Placing a child for adoption is a big decision. Our caseworkers are available to help you consider all options and make the decision that is best for you and your baby. If adoption is the decision you make, here is an overview of what you can expect the process to look like: ​

1. Meet with a Caseworker
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to reach out to one of our caseworkers. There is no obligation to choose adoption if you would like to meet and talk further about what adoption could look like. ​

2. Create an Adoption Plan
Your caseworker can help you create the adoption plan that is best for you and your baby. This includes talking about the level of openness and communication you would like with the adoptive family after the adoption and creating a hospital plan. 
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Birth Fathers have rights in the adoption process. We want to involve the birth father in the process as much as possible, but we understand that sometimes there isn’t a healthy relationship between you and the father. Under these circumstances, our caseworkers can work with these fathers separate from you. We also know that sometimes there are multiple possible birth fathers, or you may not know who the birth father is at all. We will talk individually about your situation and how this effects your case.

3. Choose a Family
You get to choose which family you would like for your child. Families on our waiting list go through an extensive home study process so that CAS can say, to the best of our knowledge, that these are safe and healthy families. The home study process includes background checks, extensive psychological assessments, and 20+ hours of interviewing and training for CAS adoptive families. ​

4. Place Baby with the Family
Hospital time is your time. Who is at the hospital, how much time you have with baby, whether the adoptive family is present for the delivery, these are all decisions you get to make. Then, when it is time to discharge, baby typically goes home with the adoptive family. We do have an interim foster home that can be utilized if needed.  ​

5. Relinquishing Parental Rights
In ND: You will go to court to terminate your parental rights. Typically, this looks like a 10–15-minute hearing. We work with an attorney and make sure you feel prepared and comfortable for this step. You aren’t required to have your own attorney, but you always have the right to one and CAS can help you through this. These court hearings are held in juvenile court, so they are closed to outside attendees. Only guest you want to be there can attend. 

In MN: You must sign consents to the adoption. This cannot be signed until at least 72 hours after birth. Once signed, there is a 10-working day waiting period before these consents become irrevocable. 
*You have the right to change your mind and choose to parent at any time throughout this process up until the court hearing or the 10-day waiting period has passed. At that point your decision is final.

6. Post-Placement Support
We encourage you to continue meeting with your caseworker after your rights have been terminated to help you work through the emotions you are feeling and provide support to you. You can continue to meet with a caseworker as many times as you would like, for as long as you would like for on-going support. Topics we would cover in these meetings could include grief & triggers, future/ goal planning, resilience, disappointment, personal narrative/owning your story, and gratitude & forgiveness. These meetings are voluntary and can be personalized to your unique preferences and situation.

More Questions? 

Our caring staff will guide you through your options to help you make a decision that is best for you and your child.