Pregnancy
We care about you and what is best for your life and the life of your baby. Whether you choose to parent or make an adoption plan, we are here to help you.
Please call us at 256-859-4481 or text 256-397-5437 to speak with an AGAPE Social Worker.
How We Can Help
At AGAPE, you can work with a professional who supports you and respects your choices. A social worker will explain your options and help you make a plan that best meets your needs.
If you choose to parent, we will connect you with parenting resources. If you choose to make an adoption plan, we will connect you with a family who will love your baby unconditionally.
“I made an adoption plan for my baby with AGAPE and my experience was excellent. They helped me in all the areas I needed. AGAPE is a great agency and they would help you in any situation – whether you want to parent your child or make an adoption plan. They won’t force you, they won’t make you, they let you decide.”
AGAPE Birthmother
Questions & Answers
Should I parent my baby or make an adoption plan?
This is a decision that only you can make. AGAPE is here to listen to you, connect you with resources if you need them, and help guide you through what is a difficult decision. Loving your child can mean that you choose to parent, and AGAPE can help you think through how that will look in your life. Sometimes, loving your child will mean that you make an adoption plan and choose a family who will love your child as much as you do.
What does adoption mean for my baby?
Adoption is an incredibly loving choice to allow another family to become your child's family. If you are unable to parent and provide for your baby in the ways that you would like, adoption can be a loving option for you. In making an adoption plan, you get some power over your child's future. You will choose the adoptive family and the amount of contact that you have throughout your child's life.
What is the cost of AGAPE's services?
AGAPE will work with you for no cost. We will be a listening ear, a connection to resources such as Medicaid, help with transportation to doctor's appointments, and support you and your baby in whatever ways you need.
Can you help me with medical and financial expenses?
AGAPE workers will connect you with resources, such as Medicaid, Best Start, and counseling so that you can take advantage of services available to you and your growing family. AGAPE will ensure that you have enough food to keep you and your baby healthy. While there is no financial compensation for making an adoption plan, AGAPE will make sure that you are safe and healthy.
Do I get to choose who will raise my child?
Yes! You will be presented with profile books from which you will choose who will adopt your baby. These books include photos of the adoptive couple, their families and friends, and some of their interests. The profile books are intended to help you picture what your child's life will be like as he/she grows up with the family you choose.
How do I know that the adoptive parents will take care of my baby?
Adoptive families go through a rigorous vetting process before being approved to adopt. They have been cleared by the FBI and ABI and have clean records proven by positive child abuse and neglect screenings. In additon, social workers from AGAPE spend hours speaking with and interviewing adoptive families to ensure they are likely to be loving and compassionate parents. Adoptive families receive training about the importance of openness in adoption and parenting techniques.
Can I have a relationship with my child after adoption?
AGAPE encourages adoptive families to be flexible concerning the amount of contact they will have with biological families after placement. Each adoption is unique. Some biological families visit with their child and adoptive family regularly, and some are more comfortable receiving update letters and pictures through AGAPE. You will discuss these options at length with your AGAPE worker until you create a plan with which you are most comfortable. An AGAPE worker will then screen out families who do not desire the same amount of openness as you.
What is an open adoption?
Open adoption refers to a wide range of communication between biological and adoptive families. Research shows that children, biological families, and adoptive families all benefit from open adoption. Adoptive families will share pictures, letters, and encourage visits throughout your child's life.
Will anyone find out about the adoption?
Adoptions can remain confidential if you choose. When you enter the hospital to deliver you can request to be entered confidentially and the hospital staff will not be able to confirm your presence even if they recieve a phone call specifically asking for you. Your social worker at AGAPE will never reveal that we are working with you. If you choose to remain anonymous, even to the adoptive family, that can be arranged. Attorneys who work with the adoptive family will protect your identity as well.
Will the birth father be involved?
Biological fathers enjoy the same rights as biological mothers when making an adoption plan for a child. If the biological father is named, social workers will make every reasonable effort to locate the father and speak with him about the adoption plan. He can choose to sign relinquishment papers or choose to parent the child.
What if I have used alcohol or drugs while pregnant?
AGAPE encourages all pregnant women to seek appropriate medical care as soon possible in your pregnancy. Our workers will apply for Medicaid with you, if you are not covered by health insurance, and provide transportation to doctor's visits to ensure your health and the health of the baby. Using drugs, alcohol, or tobacco during pregnancy is associated with higher risks to you and your child. AGAPE will help you discontinue use as soon as possible. If your child is born with special needs, there are adoptive families who will gladly adopt, cherish, and love your child.
What do I do next?
Give us a call at 256-859-4481 or text us at 256-397-5437 and ask to speak with a social worker. We will talk to you any time, day or night!