The consolation of giving up your child for adoption is that you have done everything you can to provide your child with the future you would have liked for him or her if your circumstances had been different. Together they may decide the amount of communication they will have as the baby grows up. Sometimes the adoptive parents are even present at the birth of the child. A closed adoption is a confidential arrangement in which no identifying information is exchanged between the two sets of parents. Written information regarding nationality, race, medical background, education, interests, talents, physical characteristics, religion, and personality may be exchanged.
Laws governing adoption vary from state to state and the information below pertains to Illinois .
Signing a surrender, the legal document that terminates parental rights, is a final and irrevocable act. Illinois law requires a birth mother to wait at least 72 hours after the birth of her child before she can sign a surrender document. If the father's name is provided for the birth certificate, the adoption may take place if the father consents to the adoption or files a disclaimer of paternity. If he does not approve of the adoption, he must show he is a fit parent before the court will award him custody of the baby. If the father wishes to pursue obtaining custody of the baby, paternity must be established after the baby is born.