Birthparent Rights

We will make sure that the birthfather’s rights are terminated before you complete your adoption plan.  You will retain your rights until we are able to make sure that the birthfather either joins you in your adoption plan or the necessary steps are taken to terminate his rights.

If the birthfather is involved and supportive of your choice to place, we will include him in your adoption plan. If the birthfather is not involved and you have questions about his potential rights, we can help answer your concerns and address the legal issues for you.  We will handle all communication with the birthfather.  It is not necessary to have his permission for you to proceed with adoption planning. In the state of Washington, any potential birthfather has the right of notification before an adoption can happen. If a possible father is unwilling to sign a consent and / or he cannot be identified or located, his rights can still be terminated.

If you are at risk of Child Protective Services involvement post-birth you have the absolute right to work with our agency to be in control of where your child is placed.  If the child is placed in foster care, you may never know where the child is placed.  If your child is already in foster care and / or in a dependency, you still have the right to consider adoption with our agency, thus regaining control and an open adoption.