What is adoption?
Adoption is the legal placement of a child with people who will raise the child as their own.

What is an “open” adoption?
An open adoption involves an agreement between a child's adoptive family and their birth family that says that the two families will keep in touch. In other words, open adoption allows for birth parents to contact the child they gave birth to through letters, pictures or visits with the child and his or her family.

Is adoption permanent?
Yes. Once placed, the child becomes permanently and legally part of the adoptive family with full rights to inheritance and a lifetime family relationship.

What “qualifications” must a couple meet before they are approved as prospective adoptive parents?
At the Nebraska Children's Home, adoptive parents go through a fairly lengthy process in order to become “approved”. They attend group meetings, interviews, they complete a lot of paperwork, and they go through a “home study”. They must provide us with a financial statement so that we can be sure that they are financially capable of adding another member to their family. They must also provide us with a statement from their physician showing us that they are physically and emotionally prepared for a child. Criminal history records, sex offender registries, local police and sheriff's reports, and child abuse and neglect checks are obtained on all families. Along with these requirements, the Nebraska Children's Home also makes sure to properly educate these families on raising a child who is adopted.

How much can I know about the adoptive family?
You can be very involved in choosing an adoptive family for your child; or you can also choose to be completely uninvolved. When choosing prospective adoptive families, you are given profiles of each family. Profiles include information about potential adoptive families’ ages, their physical and personality descriptions, their marriage, religion, lifestyle, occupation and education, feelings about birth parents, and more.

Does the Nebraska Children's Home deal with couples from out of the state, or must they live in Nebraska?
All of the families approved through the Nebraska Children's Home live in the state of Nebraska. We will only place a child with a couple living outside of the state if you identify a couple in another state that you would like to have parent your child. The identified family must also have a completed home study.

Am I permitted to know how long the couple has been waiting for a child and why?
Yes. You may receive that information if you request it. Usually, the number of couples waiting to adopt far outnumber the people who choose to place their children for adoption, so many couples wait for a long time.
Will the agency or the adoptive couple cover my medical expenses?
The Nebraska Children's Home will help cover any medical expenses related to the pregnancy if a placement does occur by assisting you in gaining financial assistance from community and government organizations. All financial assistance is on a case-by-case basis.

What is the adoptive family allowed to know about me and what do they usually want to know?
Adoptive families are allowed to know whatever you want to share. Families usually want to know a lot about birth parents. They like to know medical and ethnic information as well as hobbies, educational experience, personality characteristics, and more.

What information is needed from the birth father?
We like to get as much information from the birth father as possible. We realize that this is not always realistic, but we also realize that the birth father provides one half of a child’s heritage and thus his information is very important to the child. If the birth father chooses to be involved in the process, we are available to answer questions and support him in any way we can. (Link to A Father’s Role section)

When, if at all, does the father have to be present in the adoption process?
Nebraska law requires that all possible birth fathers be notified of the adoption plan by a certified/registered letter. The letter asks them to contact the Nebraska Children's Home to discuss the adoption plan. We prefer to have the birth father present to sign relinquishment papers, but if he chooses not to come forward, he has five days after the birth of the baby or receipt of the certified letter to respond. If the birth father does not respond, his rights are automatically terminated. Of course, if the birth father chooses to be involved in the process, we would invite and encourage him to take an active role in the adoptive placement.

Do my parents have to sign papers in order for me to make an adoption plan?
No. Adoption is a decision that only birth parents can make. Adoption does not require parental permission in the state of Nebraska.

Do I have to go to court?
No, not in the state of Nebraska. The Nebraska Children's Home does all of its own legal paperwork.

How soon after the baby is born can it be placed in an adoptive home?
Nebraska state licensing regulations require that a birth mother wait for 48 hours after the birth of her baby before she signs relinquishment papers. A baby can be placed into an adoptive home any time after 48 hours is up.

May I write the adoptive parents a letter explaining to them the reasons why I made an adoptive plan?
We encourage birth parents to write a letter not only to the adoptive parents but also to their child. Birth parents can be assured that anything given to us for the child or adoptive parents will be passed along to them.

