It is FREE. There is no cost for counseling and related services for you and your family

Women and couples who explore adoption are motivated by their love and concern for their child. Typically, women who make an adoption plan are doing so because they feel the child’s needs will best be met through adoption.

Adoption is not about giving away a baby or giving it up for adoption. We believe that adoption is about making a positive plan for your child’s life. Our adoptive families will raise your child to know he or she is adopted and that you choose adoption because you loved your baby so much that you set aside the desire of your heart to provide the baby with all the love, stability, and opportunities that you would have, if you could.

Many people are unfamiliar with adoption and even more so with open adoption. We can help you to help your friends and family understand. We can even meet with them for counseling or to learn more about what adoption might mean for them. If you feel comfortable and confident in your open adoption plan, that will set the stage for how they perceive your decision.

Secrets are confusing and unhealthy for children. Open adoption removes the mystery and allows the child’s questions to be answered openly and honestly. With the love and support of their birth and adoptive families, children develop high self-esteem and a healthy sense of identity. When you choose an adoptive family with us, you can rest knowing that the child will be raised to know they are adopted and by parents who honor you for your sacrifice and the love you have for your child.

Your information is always confidential. Many women choose to keep their pregnancy and adoption private from friends and family. We respect this decision. If you would like help telling your friends and family or processing their reactions, we’re here for you for that too.

We will provide you with counseling and support and will help you make an adoption plan for your child including:

• Selection of a loving adoptive family for your child
• An agreement with the adoptive family to see the child, not only when they’re born but throughout their lifetime, if you choose
• Assistance with pregnancy-related needs and expenses, including maternity clothes, housing, medical care, and transportation
• Access to experienced legal counsel
• Housing and transportation assistance
• Emotional support during the adoption planning process and beyond
• Grief counseling
• Education and career planning
• Connection to other community resources

Yes. If you choose adoption, you will not be responsible for the payment of medical bills. The law allows us to help cover living expenses that help ensure your healthy, safety, and well-being (rent, transportation, phone, food, clothing, etc). We individualize this support to your specific needs. The first step is to meet with a pregnancy counselor. Contact a pregnancy counselor today. 

Even if you are not yet ready to be a parent, you can still give your baby the gift of life by choosing adoption. You can make a positive plan for your baby’s future by selecting a stable, loving family to care for him or her. After birth, you can see your baby, name your baby, and spend time with your baby. If you want, you can also receive updates on your child’s progress or have ongoing visits throughout your child’s life. This way you can still continue your education or career goals.

Many birth parents want their baby placed with the adoptive family directly from the hospital. Some women prefer to place their baby in temporary care while they consider their adoption decision. We can help you understand both options. Learn more about this process here.

In Arizona, the birth father has a right to know you are planning an adoption. We take care of notifying him of this plan. Once he is notified, he has 30 days to establish legal paternity of the child. If he files a paternity action in court and has you served with those papers within those 30 days, then we would need his consent to the adoption. If he does nothing, he forfeits his rights in the adoption and we don’t need anything from him. We take this seriously because it is the law, for one, but also because it best ensures the integrity of the adoption. It’s important to know that lying about the identify of the birth father is perjury. We want you to feel comfortable sharing the details of this situation with us and we will help you through the process. If the birth father is involved and supportive of the adoption, we will invite him to sign consents when you do.

Adoptive families go through an extensive home study process and must be approved by the agency and Arizona’s juvenile court. Prior to finalizing the adoption, a caseworker will make home visits to ensure the child’s well-being. In an open adoption, you will be able to see for yourself how well your child is cared for and how much he or she is loved through your ongoing relationship with your child and the adoptive family.

You do not need an attorney and there are no costs charged to you. We will handle all the legal details of the adoption.

You may have as much contact with your baby at the hospital as you want. When planning your child’s adoption, you can choose an open adoption —one that allows ongoing visits with your child, or you can choose a less open adoption that keeps you informed about your child’s progress through letters and photos. Adoptive families respect the need of birth parents to know that their child is loved and happy. Finally, if you decide you would not like to have any ongoing contact with your child and the adoptive family, confidential adoption plans are also possible. The choice is up to you.

Yes! We have adoptive couples who come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life who have been carefully screened and approved to adopt. There are additional options such as choosing a family member, friend, or someone who has been recommended to you. Your pregnancy counselor will discuss all of these options with you.

• That depends on what type of adoption plan you choose: open, semi-open, or confidential. Your pregnancy counselor will ask you to provide your complete medical and social history for your child. No matter what type of adoption plan you make, this is required by the state of Arizona. You may choose to share or not share your fully identity and where you live with the adoptive family. If you’ve made an open adoption plan, you may have ongoing, direct contact with your child and the adoptive family. You will have opportunity to share information with the child and family directly.
• The information your child will know about the birth father depends on his relationship with you and your pregnancy counselor. Birth fathers are often willing to give their complete medical and social history to the adoptive family, recognizing how important it is for the child. In some cases though, the only information available about the birth father is only what the birth mother provides.

You may choose to allow your child to access their adoption record when they turn 18 or to deny them access to their file. You can change your mind about this at any time, as long as you provide the agency with this information.

This is your decision and you need to make the decision that is best for you and your child. You can change your mind anytime up until you sign the adoption consent. In Arizona, once you sign adoption consents the consents are irrevocable; which means at that point you can no longer change your mind. You cannot sign consents until at least 72 hours after the baby is born.  Up until that point, adoption is only a plan. Those 72 hours will give you the time you need to meet your baby, recover from delivery, and make your final decision.