If you are searching for information about how to put your newborn up for adoption, you may still be pregnant, have just delivered, be at the hospital with your baby, or have already brought your newborn home and realized you need another option. You probably have questions about what happens next and what choices are available to you.
KidsFirst Adoption is available to talk with you confidentially, answer your questions, and explain what an adoption plan could look like. Reaching out does not commit you to adoption, and you do not have to decide before you are ready.
Call or text 317-518-3032 any time, 24/7. Whether you already know you want to place your newborn for adoption or are still unsure, start by asking questions and learning about the process.
You Can Consider Adoption Even After Your Baby Is Born
If you are still at the hospital or have recently brought your baby home, you can speak with KidsFirst right away, ask questions, and learn what your next steps could look like.
In some cases, an adoption plan can be started within an hour after you reach out. The timing of placement may depend on hospital rules and the details of your situation, but your baby already being born does not prevent you from exploring adoption.
The decision remains yours. We will explain the process, walk you through what happens next, and give you space to decide whether you want to move forward with adoption.
How to Place Your Newborn for Adoption
Some parts of the adoption process may move quickly, but you remain involved in the decisions along the way.
- Contact KidsFirst and Ask Questions
Your first conversation with KidsFirst may be as simple as telling us what is happening and sharing any immediate concerns you have for yourself or your baby. You do not need to know exactly what you want before making that first call or sending a text.
Questions may include how quickly an adoption could be arranged, whether you can choose the adoptive family, what happens at the hospital, or what support may be available. We’ll start with what is most important to you.
The conversation is confidential, and you do not need to have everything figured out before you reach out. Start with the questions you have now and get the information you need.
Call or text 317-518-3032 at any time.
- Create an Adoption Plan
An adoption plan puts your preferences in writing and explains how you want the adoption to work. That may include your wishes for the hospital, the type of relationship you hope to have with the adoptive family, and the kind of contact you may want after placement.
We’ll work with you to create an adoption plan based on your needs, questions, and priorities. You do not have to know every answer at the beginning. The plan takes shape as you learn more about your options and decide what feels comfortable for you.
- Choose an Adoptive Family
KidsFirst provides profiles of waiting families who have completed the required approval steps. As you look through them, you might consider their home life, values, location, family structure, or plans for staying in touch after placement.
Some birth parents know right away what qualities they hope to find in a family. Others need time to figure that out.
You may choose the adoptive family yourself or ask us to help narrow the options. We encourage you to ask every question you have, and we can arrange an in-person meeting or Zoom call with a prospective family. This gives you a chance to get to know them, share what is important to you, and decide whether they feel like a good fit for your child and the future you hope for them. We know this can be an incredibly difficult decision, and your questions, preferences, and opinions about the family are an important part of the process.
- Make a Hospital Plan
Your hospital plan reflects how you want the time around delivery and placement to unfold. You may have preferences about who is in the room, how much time you spend alone with your baby, and whether you want the adoptive family present during part of your hospital stay.
You can also talk with us about how you want introductions, updates, or time with the adoptive family to be handled while you are at the hospital. These details can help make the experience feel more predictable during an already emotional time.
We’ll help you talk through those choices and include them in your adoption plan. Hospital rules may affect what happens, so the details can vary depending on where you deliver.
- Complete the Legal Consent Process
In Indiana, a birth mother cannot sign consent to an adoption before the baby is born. After delivery, KidsFirst will explain the required legal documents, what they mean, and when they may be signed.
Adoption laws, including rules about consent and withdrawing consent, vary by state. Adoption must be voluntary, and before you sign consent, you may decide not to move forward. You can also consult with an independent attorney at no cost to you. We’ll explain which rules apply to you and help you understand the legal steps before you make any final decisions.
- Plan for Contact After Placement
Your adoption plan may also include the kind of contact you want after placement. Depending on the type of adoption, that might include letters, photos, phone calls, or visits.
We’ll explain open, semi-open, and closed adoption and how contact generally works with each. Talking through your preferences with the adoptive family helps set expectations for contact after placement. KidsFirst remains available to support you after the adoption.
How Adoption Agencies Help with Newborn Placement
Licensed adoption agencies help manage the practical and legal steps of newborn adoption. KidsFirst assists with adoption planning, matching birth parents with approved adoptive families, hospital planning, required documents, and support before and after placement.
Families hoping to adopt through KidsFirst complete home studies and background checks before they are approved. These families are fully approved and prepared for placement and to begin caring for a child right awayBirth parents can review these waiting families when deciding which family they may want to adopt and parent their child.
An agency also helps coordinate the details around delivery, hospital discharge, and placement. That can make it easier to know who is handling each step and what information or paperwork is needed next.
What Support Is Available to Birth Mothers?
KidsFirst helps with practical needs that may come up during pregnancy and after delivery. Support may include help with finances, medical appointments, transportation, insurance, legal questions, mental health resources, and community connections.
In Indiana, up to $4,000 in support money may be available for needs such as housing, groceries, and medical expenses for up to six weeks after delivery. We also help with transportation to appointments, access to medications, insurance navigation, and applying for coverage.
Your needs may change before and after delivery. For example, transportation may be especially important before delivery, while housing, groceries, medical needs, or emotional support may remain concerns afterward. We’ll talk with you about what you are facing and connect you with resources that may help.
Support is not limited to practical needs. If you are going through a difficult time emotionally, we can also connect you with mental health resources and community support. You do not have to manage every concern on your own, and the support you receive will depend on your situation and what you need most.
The Emotional Side of Placing a Newborn for Adoption
Placing a newborn for adoption can bring several emotions at once. You might feel grief, sadness, relief, uncertainty, or a mix of these feelings, and they may change in the days and weeks afterward.
Some practical steps may happen quickly, while the emotions surrounding the decision may take much longer to process. Asking questions does not commit you to an adoption plan, and we are available to talk with you before or after placement. KidsFirst also connects birth mothers with mental health resources when additional help would be useful.
Common Questions About Newborn Adoption
Can I change my mind about adoption?
Yes, before you sign the legal consent documents. In Indiana, a birth mother cannot sign consent to an adoption before the baby is born.
Rules about withdrawing consent after signing are more specific. We’ll explain which rules apply to you before you make a final decision.
Can I choose the adoptive family?
Yes. We’ll show you profiles of approved waiting families, and you may choose the family yourself. If you prefer, we’ll help narrow the choices based on what is important to you.
Can I spend time with my baby at the hospital?
Yes. How much time you spend with your baby is your decision, although hospital rules may affect the details. Some birth parents want to spend most of their hospital stay with their baby, while others prefer the adoptive family to begin providing more of the care. Your hospital plan may include time alone with your baby and whether you want the adoptive family present. There is no single right way to handle that time. We’ll help you plan what feels most comfortable for you.
Will my newborn go into foster care?
Not necessarily. Working with KidsFirst may allow your baby to be placed with a fully approved adoptive family rather than entering foster care. You may also be able to choose that family and create a permanent adoption plan for your child.
Hospital procedures and your individual circumstances may affect placement. If DCS is already involved, that may also change what options are available. However, DCS involvement does not necessarily mean you have no choices. KidsFirst can talk with you about your situation, explain what options may still be available, and help you understand what role you can have in planning for your child.
You Can Ask for Help Right Away
If you are ready to ask questions or talk through your situation, call or text:
KidsFirst at 317-518-3032 any time, 24/7
The conversation is confidential, and reaching out does not commit you to adoption. You can also contact us online through the pregnant and considering adoption contact form.
