) about the adoptive parents to the birth parents and vice versa. Most ECFA families live in the Chicago area and its surrounding suburbs.

“Can anyone adopt a baby through ECFA?”

All of ECFA’s adoptive parents go through a lengthy process to become licensed and ready to adopt. They need to do the following: 1) Each adoptive parent will be fingerprinted to check for any previous criminal activities. 2) General medical examinations are done to assess the adoptive parents’ health. 3) An adoption worker will conduct a home study process which takes approximately 4-6 visits. Information about the family’s marriage, childhood, religion, and social history is obtained. 4) Adoptive parents attend and complete a minimum of 10 hours of training about adoption. 5) References are obtained about the parents, including one from the pastor of their church. 6) A pastoral consultant meets with the adoptive family to talk with them about their Christian faith. 7) The adoption team reviews all the information gathered and must approve the adoptive family. The birthfamily is only given profiles of families who have a completed, approved home study and are (more than) ready to adopt.

“Can I have ongoing contact with my baby and the family?”

The basic openness plan with ECFA is that you will receive pictures and letters from the adoptive family at the following intervals: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter until your child reaches the age of majority (18 years old). The adoptive family also agrees to a 6-month visit at an ECFA office. Adoption plans can be arranged to be more closed or more open if you have different preferences. ECFA will act as an intermediate party to assist in the exchange of pictures, letters, and gifts.

“What are my rights as a birth mother?”

You have the right to make a decision to parent or to place your baby for adoption up until the time you sign surrenders of your parental rights. Once you sign surrender forms, your parental rights are terminated with no waiting period to change your mind. Any openness arrangements with the adoptive family are dependent on the family’s promise to follow through as agreed. These arrangements cannot be changed in court if not fulfilled.

“Can I sign surrenders before the baby is born?”

As a birth mother, Illinois law states that the earliest you can sign surrenders is 72 hours after your child’s birth. You will not be asked to sign adoption paperwork until you are ready. Once surrenders are signed, you cannot change your mind.

“What if the birth father will not sign surrenders and wants to parent the baby?”

Each birth father situation will be discussed with your social worker who will consult with adoption attorneys about the best way to terminate a father’s rights for purposes of adoption. In some cases, our attorneys will report that an adoption is unlikely if a birth father takes all legal steps necessary to establish himself as the legal father of the baby.

“What are my rights if I am the birth father?”

PSS will attempt to contact each possible father to assess their individual intentions.

As a birth father, you have four options. You have the right to deny paternity. You have the right to sign Surrenders of an Unborn Child prior to your child’s birth. If you sign this surrender, you have 72 hours after your child’s birth to revoke it in writing to the agency. Once 72 hours passes with no revocation, the surrender becomes permanent. You have the right to sign Final and Irrevocable Surrenders 72 hours or more after the birth of the child. Once these surrenders are signed, your rights are permanently terminated. You have the right to make steps to stop the adoption.

In many situations, the adoptive family hopes to build a relationship with the birth father, as well as birth mother.

If you are interested in being involved in pregnancy counseling with the birth mom or individually, you can contact her PSS worker.

“Can I name my baby? Will the adoptive parents keep the name?”

Yes, you can name your baby on the birth certificate, but the adoptive parents have the legal right to change the baby’s name at court finalization.

“How do I know if adoption is right for me?”

This is a difficult question to answer, and the final decision is YOURS. But through the Pregnancy Support Services program of ECFA, you will not be alone through the process. A professional counselor will be assigned to you. She will meet with you regularly, listen to you, and address your various issues/needs. The most important priority is to provide you with complete information so that you can make a well-informed and thoughtful decision. Your counselor is there to support you and will help you make a plan that is best for you and your baby. We care about you and want to walk beside you through your pregnancy

“How much will my child know about me?”

That depends on what type of an adoption plan you chose: open, semi-open, or confidential. ECFA encourages each birth mother and birth father to provide complete medical and social history for your child, no matter what type of adoption plan you make. If the birth father is not involved, the only information available may be what the birth mother provides. If you have made an open adoption plan, you may have ongoing contact on various levels with your child and the adoptive family. State and Federal laws related to confidentiality prohibit ECFA from releasing any identifying information between the birth parents and adoptive family without written permission.