A birth father has a role to play in an adoption regardless of his relationship to the birth mother. No matter what the circumstances are, it is important to be honest with the father about this role so that he is prepared to support you in your adoption plan.
Adoption Makes Family works with birth mothers and fathers in all types of situations and will devote the time to getting to know you individually to determine the best way to move forward while respecting the wishes of both parents. Our staff is here to listen, help and counsel you so that you make the best decisions for your future.
Who Is a Birth Father?
By definition, a birth father is the biological father of a child who has been or will be adopted. His role in the birth mother’s life varies from a spouse or partner to completely estranged. A birth father’s parental rights vary by state, but they can potentially go to court to obtain custody of the child if parental rights were not surrendered prior to the adoption. This is called a contested adoption and is something that we strive to avoid at all costs. Birth fathers sometimes feel stigmatized if their child is adopted because it signals that they are not able to take care of a child or provide for their family. Through our counseling sessions, we work to break down these stereotypes and make sure that everyone involved in an adoption feels secure and confident in their decision to move forward.
Honesty is the Best Policy
We encourage all birth mothers to be honest with us about the role that the father plays in her life and the baby’s life. When we understand the complete picture, we can work with you to create a plan for bringing the birth father into the adoption conversation if appropriate.
Birth mothers should be honest with the birth father in letting him know that he is the father. Often, birth fathers are not brought into the conversation until after an adoption is complete, which leads to feelings of anger and resentment toward the birth mother. This can also overturn an adoption if it can be shown there were untrue statements made in the adoption process.
An adoption is an emotionally-charged process for everyone involved, and those feelings increase when a surprise like the entrance of a birth father comes into the mix. Even if the birth father is not in your life, it is important that he knows about the baby and your plans for adoption, so he does not try to come into the picture and assert his rights later.
Let Us Help You
As a birth mother, you have many options when it comes to adoption services. Adoption Makes Family focuses on counseling services and treating you like you are part of our family. Adoption Makes Family is dedicated to understanding and meeting the needs of birth parents in a sensitive, compassionate, and unique manner.
We know that family dynamics can be complicated and we are committed to helping you work through the relationship with the birth father no matter how complex it might be. In addition to our counseling services, we can refer legal services to you to sort out custody and parental rights before the baby is born so there are no surprises down the road. The best way to ensure a successful adoption is to make sure both parents are on the same page about adoption, and we want to help you do just that.