Pregnant & Considering Adoption?

The Adoption Process

Many who are new to the world of adoption have preconceived ideas about who a birth mother is and why she chooses adoption. Our clients come from all walks of life and have different, selfless reasons for choosing adoption.

For example, we work with women who:

are struggling financially and cannot support a child or an additional child
want their child raised in a two-parent home
have other goals that they want to accomplish before entering motherhood
simply aren’t ready for the responsibility of parenthood

It takes courage, strength, and deep, unconditional love to make an adoption plan. Whatever your reasons for choosing adoption for your baby, we can help you provide the life you want for your child.

Call us today at (480)420-2900 or email Kristy or Cory to learn more about how adoption can work for you.

Step 1: Contact Us to Learn More About Adoption

Even if you’re still unsure whether you want to place your baby for adoption, call or email us today. Our supportive attorneys will explain the adoption process and answer any initial questions you may have. Before you commit to adoption, let us provide the information you need to make an informed decision. There is never any pressure. This is your decision.

Stuart & Blackwell

Kristy: kbb@stuartandblackwell.com

(480)420-2900

Step 2: In Person Visit

We’ll come to you. You’re always welcome here, but we know it’s not always easy to come to our office. Our caring team of attorneys, counselors, and caseworkers are all here in Arizona and available to meet with you in person. They will help you design an adoption plan that reflects your unique wants and needs during this pregnancy. You get to choose the family you want for your child, choose how much contact you would like with the adoptive family and child, and choose your hospital plan. There is no one way adoption can look, and we want to make sure you are aware of all the choices available to you on your path to adoption.

Step 3: Develop a Plan

Help us put together a plan to support your needs during the pregnancy, both financial and emotional. Making an adoption plan for your child can be extremely difficult, even when it’s the right decision. We can help provide support for living expenses, food, transportation, and medical expenses.

An adoption plan includes taking care of you and your baby. We know it’s an incredibly personal and emotional journey. Therefore, one of the most important aspects of an adoption is counseling. For birthmothers, a counselor is their main line of support, a person they can go to with no agenda other than to help you navigate this emotional time. From working through the decision to adopt in the first place to telling friends and family or forming a relationship with an adoptive family and coming up with a birth plan, your counselor will be there to prepare you for each step.

Step 4: Know Your Rights

Knowing your rights as a Birthmother under Arizona adoption law is key to protecting yourself and your baby during this time. Working with a private adoption attorney will give you peace of mind knowing your rights are protected.

While many large adoption agencies can feel impersonal, Kristy and Cory are both private adoption attorneys devoted to you and your child. They will walk you through the legal processes and paperwork in person to make sure you are fully knowledgeable of the legal action taking place. Unlike agencies that also represent the adoptive family, we never represent both sides of an adoption. When you make an adoption plan at Stuart & Blackwell, we will ONLY represent you. We will ensure this adoption proceeds with you in mind, every step of the way.

Step 5: Create a Birthing and Hospital Plan

When the time comes for your baby to be born, we will already have a birthing and hospital plan in place. We will make sure you have the support you need at the hospital and can work with the nursing and hospital staff to ensure your plan is fulfilled. The adoptive family will arrive to begin bonding with the baby and would love to get to know you as much as you are comfortable, but the choice is yours.

Upon discharge from the hospital, the baby will go directly home from the hospital with the adoptive family and never into foster care. Nothing will happen without your consent. As a Birthmother, your child is yours. It is up to you to decide what is best for him or her. The final paperwork cannot be signed until 3 days after your child is born. At that time, you will make the final decision. Once the papers are signed, your child is legally under the custody and responsibility of his or her new family. You can relax knowing that you have the time to make a decision that is right for you and your baby.

Step 6: Create Post-Placement Plan

At Stuart & Blackwell, we know adoption is hard, but it doesn’t end there. After you have placed your baby in his or her new family, by law you are entitled to 6 weeks of post-pregnancy care in the form of living expenses and counseling. Post-adoption support is often just as important in terms of maintaining a healthy emotional state. We encourage Birthmothers to look ahead to this time and plan what your life may look like after the pregnancy. Will you join a Birthparent support group? Will you go back to school or work? At Stuart & Blackwell, we are here to help you think through and plan more than just your adoption. We want your story to be a success and we will support you as best we can.

Looking For Adoptive Parents?

Meet Our Adoptive Parents

You have the ability to choose the adoptive parents your child will grow up with, as well as meet them before your baby is born. You can also maintain communication with them after your adoption is complete.

While we hold adoptive parent profiles here as a convenience and service to our expectant mother clients, we do not represent the adoptive family you choose. When we represent only you, we are able to focus solely on your needs, rather than those of a prospective adoptive family. We have many contacts to locate families wanting to adopt in Arizona and throughout the U.S., so we will help you find the perfect adoptive family for your child, no matter where they are. When you work with Stuart & Blackwell, you are involved and in charge of every step in your adoption journey.

