How We Screen Our Birth Parents

The Screening Process: An Overview

Our screening process is composed of a few key factors. Each is put in place to ensure that the Birth Mother’s adoption journey is as smooth as possible from start to finish. However, it is also meant to be a stringent process that can explore hard questions that need to be asked to help both the Birth Mother and the Adoptive Parents create the best life possible for the child involved. Through our screening process, we explore the following:

• Extensive Professional Guidance: Coming to adoption is a huge decision, and we want to help our Birth Mothers make sense of their next steps. Through counseling sessions with licensed professionals, or through guidance with one of our experts, we aim to learn and understand the factors as well as the various circumstances that have lead the Birth Mother to consider creating an adoption plan for her child. Through these interviews, we wish to establish trust with the Birth Mother as we offer a listening ear while going over her options throughout the adoption process. In counseling and guidance, we gather information from mental health and family history to personal well­being and the Birth Mother’s feelings about adoption itself. This guidance and support helps Adoption Specialists gauge the likelihood of adoption disruption due to the Birth Mother not being fully informed about the process or not being sufficiently supported.
• Birth Mother History: Adoption Network Law Center aims to obtain as much necessary information as possible about the Birth Parents. This includes verifying the Birth Mother’s proof of pregnancy as well as going over certain records. These include overall health history, social background, ethnicity, and other pertinent information that impacts the child. This information is most helpful to Adoptive Parents because it helps them plan for potential health issues, behavior issues, and other problems that might arise throughout the child’s life.
• Medical History: Medical history is of extremely high importance because it can give a clearer picture into the health of the baby. We try to collect medical information that runs in the child’s Birth Family as well as medical issues present primarily in the Birth Parents. Again, this gives the Adoptive Family an advantage when it comes to preparing for certain illnesses, the likelihood of certain diseases, as well as gives them an action plan for minor health problems such as allergies.
• Commitment Analysis: Though it is an unfortunate truth, for some Birth Parents, adoption is only an option. They are not as committed to the decision as they act, which can lead to problems down the line. As part of our screening process, we analyze the Birth Mother’s commitment to adoption, going over every aspect and detail of the process. This means we cover everything from emotional concerns and worries to her financial needs. This part of the process includes discussing options like open and closed adoptions, what the Birth Mother looks for in Adopting Parents, the legal obligations and requirements of adoption, the adoption costs, and financial support.
• Prenatal Care: Both as part of the screening process and at the end of the process itself comes prenatal care. This is a blanket term that covers everything from emotional support to the actual physical support of the baby while in utero. Usually, prenatal care can include everything from providing vitamins and medical visits to financial support for the mother’s health. It is important that Birth Mothers are aware of these benefits and use them in order to advance the health of their developing child. We assist in helping to arrange for these necessities in accordance with the need and state law, as we want the best for the Birth Mother by giving her the tools to have a smooth pregnancy that ends in the delivery of a happy, healthy child.

Adoption Network Law Center treats every adoption case with the utmost respect because we know how important this process is to everyone involved. Through our screening process, we become connected with Birth Mothers (and fathers) who are looking for the best for their baby. Add that to our wonderful Adoptive Parents and families, and we have a recipe to help make adoption placements that are good for the Birth Parents, the Adoptive Parents, and most importantly, the child.