- Who Pays the Cost of an Adoption?
In Minnesota the law requires that the adoptive family must pay certain expenses for birth parents. These include:
- Legal fees for your lawyer.
- Counseling charges before the birth and up to six months after.
In addition your adoptive family can help you with:
- Any uninsured medical bills for the pregnancy and birth.
- Necessary living expenses if you need help supporting yourself during the pregnancy and for up to 6 weeks after the birth.
- What is Independent Adoption?
An Independent Adoption is one in which the birth parent(s) signs their legal rights to the child directly over to the adoptive parents. This means that adoptive and birth parents can plan their own adoption.
In an Independent Adoption, you make all of the key decisions for yourself and your baby. You will have as much information, help and time as you need to decide on a family to adopt your baby.
We will be there to help you during the pregnancy, birth, and for as long after the adoption as you want. You can even choose your own birth parent facilitator!
- Who decides which family will adopt a birth parent's child?
In an Independent Adoption, you choose who you want to adopt your child. The adoptive family can be anyone you know or hear about or someone you choose from among the families working with Adoption Minnesota.
- Does the baby have to go into foster care after it is born?
No! In an Independent Adoption the baby goes right home from the hospital with the adoptive family. However, if you are uncomfortable with that, the baby can be cared for by someone else until you decide if you really want to go ahead with the adoption.
- How do I know what my legal rights are?
When working with Adoption Minnesota, you will have your own attorney. This lawyer will explain the process to you and make sure you understand what is happening at each step along the way.
- How long will I have to change my mind about placing the baby with an adoptive family?
You can change your mind about placing your baby with an adoptive family until you sign a Consent to Adoption and it becomes final. You cannot sign the Consent to Adoption until after the baby is born. Once you sign the Consent, you have 10 working days until it becomes final. If the adoptive family you have chosen cannot complete the adoption, you have all legal rights to decide what happens next for the baby.
- Does the birth father have to be involved in the adoption?
While it is a good idea to involve the birth father if he is at all willing, it is not required in an Independent Adoption unless he is married to the birth mother or is on the baby's birth certificate.
If he does nothing to take legal action to have himself declared the father of the child, a birth father must register with the State within 30 days of the child's birth. If he fails to do so, he loses any rights he might have claimed and cannot stop an adoption.
One of the things your attorney helps you with is deciding how to deal with the birth father.
- Can a birth parent get information about the child after the adoption?
In an Independent Adoption you and adoptive family can make an agreement about exchanging future information. This can include having letters and pictures sent to you on a regular basis or even visits with the child. Minnesota law allows you to have this agreement turned into a court order, if you want.
It also includes arrangements for exchanging any future medical information which you feel is important. If the adoptive parents live in Minnesota, this agreement can be made a court order if everyone wants that done.
- Can I get help with expenses such as maternity clothing, living expenses and other costs?
In an Independent Adoption the adoptive family can help you by paying certain expenses. Generally the courts will allow them to pay for such things as maternity clothes, living expenses, and transportation to and from medical appointments. By law in Minnesota, they must pay for your legal fees and any counseling you want to help you deal with the adoption.