If you call us at 480-420-2900, we will ask you what you are looking for and what your preferences are and we will find out how we can find the perfect family for your child. Our processes help us evaluate your circumstances and situation to determine which adoptive family will best meet your goals.

What if DCS is Involved?

DCS is the Department of Child Safety in Arizona. Some expectant mothers are unsure if adoption is available to them because DCS has been involved with their other children or because they fear the hospital will report their pregnancy and delivery to DCS. Every expectant mother has the right to create an adoption plan for her unborn child (or any child not yet in state custody) and that child can be placed with the prospective adoptive parents of your choice without ever entering the foster care system. If there is a documented adoption plan in place with prospective adoptive parents who have a valid and current home study (certified to adopt in Arizona), then DCS will not interfere with that adoption plan, even if you have other children who may be in foster care.

The sooner you start your adoption plan, the easier it is for us to keep DCS informed of your decision and out of the way of your hospital experience. If you are late in your pregnancy or even at the hospital, it may not be too late. With a private adoption, you not only get to choose the adoptive parents for this child, you can also choose to have an open adoption that may include visits.

Resources For You

When expectant mothers make an adoption plan with Stuart & Blackwell, we can help with housing needs. We will help you find more permanent and stable housing if its needed. We want to help lower your stress and provide you with a safe living environment during your pregnancy. It’s our goal to help you create a longer-term housing plan, when needed, so that after placement you continue to have a safe residence. We will help create that housing plan through adoption living expenses and with the assistance of community resources.

Housing & Rent Assistance for Expectant Mothers

A New Leaf
Support services to help individuals and families in crisis. Vulnerable families receive emergency help and life-changing programs for a new start. Crisis and family services with 25 program sites Valley wide.
Phone: (480)833-9200
https://www.turnanewleaf.org/

Central Arizona Shelter Services
Emergency shelter and support services to men, women and children experiencing homelessness.
Phone: (602)256-6945
https://www.cassaz.org/

Family Housing Hub
Emergency shelter in Phoenix for families with children. Provides services to protect housing consumers and revitalize communities to make Arizona the best place to live.
Phone: (602)296-6879
https://housing.az.gov/

Lutheran Social Ministries
Works to relieve hunger and homelessness for neighbors facing extreme poverty through food pantries, rent and utility assistance and emergency shelter. Serving all Arizona counties, including the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, Mesa, Glendale, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Payson, Prescott Valley, Casa Grande,
Arizona City, Douglas, Sierra Vista and Nogales, Arizona.
Phone: (480)654-4539
http://www.lss-sw.org/

Maricopa County Human Services
Affordable housing, support shelter and rapid re-housing for homeless adults and families. Home and energy efficiency services, including emergency home repairs.
Phone: (602)506-5911
https://www.maricopa.gov/491/Housing-Community-Development

Salvation Army
Offers outreach services to families experiencing homelessness by providing aid with basic needs items, such as food, hygiene, and transportation and help in obtaining identifying documents to increase eligibility for services.
Phone: (602)267-4195
https://www.salvationarmyphoenix.org/homeless-services

St. Vincent de Paul
Short-term financial help. Emergency financial assistance and aid. Help with food, clothing and housing.
Phone: (602)261-6856
https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/

Food Banks

Association of Arizona Food Banks
Directory listing of food banks searchable by zip code:
http://www.azfoodbanks.org/index.php/foodbank/index/

All Faith Community Services: Buckeye
214 S 5th St
Buckeye, AZ 85326
Phone: (602)652-2415

All Faith Community Services: Goodyear
918 S Litchfield Rd
Goodyear, AZ 85338
Phone: (480)652-2415

All Tribes Assembly of God Church
1710 W Highland Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85015
Phone: (602)728-0699

Andre House of Arizona Inc
213 S 11th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602)252-9023

Apache Junction Food Bank
575 N Idaho Rd Ste 701
Apache Junction, AZ 85119
Phone: (480)983-2995

AZCEND
345 S California St
Chandler, AZ 85225
Phone: (480)963-1423

Birdsprings Chapter House
Winslow, Arizona
Phone: (928)686-3266

Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless
509 Romero St
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Phone: (520)432-7839

Bread of Life Mission
1575 S Sullivan Ln
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
Phone: (928)567-6931

Bread of Life Mission of Holbrook
885 Hermosa Dr
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Phone: (928)524-3874

Caring Ministries
820 W Calle Sur
Tucson, AZ 85705
Phone: (520)882-2645

Chandler CARE Center
777 E Galveston St
Chandler, AZ 85225
Phone: (480)812-7900

Chicanos Por La Causa
1617 N 45th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85035
Phone: (602)272-0054

Church on the Street
341 Robinson Dr
Prescott, AZ 86303
Phone: (928)771-8428

Joshua Tree
214 E Willetta St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: (602)264-0223

Living Streams Church Food Pantry
7000 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85020
Phone: (602)957-7500

Society of St. Vincent de Paul
1075 W Jackson St
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602)850-6746