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Ohio Adoption Law and Birth Mother Rights in Ohio

When you choose adoption for your baby, it is important for you to know that adoption is a legal process.

If you are wondering, “Is adoption law federal or state?” The answer is that there is no federal law governing adoption — each state has its own adoption laws. And that’s why we’ve created this guide to Ohio state laws regarding adoption.

Adoption means that you have voluntarily terminated your parental rights to your child’s adoptive parents. With such an important decision, we want you to understand all your adoption legal rights in Ohio.

American Adoptions of Ohio is a full-service, national adoption agency here to help you begin your adoption in Ohio. We offer you access to all the adoption professionals that you will need during your legal adoption process in Ohio, including an adoption attorney.

Since we work with hundreds of waiting families across the U.S., we can help you find the perfect family for your baby. To speak with a specialist, you can call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time, or you can contact us online for free adoption information.

Keep in mind, the information in this article is meant to be a guide for some of the most common questions about Ohio state laws regarding adoption and your adoption legal rights in Ohio. This information is not intended to take the place of legal advice. You can benefit from working with our full-service adoption agency to get the legal advice and resources that you need to understand Ohio state laws regarding adoption and your adoption legal rights in Ohio.

Can I Get My Baby Back After Adoption in Ohio?

A common Ohio adoption legal question that many prospective birth mothers ask is, “If you put a baby up for adoption, can you get it back?” It is important for you to understand that voluntarily terminating your parental rights to your child by signing Ohio adoption paperwork for consent is permanent and irrevocable.

You can consider the following facts about your adoption choice:

First, your choice to place your baby for adoption will be challenging. This is why Ohio state laws regarding adoption require a 72 hour waiting period before you can sign your adoption paperwork for consent. If you find yourself in the midst of the waiting period thinking, “How can I get my child back after adoption?” Then you can benefit from sharing these thoughts with your adoption specialist who can help you sort through your emotions and revisit your adoption plan.

Next, it’s normal to think about your baby after placing them for adoption. Janelle, a birth mother who worked with American Adoptions, placed her twin boys for adoption because it was the right decision for her and them.

“After two or three months… I realized they’re where they need to be, I was getting pictures, they were happy,” Janelle said. “Now, it’s almost been a year, and I miss them sometimes — I miss them all the time, and sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I had kept them — but I know it was the right choice.”

Finally, you will always get the time that you need to make a decision about placing your baby with their adoptive family. The waiting period is to help you be confident in your choice of adoption and to build trust in the adoptive parents that you choose for your baby. You won’t have to worry about how to get your child back after adoption because you will have the time that you need to reflect on why you chose adoption and see how your baby’s unique adoption story will unfold.

How to Get Your Child Back After Adoption in Ohio [And Who Decides if You Can]

Once you sign your adoption paperwork for consent in Ohio, any legal petitions you submit on how to get your child back after adoption will be reviewed by the court system. You must attend a court hearing and the court will decide if you can get your child back after adoption based on what’s best for the child. This process can be long and emotionally difficult for everyone involved, but you can avoid this by carefully considering your reasons for choosing adoption and thinking about what your life could look like after adoption.

Remember, your adoption specialist is here for you at any time, especially when you are feeling fear and doubt about your choice for adoption. We want you to be confident and prepared for each step in your adoption process and we give you the support and resources that you need before, during and after adoption placement. You can call us at 1-800-ADOPTION today, or contact us online for more free adoption information.

Birth Mother Rights in Ohio Open Adoption

Adoption can be the best decision for you and your child, and even though you no longer have parental rights to your child you can still maintain communication with your child’s adoptive parents if you choose to do so. Your birth mother rights in Ohio open adoption include the right to stay in contact with your child’s adoptive parents and see your child grow up.

There are three important birth mother rights in Ohio open adoption that you will have after adoption placement.

  1. You have the right to choose your baby’s adoptive parents. It is important for you to be comfortable with the parents that you choose for your baby because you get to share in your child’s growth and development while maintaining a connection with your child’s parents.

  2. Your birth mother rights in Ohio open adoption include choosing the level and frequency of communication with your child and their family. When you communicate with your child’s parents, it’s important for you to be comfortable with the amount of contact and the type of contact. For example, you may prefer to communicate by phone and video chat, or you can schedule yearly in-person visits with your child and their family.

  3. You get to experience the benefits of open adoption along with your child and your child’s adoptive parents. As a part of your birth mother rights in Ohio open adoption, you get the time and support you need to cope with life after adoption. Knowing that you have the opportunity to receive pictures of your child or visit your child can put your mind at ease and allow you to stay connected with your child so they know that you love them unconditionally and you chose what is best for them.

With American Adoptions, you get to maintain control of your adoption process, including the type of communication, so that you can experience your best possible adoption. When you work with us, you will get the legal information and guidance that you need to learn about all of your birth mother rights in Ohio open adoption. You can give us a call today at 1-800-ADOPTION to get connected with an adoption specialist, and you can also contact us online for more free adoption information.

Legal Adoption Process in Ohio

Adoption laws in Ohio can be complex, but you don’t have to tackle the legal adoption process in Ohio alone. Each step of your adoption process must comply with the Ohio legal adoption process so that you can have a safe and ethical adoption. Your adoption attorney will be your subject matter expert on Ohio adoption law for your unique adoption situation.

You don’t have to worry about finding your own adoption attorney when you work with us because you get access to our network of trusted adoption attorneys. Here are the three important steps of the legal adoption process in Ohio:

Step 1: Communicate with your personal adoption specialist.  Your specialist is a licensed social worker which means that they are qualified to facilitate your adoption to help you have the best possible adoption experience. A social worker from a licensed agency is necessary to facilitate your legal adoption process in Ohio.

Step 2: Choose your baby’s adoptive parents with our national agency because you have access to hundreds of waiting families. You have the right to choose your baby’s perfect parents in your legal adoption process in Ohio.

Step 3: Sign your adoption paperwork for consent in Ohio when you are ready. According to Ohio adoption law, you have a waiting period of 72 hours before you can legally sign your adoption paperwork. But, during your legal adoption process in Ohio, you can take the time that you need to be confident in your decision for adoption before you sign your adoption paperwork.

You could have additional steps in your legal adoption process in Ohio because each adoption process is unique. When you work with our adoption agency you will also have the support of your adoption specialist and a trusted adoption attorney to ensure that your adoption is a comfortable and fulfilling experience for you.

Do You Have More Ohio Adoption Legal Questions?

In this article, we have listed a few basic Ohio adoption legal questions, but there are so many unique adoption legal questions for every adoption situation and every adoption process in Ohio. When you work with our agency, you will get the personal support that you need from our agency team that includes birth mothers, adoptive parents and adoptees. We have personal and professional experience with many of the adoption legal questions that you may have.

If you have additional Ohio adoption legal questions, you can call us at 1-800-ADOPTION to be connected with an adoption specialist and Ohio adoption attorney. You can also contact us online to learn more adoption information that can help answer your Ohio adoption legal questions.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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