Do I Need the Birth Father’s Consent to Consider Adoption as an Option for my Unplanned Pregnancy in Colorado?
Telling your child’s birth father that you’re expecting might be one of the hardest parts of facing an unplanned pregnancy. The type of relationship you have with the birth father can strongly impact your choices. Your child’s birth father might be supportive of an adoption decision. But many birth fathers are unknown, uninvolved, or unsupportive. That can impact the adoption process in Colorado. You might be wondering whether you will need the birth father’s consent to consider adoption. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we will guide you on how to proceed with the adoption if the birth father is unknown, uninvolved, or unsupportive.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Can the Birth Father Force Me to Parent the Baby?
No one, including your child’s birth father, can force you to parent a child you aren’t ready or willing to parent. No matter what the situation, there are options, including adoption, for any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.
It’s also important to note that no one can force you to give up your baby for adoption. Whether or not you’re ready to parent a child is your decision and your decision alone. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we can help you figure out which option is the best for you and your baby, but ultimately, the choice is yours.
What Rights Does the Birth Father Have in the Adoption Process in Colorado?
The adoption laws in Colorado include the birth father’s rights in adoption situations just as they do birth mothers. Your Adoption Choices of Colorado caseworker will be able to answer a lot of your questions regarding the birth father’s legal rights. Typically both the birth mother and birth father sign agreements terminating their individual parental rights, allowing the adoption to proceed. However, that doesn’t mean that adoption is impossible for you without the consent of the baby’s birth father. But it is important to educate yourself regarding birth father rights in Colorado for your specific situation so you can make the best decision possible for yourself and your baby.
At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we have experienced many wonderful adoption stories of birth mothers from several different birth father situations. Whether you’re a pregnant teen facing an unplanned pregnancy or a married woman with other children, we have very likely helped other women in similar circumstances in the past. Right now, you might be in crisis, and a positive outcome might seem impossible. We are here to help you get through the crisis phase and work towards the best possible outcome for you and your baby.
What if I’m Scared of My Baby’s Birth Father?
Sometimes an expectant mother has a legitimate reason to fear for her own safety or the safety of her baby because of the child’s birth father. The State of Colorado has laws in place to protect both the mother and the baby in just such a situation. Your caseworker at Adoption Choices of Colorado can help you take the appropriate steps to keep yourself and your baby safe, including putting you in contact with an adoption attorney who understands how the laws apply in each unique situation.
Do I Need an Adoption Attorney for a Private Adoption in Colorado if I Have the Birth Father’s Consent?
Only an adoption attorney will be able to accurately advise you on whether you will need the birth father’s consent and how the laws in Colorado apply to your specific circumstance. Every birth father situation will be handled differently, as birth fathers adoption laws in Colorado are applied to individual situations.
Larger cities, such as Denver or Colorado Springs, have many attorneys specializing in adoption law. Even if you don’t live near a major city, your caseworker can help connect you with an expert on adoption law who can help. Don’t worry about whether or not you can afford an adoption attorney. Adoption Choices of Colorado will help you access the resources you need throughout the adoption process.
It is important to note that Adoption Choices of Colorado is not giving you legal advice. However, we can and will connect you with an attorney who specializes in adoption law in Colorado who can help you understand the law as it applies to your specific situation.
Contact us today to speak with a caseworker who will be able to answer many of your questions or refer you to a credible adoption attorney for those we cannot legally answer.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Education, majoring in English and Social Sciences, Brianne Davis has spent her adult life as an educator; first in the public schools, later through martial arts. Her ability to convey difficult concepts, navigate varied learning styles, and always keep it interesting defined her reputation as an impactful instructor. Many of her early published blogs centered on the goal of helping other instructors effectively teach children for whom learning is a struggle. Once an empty nester, she committed to sitting in traffic less and writing more. With those goals in mind, she, along with her husband and dogs, packed up, sold their family home and moved to the banks of the Columbia River in Central Washington’s wine country, where the pace of life is slower and the sun shines brighter. Realizing in our modern age, more of us turn to the internet for information than ever before, Brianne, now dedicates her time to educating others through blog writing.
As a life-long information junkie, Brianne enjoys taking deep dives into new topics, then condensing them in an interesting way to convey valuable information in a relatively short amount of space. Once her career, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts remain hobbies, along with boating, reading, and traveling.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!