Are you pregnant?
	Do you need someone to talk to?
	Here’s how we can help :
	We provide personal one-on-one assistance and compassionate friendship to help you address whatever challenges you face.   If you need a place to live New Beginnings Home can provide a place for you. In a friendship manner we will walk with you to come to a well-informed decision about your future and that of your baby.   We will help you whether you choose to parent or place your child for adoption.
	Don’t go through this alone, let us help.   We have 20 years of experience with young women with unplanned pregnancies.   We can connect you with support services and provide you with physical, emotional and spiritual assistance throughout your pregnancy.   Contact us today.
	Adoption can be a loving and responsible option for you and your baby.   We have quality families just waiting to love you and your baby.    We will assist you in making a plan for yourself and your child.   All of our adoption services are free to pregnant women.

God promises to bring “beauty from ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).   A loving Christian adoption expresses this special beauty from God in the lives of everyone involved in the adoption … the birth families, the adoptive families and in the child’s life.

Considering Adoption

As a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, you have many options to think about.   You want to choose the best plan for yourself and your child.   If you are looking into adoption as a possible parenting plan, the following information will be helpful.

Y Questions     Y Something to think about       Y You are in control      

Y How to contact us    Y Housing, emotional support, medical care          Y Give your baby a family                    Y S teps to adoption

Y Questions …

Many women have chosen adoption as a loving plan for their child.   Here are some questions you might ask about this option:

            What is adoption?

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

Is adoption a permanent option?

Yes.   The child becomes permanently and legally part of the adoptive family with full rights of inheritance and a lifetime family relationship.

Am I being selfish to think of adoption?

No.   Putting the child’s welfare first is a true act of love.   Adoption is a hard decision and hard to do, but knowing your child is in a loving home of your choice gives peace of mind.

Am I likely to feel sadness after adoption?

Yes, you probably will for a time.   You may think about the child you placed for a long time, but knowing the child is happy and that you helped give the child a solid foundation in which to grow, can be a source of strength to you.

Don’t children belong with their birth parents?

Sometimes a birth parent just isn’t ready or able to parent a child.   Children need to be cared for day in and day out, year after year.   They need a stable family.   Adoptive parents may be better able than birth parents to provide a home.

Will people think badly of me for choosing adoption?

There are different attitudes about adoption in our society.   It takes strength and courage to do what you believe to be right.   Selecting adoption may be the most loving option you can choose.   It is your decision.

Will my baby be well taken care of?

The families that are part of our agency have been carefully screened.   All of our families are committed Christians and are ready to love and raise a child.   You have the option to personally select the parents you want for your child.  

Is adoption the easy way out for me?

Far from it.   Adoption is a difficult decision to make.   It might be easier to say, “It’s my baby, and no one is going to tell me what to do.”   But you have to think about what’s best for the child’s future.

What if the father of the baby doesn’t know I’m pregnant?

Eventually, he will have to know.   If you do not want contact with him, we will arrange for someone else to meet with him.   Some of you may not know where the father is or much about him.   Don’t worry, we will help with all these issues.  

Is there someone I can talk to about legal issues?

If you are seriously thinking about adoption for your child, our attorney is glad to meet with you and answer any of your questions.   There is no charge for this.

Y Something to think about …

If I find myself unexpectedly pregnant, abortion and single parenting are my only choices …. right?   

There is a third choice, one that has proven to be a success for birth mothers and children --- the adoption option.   Whichever choice you make will present many hardships.   Adoption may be no more difficult than abortion or single parenting.

My friends and family will think I’m terrible giving up my own flesh and blood.

Adoption is not “giving up”, it is “choosing to give”.   The adoption choice is one you have carefully made out of love for the future of your child and yourself.

I couldn’t stand it not knowing what happened to my baby.

The old fashioned way of doing adoptions (secrecy and no control) is out.   Today, you are in control.   Open adoption allows you to make the decisions regarding the future of your child and yourself.   You will be able to follow your child’s development and receive pictures and updates regularly.

I’ve heard that kids who are adopted have lots of problems.

Not true.   There are many studies done on adopted children, and it has been found that children who are adopted have, among other characteristics, high self-esteem and positive identity at rates as high or higher than their peers.   We can give you more information on these studies if you wish.

What about me?   I feel it is my responsibility to raise my child.

Your responsibility as a parent is to make the very best and informed decision that you can for your child.   Studies show that birth mothers who make an adoption plan typically move on with their life, finish their education, have a career, and eventually marry and have a family.

Y You are in control …

You choose the family you want to raise your child.   Our birth mother advocate will walk you through all the steps and be with you throughout the process and beyond.   These are some questions you may have.

           Does your agency help me decide whether or not to adopt?

