According to the latest statistics the majority of children waiting to be adopted spend between two and five years in the foster care system while they wait and generally the older they are the less likely they are to be adopted. Newborns or very young babies are more sought after by adoptive parents than are older children. Even so there are still around 1.5 million adopted children in the U.S. with the majority of those being females. In Texas alone, there are routinely around 5,000 – 6,000 children waiting to be adopted every year.
At the Adoption Alliance the majority of those waiting to be who are adopted are aged from birth up to 2 years and the state of Texas roughly reflects the adoption figures reported by other states in that around 62% of babies put up for adoption are adopted within the first month after birth.
What are the reasons babies are put up for adoption?
There are many reasons why a birth mother opts to place her baby up for adoption. At The Adoption Alliance, the most common reasons are as follows:
● She isn’t ready or doesn’t want to be a mother – Sometimes an unexpected pregnancy occurs at the worst time in a woman’s life; she may be very young or she may be at a critical juncture in her career. In other cases, the women simply do not ever want to be mothers, and this is absolutely fine.
● She can’t afford a baby – Raising kids is expensive and when a woman knows she will struggle to make ends meet with no prospect of an improvement, she may consider adoption as the best way to ensure a better life for the child. Just the expense involved in pregnancy can be too much of a financial stretch for some mothers.
● Her home situation is not suitable – When there are complications such as illness, the absence of a birth father, or there is a chaotic lifestyle due to drug or alcohol addiction, a birth mother may decide that the safest option for the baby is adoption.
● Her family is complete and for whatever reason she has no wish or is unable to afford to add another child to her family.
The reasons for wanting or needing to place a child for adoption extend far beyond those mentioned above. Regardless of the specific reason, it’s important that the decision is thought through. We recommend speaking with an adoption agency during this process to ensure you get proper guidance.
How does Texas adoption law impact the process?
Adults and children over the age of 12 must legally give their consent to an adoption in the state of Texas. Once an expectant mother enters into an adoption plan agreement with an adoption agency like the Adoption Alliance, she relinquishes her parental rights will be guided through how Texas adoption law will impact her specific situation . However According to Texas law, she has to wait for at least 48 hours after the birth to give her consent for the adoption relinquish her parental rights, which must be formally witnessed and verified notarized. An unmarried birth father can consent to the adoption at any time before the birth of the child, but will keep his parental rights until after the birth when they can be formally terminated. A husband has to wait for 48 hours following the birth before he can sign a relinquishment document, which cannot be reversed once signed.
Adopting a baby in Texas
Before you commit to placing your baby or child for adoption, you should first work through your reasons for wanting to do so. Then we recommend speaking with adoption agency to help you understand the decision you are about to make. An adoption agency like The Adoption Alliance can offer guidance and support during this tough decision. Speak with a member of our team today.
