By Anna Keller

If you are considering giving a child up for adoption, you may be full of questions. You may be wondering exactly how adoption in Nevada or adoption in Las Vegas works. Adoption agencies in NV, like Adoption Choices of Nevada, will connect you with a specialist in your city. Your job is to explain your situation, and they will take care of the rest. However, that is not to say that you will not oversee everything. You are, in fact, in charge of every step of the adoption process. An unplanned pregnancy can be terrifying, especially if you are not involved with the birth father. But adoption agencies like this one do not discriminate against single-birth mothers. Adoption in Las Vegas offers in-person and virtual services to help you along the way.  

If you want to reach out to a local adoption agency, you might ask how far along you have to be. You may be wondering if you have to reach a certain threshold before you are eligible for help. The simple answer is you don’t. You can be as early along in your pregnancy as you would like before you decide to reach out to an agency. Creating your adoption plan can start as early as the day you take your test or even in the later terms of your pregnancy.  

All About the Adoption Intake Process

You may be wondering now, how does intake work? If you don’t know what intake is, it’s the process during which the birth mother is admitted to an agency. The first step is scheduling a phone call with the adoption agency or, if the birth mother prefers, an in-person meeting. The next step is to complete the paperwork during this appointment. This includes medical history, preferences for types of adoptive families, and types of adoption. Finally, the birth mother will provide her signature to obtain medical records. Now you may want to know, when does matching begin?  

Matching happens 20 weeks into the pregnancy. It is important to be patient and focus on yourself as you are going through a very transitional time. Ideally, the birth mother will have an ultrasound before the matching occurs. The adoption specialist will refer them to a clinic or hospital if the birth mother has not received any prenatal care.  

Adoption Expense Coverage  

Another question related to this is how to pay for all these medical expenses if you do not have health insurance. Internally, Nevada law allows the adoptive family to pay for pregnancy-related expenses if they can afford it. These expenses must be pregnancy-related only. They include food, rent, medical treatment, and transportation to checkups. You will be reimbursed for any required expenses before the 20-week period elapses. Once you are matched, the adoptive family will pay you back for your initial expenses. They can continue covering your pregnancy needs until your second month postpartum. Acceptable methods of fund transfer include a wire transfer or an in-person deposit.  

Steps after Adoptive ParentMatching  

Once you are matched, here is what you need to do next. You may ask yourself, how do I initiate contact with my adoptive family? The answer is you don’t have to. A social worker will do that for you. It is your responsibility to continue and maintain contact, but you do not have to break the ice. If you feel more comfortable maintaining contact under the watch of a social worker, you have that option. You also have the choice to do it independently. However, the social worker will frequently check in to ensure everything runs smoothly.  

Meeting the Adoptive Family

Once it is time to meet your family face to face, the family will travel to Nevada and meet you. A social worker will facilitate this meeting. During this time, the social worker will address the Post Adoptive Placement Communication Agreement (PACA). This covers what the birth mother wants out of the adoption process. If you are unsure of what that looks like now, that is okay. You still have plenty of time to figure it out.  

Creating a Hospital Plan for Your Adoption

Next, you will form your hospital plan. You will discuss this with your adoptive family before sending it to the hospital. Sometimes, the birth mother chooses to let one or two members of the adoptive family in the delivery room. This is an option for you if you feel comfortable. However, it is important to note that not every hospital has the same rules. It is your responsibility to find out through your social worker what your chosen hospital allows.  

Adoption Finalization and the Adoption Intake Process

Lastly, you will need to know what happens after birth. You have three days to change your mind about adopting your baby. Once those three days have elapsed, the decision is no longer in your hands. Furthermore, this time does not start until the birth mother is discharged. So, ultimately, you have some time to decide whether you want to keep your baby or not.  

Intake is not always easy, but you have social workers and other assets of support to guide you through the process. Emailing is always an option if you are too afraid to pick up the phone or talk to someone in person. If you aren’t sure if you want adoption and just want to gather information, that is okay too. The agency is here to help you. Your job is to take care of yourself during pregnancy. The agency will cover the rest.  

Adoption Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. You can call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-884-4673 (Carson City).