Birth parent rights are absolute if and until they are voluntarily surrendered or terminated by a Court [Birth Parents' Rights and Responsibilities in Illinois].
Birth mothers may consent to adoption at a time more than 72 hours after the birth of a child. Birth fathers may consent to an adoption at any time even including before the birth of a baby, but they have the right to revoke their consent in writing any time up to 72 hours after the birth of the baby.
Many birth parents choose counseling to help with grief and adoption issues. This counseling can be paid for by prospective adoptive parents.
Illinois has a putative father registry [Putative Father Registry] which allows a man to register himself for up to 30 days after the birth of a baby to preserve his right to notice of any pending adoption proceeding.
Adult adoptees often search for their birth parents. Illinois has a registry which facilitates voluntary connections between adult adoptees and birth parents [Adoption Registry].
As an attorney, Ellyn has worked with birth and adoptive families on openness issues. One Birth Mother wrote a college paper about her open adoption experience. Her original essay "Open Arms" is a close look at this part of adoption. |