In Michigan, when you place your baby for adoption, decisions about your adoption are yours and yours alone. You oversee what your adoption journey looks like. The choices you get to make include:

• The kind of agency to work with
• The type of adoption agreement to pursue
• The adoptive family that is right for your baby

There may not be any choice more important than selecting the perfect family for your child. Fortunately, there are countless parents wanting to adopt in Michigan and across the nation. The family that is right for you and your baby is out there, and you will soon have the chance to find them. 

If you are asking the basic question, “How will I find adoptive parents for my baby in Michigan?” you are in luck. We are fortunate enough to partner with a national agency to give you access to some family profiles for you to browse. If you are still weighing your decision regarding your unplanned pregnancy, reviewing the profiles of available adoptive couples is one good way to assess whether adoption is right for you.

This guide has the answers about finding an adoptive family for your child in Michigan. If you are at the beginning of your adoption process — whether you have decided to pursue it or not — you are in the right place. And if you are ready to begin your adoption, reach out to an adoption professional today.

Do I Get to Choose the Adoptive Family for My Child in Michigan?

Yes. This is perhaps the most important decision in the whole adoption process, and it is yours and yours alone. The decision to put your child up for adoption requires immense bravery and selflessness. Birth mothers enter the search for an adoptive family with the best interests of their child at the forefront of their mind. When you work with a licensed adoption agency, you will be asked to describe the desired qualities of a potential adoptive family, and they will work on your behalf to find adoption opportunities that fit your needs.

They will then suggest specific family profiles for you. You will get the chance to view them, get a feel for the available families, and make your decision. Since this decision will greatly impact your child’s life, it is among the most important choices you will make. You will not be alone during this process. Your adoption specialist will help you weigh your options if you need some guidance.

How Can I Find Parents to Adopt My Baby in Michigan?

Most women have the advantage of working with adoption experts from a licensed and reputable adoption agency during their search for an adoptive family. If you are still assessing which agency is best for you, you will want to consider the benefits of a national agency vs. a local agency.  

When it comes to finding the perfect adoptive family for your child, national agencies can offer you a larger array of hopeful adoptive families. Because they work with couples from around the country, they simply have more families in their database. On the other hand, if you are looking for families exclusively in Michigan, you might find success with a local agency.

Here are some agencies you may consider working with:

National agencies:

• American Adoptions
• Gladney Center for Adoption
• Beacon House Adoptions

Local agencies:

• Hands Across the Water
• Heaven Sent Adoption Services
• Keane Center for Adoption
• Morning Star Adoption Center

If you are ready to speak to someone now, reach out to an adoption specialist today. A professional will guide you through the process to find an adoptive family in Michigan.

Here’s how that will work:

Step 1: Describe what qualities you want in an adoptive family.

Some women have a clear vision of the kind of family and environment they want for their child. Other women might struggle to articulate what they hope to offer their baby through adoption.

Either way, don’t worry.

Your adoption specialist will ask you some intentional questions that will help you to express what matters most to you. This will become a part of your adoption plan, which in turn will be used to match you with hopeful adoptive families. 

Step 2: Review profiles of hopeful adoptive parents in Michigan.

From here, your adoption specialist will give you access to a number of family profiles to review. These will give you a sense of the family that wants to adopt and — in the beginning stages — might help you to refine your search. When working with a national agency, you may have dozens or even hundreds of family profiles to review. With a local agency, you will probably only be given a handful, simply because they don’t have the same reach.

As you review the family profiles available to you, you will decide if among them is an adoptive family that intrigues you. When this happens, your adoption specialist will set up an initial contact that will most likely be a phone call. You can ask any remaining questions you have before you decide to go forward with this family.

If you would like to view some family profiles now, you can click here to browse families now

Step 3: Get to know the adoptive family.

Talking with a family does not commit you to anything. If you do not feel completely sure after the phone call, you can take your time to decide or go back to the family profiles to consider other families. This is your choice, and your loyalty is to your baby and the life you want to give to them through adoption.

If you decide to go ahead with a hopeful adoptive family, you can continue your relationship in the way that makes you most comfortable. If you would like to keep talking, that is something you can choose. If you would like to meet up with them in person, that is an option too. Of course, if you are more comfortable, you can also choose limited or no contact throughout the pregnancy.

Those that enter open adoption have the chance to foster a relationship that could be lifelong. It may come as a surprise to some that relationships between the birth mother and the adoptive family can flourish and can be more like a familial bond.

What Should I Look for in an Adoptive Family in Michigan?

When you think about the life you want your child to have, what do you see?

There may be aspects of their life that you have strong preferences on, and then others that you are less concerned about. Each adoption is unique, and it is important to listen to yourself and what matters to you most.

Here are some helpful questions to consider:

• Where do you envision your child growing up – an urban area, suburban neighborhood, or rural community? Do you want your child to live in Michigan? Are there certain cultural or geographic landmarks you want them to grow up knowing?
• Are there certain values that you want to be instilled in your child? Do you practice a certain faith that you would like them to grow up with?
• What kinds of activities would you like your child to engage in throughout their life? Do you want them to be encouraged to play sports, participate in volunteer activities, or participate in scouts?
• What type of adoption agreement do you want with your child’s adoptive parents? How much contact would you like to maintain after the adoption? What do you want that contact to look like?
• Are there specific qualities that you want to see exhibited in your child’s adoptive parents? Is it important to you that they are generous, adventurous, or have a sense of humor? Do you want them to have certain hobbies or disciplines in their life?

For some women, it is less about the specifics of a family’s life and more about the feeling they get from the hopeful adoptive couple. Others might have needs or desires that are not covered by your adoption specialist when developing your adoption plan.

Keep in mind that you are in the driver’s seat, and your desires for your child are most important. Expressing what you want will only benefit you as you search for your child’s perfect adoptive family.

View Michigan Adoption Profiles

The first step in the adoption process is to contact an adoption professional. If you would rather begin by viewing family profiles, you can do this today. Watching some of these video profiles first may warm you up to the idea of adoption – or it might confirm an alternate unplanned pregnancy choice for you. If you are sure about adoption but not about what you are looking for in an adoptive family for your child, browsing the database of hopeful adoptive parents might help you articulate some of the qualities you are looking for.

Remember that adoption professionals are here to guide you through the process of finding a family for your baby. Contact us today to get connected with an agency that can help you start your adoption journey.