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5 Steps of Adoption for Active-Duty Military Members [Create a Better Future]

How You Can Put Your Child Up for Adoption in the Military 

Giving your baby up for adoption in the Army or any other military branch is not only possible, but hundreds of adoptive families are ready to give your baby a loving home. 

  • Choosing adoption  is a brave decision that benefits both you and your child
  • You can find adoptive families you feel are the best fit for your child based on any preferences you have. 
  • Trusted and experienced adoption agencies and specialists are ready to help you create an adoption plan. You can get more information and create your adoption plan by contacting us today

Can You Put Your Child Up for Adoption While in the Military? 

Yes. Adoption is always an option for you. This choice isn’t always easy, and the adoption process can be challenging at times. But by working with the right adoption agency, you can experience a safe, smooth and rewarding adoption journey to find your child the perfect adoptive family

You may feel alone in making this decision, but there are other military members giving kids up for adoption — and really, there is no “giving up” in this choice.  

As a member of the military, you may be especially averse to the idea of “giving up.” You’ve been trained to do the opposite in every instance.  

Adoption, however, is giving a chance at life. It’s taking action and making a brave decision from a place of love, and that makes you a hero

But, how does it work? How do I put my baby up for adoption if I’m active-duty military? What kind of resources might be available, and who can help with the adoption? 

These are important questions, and knowing the answers will greatly benefit you as an expectant mother in the military considering adoption. This guide will explain the 5 steps of the adoption process as well as give you information on how to get connected to an adoption specialist today

How Do I Put My Baby Up for Adoption if I’m Active Duty? 

The adoption process for prospective birth mothers is not the same across the board. There will be unique nuances to your adoption. Everyone is different, and no two adoptions are the same. However, the big steps required are the same. 

Step 1: Find an Adoption Agency to Work With [Some Agencies Are Better Than Others]

There are several different types of adoption agencies, and each comes with distinct advantages and disadvantages. When you decide that giving your baby up for adoption in the army, navy or other branches of the military is best for you and your baby, the first step is finding the adoption agency with the most obvious advantages for you.  

By working with a larger national adoption agency like ours, you will have more families to choose from, giving you more opportunities to match with the perfect adoptive family.

Our adoption specialists give you the added benefit of having first-hand experience with adoption, as many of us are adoptive parents, birth mothers and adoptees. You can get more information on the adoption process and how we can help you by contacting Michelle, a birth parent specialist and a birth parent herself, who is ready to answer any questions you have about putting your child up for adoption.          

“I am available to answer any questions that arise, particularly from birth moms, as I have been in your shoes and know how you are feeling,” Michelle said. “It was most helpful to me when I had someone to talk to who would just listen to me without making any judgments or conclusions about who I was as a person.”

Your adoption agency will guide you through each of the following steps to complete a successful adoption. 

Step 2: Create an Adoption Plan [You Are in Charge]

With the help of an adoption specialist, you can create an adoption plan that lays out exactly how you would like this process to go. If you are on active duty and stationed overseas, don’t worry.  

You don’t have to meet face to face with your adoption specialist, especially when working with a national adoption agency whose staff is used to communicating long-distance with prospective birth mothers. 

Step 3: Choose an Adoptive Family and Pre-placement Contact 

You get to choose the family you think is best when giving your baby up for adoption in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. You’ll be able to look at adoptive family profiles and pick the best fit for your baby. As a large national adoption agency, we work with hundreds of families ready to adopt your baby and give him or her the perfect home. 

Because of our national size and scope, we can give you the most adoption opportunities with families that match your specific needs.

After choosing a family, you will have the opportunity to get to know them through pre-placement contact. This is a time to begin feeling comfortable with the adoptive parents and confident that they are going to be amazing for your baby. 

If you are ready to start searching for the perfect adoptive family, you can view adoptive family profiles by clicking here.

Step 4: Hospital Stay and Placement 

Depending on your situation when giving your baby up for adoption in the military, this step could be different. If you are an active-duty military member and stationed overseas, you would need to return to the U.S. to give birth.  

By working with an adoption agency that provides a full range of adoption services, you will create an adoption hospital plan that serves as the playbook for your labor and delivery experience. Because you are in charge of every aspect of the adoption process, your hospital plan is built around what you want and need for your stay.  

Once you give birth, you will need to officially complete your adoption paperwork.  

Depending on which state you give birth in, there may be a mandatory minimum waiting period until you can sign these documents, ranging from 24 hours to 72 hours. After you have given consent, the baby will be placed with the adoptive parents. 

Step 5: Post-placement Contact 

Depending on how open you would like the adoption to be, you can have continued communication with the adoptive parents and your child post-placement. Through open adoption, you can build a lifelong relationship and stay connected through the use of: 

  • Emails 
  • Letters and photos 
  • Phone calls 
  • Video chats 
  • In-person visits 

You can get more information on open adoption and what it means for your relationship with your child and the adoptive family by filling out our free information form

Your adoption process when giving your baby up for adoption in the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines will be unique, but it will still follow these basic steps. All along the way, you’ll have guidance and assistance from your adoption agency. 

Are You Ready to Get More Information on Adoption? 

When you get connected to a trusted adoption agency, you’ll work with adoption specialists experienced with helping active-duty military members place a child for adoption. 

Regardless of where you are currently deployed or what branch of the military you’re a member of, adoption is always an option for you. Complete this form to speak to an adoption specialist and get your adoption journey started. You can also view available adoptive family video profiles here