Pregnant or parenting and considering adoption as an option?

YOU'RE NOT ALONE. WE'RE HERE TO HELP.

Services are 100% free and confidential.

Whether you are pregnant, or your child is already born, we are here to listen and to provide you with useful information so that you can decide what is best for you and your child. Remember there is no right or wrong decision – what is most important is that you make the best decision without any pressure and lots of support.

WHY WORK WITH US

We have been serving families in the adoption process for over 75 years and offer ongoing services for the rest of the lives of our clients to include: adoptive families, adoptees and birth parents.
We only work in Southern Illinois and so we are local and provide personalized services to our families. We can and prefer to meet with our clients face to face.
We only accept adoptive families that will commit to some level of openness in the adoption.

We have strong relationships with organizations and social service agencies in the community.
We work with a limited number of prospective parents each year and believe it is important to keep our adoptive waiting families list diverse.
We understand what you’re going through and the challenges you face. Several of our adoption counselors are adoptive parents or adoptees.
We are honest and transparent about our adoption process, services and fees, and adoption placement statistics.
We provide services to expectant and/or birth parents without any pressure, providing counseling and support to empower women so they can decide what is best for their circumstances.
We welcome all families regardless of religion, ethnic background, race, sexual orientation or ethnic heritage.

SOCIAL WORKER CARE

Explore options for parenting and adoption without any commitment to work with the agency.
Receive comprehensive adoption education, counseling, and support, along with referrals related to educational goals, housing, budgeting, and mental health resources as needed. Discussion of financial support will be explored, when necessary and needed, and within the legality of Illinois law.

ADOPTION PLAN

If you move forward with exploring an adoption plan, the worker will assist with the following:

Reviewing the laws related to birth fathers in the state of Illinois,
and how to go forward with an adoption if the birth father is unknown,
unnamed, or unsupportive, or how to include the birth father if that is the preference.
Gather pertinent and necessary information including background and pregnancy information.
Discuss the legal process of adoption. Caritas works with reputable lawyers who are experienced working in adoption. You can meet with a lawyer who will represent you in the adoption and who will explain your rights.
Educate and discuss types of openness and work with your worker to ﬁnd the right kind
of openness plan for you and your child. We have families who are open to all types of openness in adoption, and we will work to ﬁnd a family that is open to your desired level of openness.
View adoptive family proﬁles and select an adoptive family.
Meet the adoptive family (If you choose not to meet or select the family, the agency can
do this on your behalf).
Make a hospital plan if you desire. Your social worker will help you create a customized
plan before delivery.

FAMILIES WAITING TO ADOPT

There are so many loving families waiting to share their love and lives with a child.
Learn more about the wonderful families who are waiting to adopt through Caritas by visiting their Family Profile.

PREGNANCY OPTIONS COUNSELOR

Melyssa.Frederick@caritasfamily.org

Call Or Text Anytime

618-507-9216

HOSPITAL PROCESS

Your social worker will come to the hospital after delivery to
discuss your decision, provide support, and help you complete
the necessary paperwork.
You will review your decision and consider if your feelings have
changed. Second thoughts and anxieties at this point are normal.
If you decide to parent, we are here to support you in that decision.
If you wish, you can see and/or spend time with your baby (or not),
we will make sure your wishes are honored.

When it is time to leave the hospital, your baby can go directly from the hospital to an adoptive family or if you feel you need more time to decide what happens next, we can provide temporary care for your child with one of our temporary care families, which is not the same as DCFS custody. If you decide you would like visits while the child is in temporary care, that can be arranged, or your child can be returned to you while in temporary care, and once requested,
it can happen as soon as possible.

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ALREADY BORN?

The process is similar to the description above, with the main difference being that the worker takes into account the child’s age, development, and personality. The recommendation is to use temporary care which allows the transition best for the child, the birth family, and the adoptive family. However, options can be explored with preferences of transition for the child/ren.

PLACEMENT

If you are making an adoption plan for an infant, the baby can go home with the adoptive
family from the hospital. For that to happen, it is helpful to select the family before delivery. However, you can make this decision at the hospital or even after the baby is released.
You may voluntarily sign TPR (termination of parental rights) no sooner than 72 hours after giving birth. You are not required to sign these papers at the 72-hour mark, and we encourage you to take your time to make a ﬁnal decision.
Once the mother and/or father sign these forms (ﬁnal and irrevocable surrenders for adoption), the adoption decision is permanent and cannot be changed.

RESOURCES

POST ADOPTION SUPPORT

After placement, the adoptive family will continue to have supervision with their social
worker for 6 months.
Adoptive parents begin the process of legally adopting the child. The adoptive parents become responsible for the child in every way.
Caritas will continue to offer post-adoption support to you for as long as you need it.
You will receive referrals to therapists and other resources for birth parents for post-adoption counseling services and support, based on your needs. Post-adoption counseling is strongly encouraged.
The agency is here to support you with the openness you selected for your adoption plan. Areas of assistance include facilitating ongoing contact with the adoptive family through updates, letters, and post-adoption visits according to your own unique post-adoption openness agreement. The agency is here for whatever needs you may have as you communicate with the adoptive family.

Confidentially contact a Caritas worker anytime through text or a phone call at 618.507.9216, or send an email to Melyssa.Frederick@caritasfamily.org.

As a recent birth mother making an adoption plan for my child, I felt the following: highly supported by my worker, informed about the entire process, I did not feel pressured, and I was given all of my openness options. I would feel very confident referring family or friends to the Caritas adoption options counseling program.

Caritas was able to make our dream come true to become parents. Melyssa was a pleasure to work with, she is very supportive and always made us feel like all of our questions and concerns were important.

Caritas is a wonderful agency that helped me and my family through a very hard time. I found myself expecting another child which I could not afford to keep. Not only did they find a wonderful family for my child, they also found a safe place for my family to call home, transportation between appointments, mental health counseling, and necessities for my children. With such grace and understanding I am happy to recommend this organization to anyone facing difficult situations. You will never feel alone with them by your side.

REACH OUT CONFIDENTIALLY

At Caritas, we respect your privacy and value your trust. Our dedicated team is available to speak with you at any time. Reach out to our on-call number or send us a text at 618-507-9216, and we’ll respond promptly.

Or you can fill out our confidential form below and one of counselors will reach out to you directly.

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