If I make an adoptive plan, am I able to see the baby in the hospital?
Yes. You are able to see, touch, hold, feed, and room-in with your baby while you are in the hospital. You can have anyone you want come and see you in the hospital. At this point, the baby is yours and you have parental rights over the child until relinquishment papers are signed.

If I make an adoptive plan, can I name the baby?
Yes, you can name your baby. In fact, we encourage you to do so. Adopted children have two birth certificates – the original that is completed by the birth parents and the amended certificate that they receive when the adoption is finalized with the adoptive parents’ names on it. Some adoptive families keep the name that the birth parents choose, and some do not. If the name is of some significance to the birth family, we encourage them to share that information with the adoptive family. Many families incorporate both names into the child's final legal name.

What if my baby is born with birth defects? Do adoptive parents still want to adopt?
This usually depends on the significance of the birth defect. Some families are not capable of caring for a child with birth defects, so the agency finds another family with the right qualifications. There are many families that are willing and interested in adopting children with special needs.

Am I able to have a visit with my baby before I sign the adoption papers?
Yes. Most often, relinquishment forms are signed after discharge from the hospital, and you are often present at the adoptive placement.

When do I have to sign the relinquishment papers?
You sign the relinquishment papers when you are ready. Nebraska state licensing regulations state that relinquishments cannot be taken until 48 hours after the birth. Nothing is signed before the birth of the baby.

Once I sign the adoption papers, can I change my mind?
No. In the state of Nebraska, relinquishments are “legal and binding” upon signature. Birth parents cannot change their minds once relinquishments are signed.

If for some reason there is an accident and a child's adoptive parents are killed, are birth parents responsible for the child?
No. Adoptive families, like birth families, make arrangements for their children in case of an accident.

May birth parents have a picture of the baby?
Absolutely! Many birth parents take lots of pictures in the hospital before they and the baby are discharged. Agreements are made with the adoptive family as to the sharing of pictures and letters prior to the placement of the child.

What do birth parents send along with their babies to the adoptive home?
Birth parents send things like gifts, letters, books, and pictures along with the baby at the time of placement. Birth parents usually share similar items after placement as well.

After the adoption is finalized, do birth parents need to have any further contact with the Nebraska Children's Home?
No. Birth parents are under no obligation to have further contact with the agency after the placement of the child; however, the Nebraska Children's Home does provide post-adoptive support services that are available to birth parents if they choose to use them. In most cases, a relationship is established between the birth parents and the adoptive parents that allows for ongoing visits and information.

What do adoption agency files contain?
The files contain information about the birth parents including medical background, meeting notes, and legal documents.

Who has access to a birth parent's file at the agency?
The birth parent caseworker and supervisor.

Can birth parents request that their files be sealed?
In Nebraska, adoption files are sealed until the child reaches the age of 21, unless they were placed prior to 9/88. For those placed before 9/88, files are sealed until age 25. This means that the child is unable to obtain his original birth certificate until that age. Birth parents can also request that the files be sealed after the child reaches the appropriate age. The agency does not seal its files unless the birth parents request it, so an adult adoptee may request information from the agency although identifying information will not be given without the permission of the birth parent.

How can Nebraska Children's Home help me?
We can help you with your personal plan, and we can give you more information about how to decide whether or not single parenting is for you. Remember, you can call our toll-free number at any time- 800-390-6754 or reach a caseworker at a local office or email us at support@nchs.org .

We’re here to help you no matter what you decide. We are simply interested in helping you to find the best plan for you and your child. Once you get together with one of our caseworkers, we can talk about taking care of your pregnancy-related needs and about the decisions that lie ahead for you.

Your meetings and phone calls will all be held in the strictest of confidence, and you won’t be obligated to do anything. We want to see your child living a happy life with the best possible chances for meeting his or her own goals for a great future. Call or e-mail us to find out more about how we can help you to make the best decision for your baby and for you.

The Children's Home has nine offices throughout the state of Nebraska. If you would like to talk with someone at one of these offices, please visit our Statewide Locations page to find the location of the office nearest you.