For Pregnant Mothers
Birth Mother Rights and Adoptions
You have legal rights as a birth mother. We’ll help you understand them and guide you through each step of the adoption process.
Facing an unplanned pregnancy? If you’re considering adoption, it’s important to know your rights. As a birth mother, you’re protected by state-specific laws designed to support you and your baby. We’ll walk you through your legal rights in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, so you feel informed, supported, and confident in every decision you make.
Relinquishing Parental Rights
The most important legal part of the adoption process for birth parents is relinquishing parental rights. Birth mothers must give up their parental rights to the child for the adoption to be completed. This is generally done after birth, but the exact timing depends on the state you are in.
You can change your mind at any point before this, and you don’t have to commit to adoption at any point until you terminate your parental rights. You can even decide to give your baby up for adoption after birth if you realize it’s the right decision for you once the baby is here.
After deciding to start the adoption process, a judge will sign off on the adoption and the adoptive family will have legal custody of the child. Waiving your parental rights is the only legal piece that you need to worry about as a birth mother. Since it happens after the birth, you can even put a baby up for adoption after you’ve given birth.
Birth fathers also need to consent to an adoption and terminate parental rights. In cases where the biological father isn’t known, an adoption agency can help you terminate parental rights for multiple fathers. In other cases where you know the father but don’t want to communicate with him, an agency can also do the communicating for you. Learn more about birth father rights.
In Pennsylvania
Agencies can cover medical costs, pregnancy expenses, and adoption costs for birth mothers. You will never have to pay to put your baby up for adoption.
In New Jersey
New Jersey allows adoptive families to directly pay for birth mother expenses. That can include medical expenses during pregnancy and up to four weeks after birth, plus adoption services.
In Maryland
Maryland allows adoptive parents to pay for birth mother expenses. This includes medical expenses, transportation costs, and living expenses. After the adoption is complete an adoptive family can’t keep financially supporting a birth mother.
Financial Support
If you choose adoption, you are able to get financial support to help cover certain pregnancy costs.
In Pennsylvania
Agencies can cover medical costs, pregnancy expenses, and adoption costs for birth mothers. You will never have to pay to put your baby up for adoption.
In New Jersey
New Jersey allows adoptive families to directly pay for birth mother expenses. That can include medical expenses during pregnancy and up to four weeks after birth, plus adoption services.
In Maryland
Maryland allows adoptive parents to pay for birth mother expenses. This includes medical expenses, transportation costs, and living expenses. After the adoption is complete an adoptive family can’t keep financially supporting a birth mother.
Birth Mother Rights After Adoption
The best way to prepare for adoption is to learn about the process. Check out our birth mother rights page to learn everything you need to know.
Birth Mother Rights in Open vs Closed Adoption
Part of the adoption process is deciding if you want an open or closed adoption. Open adoptions let you stay in touch with the adoptive family and your child. Closed adoptions mean there is no contact between you and the child or the adoptive family after the adoption is finalized.
You have options!
Contact us to discuss all your options and answer all questions. You can change your mind at any time during the adoption process