Birth Mother Rights After an Adoption in Oklahoma
By Jonathan Tick
You’ve accomplished it. Your baby has been born and is ready to go home with their new family. But what’s after that? You’ve finished giving up your baby for adoption. What rights do you have now as the birth mother? While going through the adoption process, some birth mothers may be confused about what comes after giving their baby up for adoption. That may entail the birth mother’s feelings or the legal sense.
No two adoption plans are alike, and no two adoption journeys are the same. If you seek more information about your birth mother’s rights, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your adoption specialist or legal advisor, as they will be able to help you and better understand your unique situation. Acting as guides for you on what your next step with our adoption centers in Oklahoma may be.
Relinquished Parental Rights
Signing on with our adoption plan at Adoption Choices of Oklahoma means fully relinquishing parental rights. Once the child has been born, you cease being the child’s legal guardian. Our adoption centers will attempt to get the adoptive family to come a day after the birth happens. If the adoptive family is from out of state, a few more steps need to be taken. First, you must relinquish your parental rights as the birth mother in court. Afterward, approval from both Oklahoma and the adoptive family’s home state must also be given. If done so, the baby is free to go home with their adoptive family. What rights you have after the baby has gone home are determined by what kind of adoption you decided on beforehand.
Rights in Open Adoption
Putting your child up for adoption doesn’t have to mean goodbye forever. And many birth mothers choosing adoption in Oklahoma have felt the same way. When going through your adoption plan, choosing open or closed adoption will come up. If open adoption is chosen, a whole world of rights and possibilities open up for you as the birth mother.
Contact between the adoptive parents and the birth mother is a requirement in an open adoption. The frequency and kinds of communication will vary. But as long as your baby is in adoptive care, you hold the right to know how your birth child is doing, which can come with several unseen benefits. Be sure to talk to your adoption specialist when coming up with ideas. Adoption agencies near you will also mediate between the adoptive family and you. As well as be the place that can set up meetings between you and your child’s adoptive family. Private adoptions where we build strong familial bonds is what Adoption Choices of Oklahoma specialize in. So you can count on us to make sure you stay in touch if so desired.
Another choice is semi-open adoption, where some of the benefits of open adoption remain. A birth mother choosing this option means they’ll be able to choose their preferred adoptive family. However, once the baby’s been born, contact between the birth mother and the adoptive parents ends. Some birth mothers prefer this choice as it allows them the opportunity to give their baby up for adoption. While also choosing to decide who the baby goes to before saying goodbye forever.
Closed Adoptions and its Rights
A closed adoption is a third option our adoption agencies in Oklahoma provide. However, it is not as commonly seen nowadays as the other options. Choosing this form of adoption generally means that the birth mother’s information remains anonymous.
The confidentiality of the birth mother’s identity is of utmost importance to us. These records will be sealed. And under no circumstance will anything beyond the birth mother’s medical records be shared with the adoptive family. Neither you nor the adoptive family contacted each other throughout the adoption placement process.
Choosing to Place Your Child With Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
While any form of guardian rights are unavailable for the birth mother, new doors may open up in its place. The choice of the kind of adoption greatly matters in this situation, with the birth mother gaining the right to know their child’s growth or tightly sealed privacy as part of adoption’s major benefits. Regardless of choice, Adoption Choices of Oklahoma is here to support Oklahoma birth mothers in their adoption journey. Ready to provide them with the aid and legal benefits they all deserve.
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma is a private adoption agency licensed by the state of Oklahoma and a leader in the adoption community. We have been assisting birth parents, children, and adoptive families in Oklahoma for over 19 years. If you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.
Toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777 | Text: 405-201-6643 | Email