Our birth mother advocate will meet with you weekly to help you decide which parenting choice is the best for you.   She will never pressure you one way or the other, but will support your decision.   She will help you made an adoption plan or a parenting plan, whichever one you decide is best for you.

Will you be mad at me if my choice is to self-parent?

No.   The decision regarding your future and your baby’s future is totally yours.   You have to live with your choice for the rest of your life, and we want you to be comfortable with your decision.   You will find us supportive either way.

         How do I find the family I want?   

When you meet with our birth mother advocate, she will explore with you what you are looking for in a family.   Afterwards, she will give you three profiles to read and look at.   If one of those families looks interesting to you, you may ask them more questions via email or you may set up an interview with the family.   We want you to feel totally comfortable with your decision.  

Can I pick a family without meeting them if I choose?

Of course.   You may choose a family from the profiles we will give you.   You never have to meet with them if that is your desire.

If I want no involvement with the adoptive family or my child, will my identity be protected?

Yes!   We will seal your file and only a court order will allow us to share it with anyone.

Can the adoptive family be in the delivery room?

You choose exactly how much you want the adoptive family to be involved.   You may have them in the delivery room or not.   They may stay with you in the hospital or just visit when you want them to.  

Can my baby go home from the hospital with the adoptive parents?

Yes.   We will facilitate all the details regarding this.   Be assured that there will be someone with you during your hospital stay, and we will follow-up afterwards.

What if I don’t want the father of my baby around during my hospital stay?

Who you allow in to see you and your baby is completely your decision.   You are the one who determines the extent of involvement of the birth father.

Can someone take care of my baby while I decide what to do?

Most definitely.   We have families that will care for your baby if you so choose.

Can I ask for pictures and information about my child after adoption?

Of course you can.   We encourage pictures and letters be sent to you often during the first years and then throughout the child’s life.   All of these details will be covered in the Communication Agreement.   (See Steps to Adoption below)

Y How to contact us ...  

You may go directly to the Contact Us link ( click here ) and fill out the form.   It will be emailed immediately to our office and we will contact you.   If you would rather talk to someone, just pick up the phone and call us!   Our number is 1-888-968-2367.  

Y Housing, emotional support, medical care …

What if I need a place to live while I am pregnant?

There is a beautiful home in the Puyallup Valley where you can stay during your pregnancy.   You will live with a family and be able to spend time planning both you and your babies futures.   If you need medical care, a doctor has offered her services to all the women who come to live in this home.   ( Click here for maternity home)

Y Give your baby a family …

Your loving decision to secure a better future for your child includes choosing the parents who will give shape and meaning to his or her life.   Open adoption gives you the opportunity to make your love known to your child throughout his/her life.   Your decision now will set the course your child will travel.

Choosing your son or daughter’s adoptive parents will not be easy.   After all, the decisions you make will last a lifetime!   Identifying the factors on which to base your decision is necessary.   Here are some adoptive parent factors to consider.   You will likely have some of your own that are unique to you.

                        Values                                      Stay-at-home parents

                        Ethnic heritage/race              Family life

                        Religious beliefs                     Income

                        Education                                Chemical usage

                        Siblings                                    Hobbies and interests

                        Birth order                             Home and neighborhood

                        Physical features                   Geographic location

                        Health history                         Personalities

                        Pets                                         Openness in adoption

                        Occupations

Also, there is that sense of connectedness and well-being you feel when you meet the right adoptive parents.   We encourage you to make a list of what is important to you in your search for the shapers of your child’s future.   Play an active role.   Ask questions.   Be comfortable in your decision.

Your choice will reflect your love always.   Press here to look at some of the families that are waiting to love and guide a child.   ( Click here for adoptive families)

Y Steps to adoption …

If you are considering adoption for your child, we would love to sit down and talk with you.   You need to feel comfortable with us.   Our birth mother advocate will meet with you weekly or bi-weekly and also work through issues with any member of the birth family.   Once adoption has been decided, several steps need to be completed.

• Both birth parents need to fill out a medical history form.   We will provide this form.

• Once the background form is completed, birth parents need to begin choosing a family for their child.   Profiles of families that already have homestudies and have completed the training required by our agency will be given to the birth mother.   She may share these profiles with the birth father or any other family member.   Once she has chosen a family, an interview will be arranged if the birth mother wishes.

• A meeting with our attorney will be arranged so the birth family is well acquainted with the legal steps connected to the adoption process.  

• After the birth parents have chosen a family, they need to work on the Communication Agreement.   The Communication Agreement is a document that helps birth parents and adoptive parents structure their relationship.   Birth parents and adoptive parents can spend as much time together as they choose.

• When the baby is born, the birth mother can spend as much time as she wants or needs to with her baby.   Most often, the adoptive parents take the baby home from the hospital.

• After the adoption is completed, birth parents, adoptive parents and the child are able to maintain a relationship as agreed upon in the Communication Agreement.