Many open adoptions involve a contract between the baby’s birthparents and adoptive family that lists how much contact the two will have after the adoption is complete.

If you have a post-adoption contact agreement that is filed with the court at the time your adoptive family finalizes their adoption, the agreement becomes a part of the court’s adoption order and is enforceable.

Most of the time, birthparents and adoptive families use the contract as the foundation for their relationship and end up having more contact than they previously agreed upon. On rare occasions, someone doesn’t abide by their end of the agreement. To enforce it, the person who is complaining about the agreement being broken is encouraged to first talk to the people violating its terms. If that doesn’t work, all of the parties need to go to mediation and see if a resolution can be obtained. Then, if mediation doesn’t work, the parties go in front of a judge and the judge has the power to enforce the contract.

As an adoptive parent… we really felt they took the time to know us

As an adoptive parent, there are many different avenues to explore. We chose AARKS because of their deep experience in the industry, commitment to quality, and their personalized approach to working with adoptive parents. With the large agencies, we felt lost in the shuffle. At AARKS, we really felt they took the time to know us and truly worked on our behalf. The adoption process is a long road and you really want a partner like AARKS to go on that journey with you…

You ladies made a difficult and emotionally turbulent time that much easier for me

Thank you so much for all of your help and support throughout this whole process. Words cannot express my appreciation. You ladies made a difficult and emotionally turbulent time that much easier for me, especially knowing I was surrounded by a wonderful support team. Thank you again for everything…

Within just a few short months, we adopted our beautiful baby

Working with AARKS was a true delight. Their responsiveness to our needs, questions and concerns went above and beyond our expectations. Within just a few short months, we adopted our beautiful baby and have never been happier. Thank you AARKS! 

When we are working with women choosing adoption, we always offer counseling before and after the baby is born: we often find that the women taking advantage of counseling are better equipped to deal with their feelings than those who don’t.

Pregnancy can be expensive: you need to support yourself; stop working towards the end and buy maternity clothes. A lot of the time, even though it is illegal for an employer to discriminate, it is hard to get a job when you are already pregnant.

Because many states recognize the financial hardship that pregnancy imposes, they allow an adoptive family to pay for a birthmothers living expenses during her pregnancy and for a short time after the baby is placed.

The type of expenses allowed vary state by state, but one rule is common everywhere: every expense is carefully tracked and reported to the court to make sure that people are not making illegal transactions and trafficking babies.

If you have decided that adoption is the path you want to pursue, you are probably wondering how we choose the families that we work with and how you can make sure your baby is going to a safe and loving home.

Every adoptive family that AARKS works with has completed a home study. A home study is a report that is created by licensed social worker from an adoption agency and it recommends the family for adoption after researching their background, motives for adopting, financial situation and medical condition.

Then, each family interviews with one of the lawyers at AARKS. Through the process of working together, AARKS gets to know each adoptive family and the type of family they intend to create. When you ask us for specific qualities in people that you want to consider as your adoptive family: we only introduce you to the ones that match your desires.

Lastly, once you have reviewed the adoptive family’s profile and heard what we tell you about them, you have the opportunity to meet them yourself- ultimately, you choose the adoptive family for your baby!

While most people have a specific stereotype in mind of the type of woman that chooses adoption for her baby, the truth is that there is no “type” of person that makes this choice.

Birthmoms come in every age, race and type of background. We have worked with teen moms who thought they were too young to be parents; women at the prime of their careers who did not want to be parents and women who had lost children to the foster care system and wanted to ensure that they maintained contact with the baby they were carrying.

When you are thinking about adoption and contact AARKS, we won’t judge you- our concern is to make sure the women we work with are comfortable with their adoption plan.

Thinking about how you will pay your medical bills can be overwhelming when you are planning your baby’s adoption. Most states allow an adoptive family to pay for medical expenses that you incur during your pregnancy. If you are planning an adoption in California, AARKS will help you get government-subsidized healthcare that will not expire after you give birth. If you are outside of California, we will assist you with signing you up for your state’s programs.