Birth Mother Support in the New Jersey Adoption Process
New Jersey has several laws in place to help birth mothers get their pregnancy costs covered. If you’re considering putting a baby up for adoption in New Jersey, there are a few resources you can use so you don’t have to cover all your pregnancy expenses on your own. As a birth mother you will never have to pay to give a baby up for adoption, even if you work with an adoption agency. Instead, you’ll be able to lower your expenses with all of the resources available to you. We’re going to cover all the types of support birth mothers can get in New Jersey so you know what you’re entitled to in the adoption process.
Birth mother support in New Jersey
If you put your baby up for adoption in New Jersey, you have lots of ways to get help with your pregnancy costs. New Jersey is unique because the state allows adoptive parents to pay for pregnancy-related expenses for birth mothers. The state itself also helps pregnant mothers access affordable medical care to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Outside of financial support, there are also a lot of other resources available to you in New Jersey. Most importantly, you want to feel comfortable as you create your adoption plan. Emotional support can help you make sure you’re making the right choice and feel supported.
The state offers some counseling services and access to support groups, but you can also work with an adoption agency. As part of their adoption services, agencies can explain the adoption process, answer any questions you may have, and help you create an adoption plan. Ultimately their adoption professionals are there to help you make the right decision and support you throughout the process.
Financial support for birth mothers in New Jersey
Unlike in other states, birth mothers can directly get financial assistance from adoptive families in New Jersey. Once you start the adoption process and choose adoptive parents, they may agree to help you cover pregnancy-related expenses. If the adoptive parents agree to help pay for birth parent expenses, they can legally help you pay for:
- Hospital costs related to the birth of the baby
- Any adoption placement or agency costs
- Medical care while pregnant or after birth
It’s important to note that adoptive parents can only help you cover pregnancy expenses until four weeks after you give birth. After that, you may need to rely on other resources or medical insurance to help you. An adoption agency can help you identify all of the aid you qualify for and other resources to help you cover birth parent expenses.
You can learn more about birth parents’ rights in our blog articles about birth father rights and birth mother rights.
Medical expense support for birth mothers in New Jersey
While adoptive families can help you cover the cost of any care, you can also reduce your pregnancy-related medical expenses in New Jersey. Most birth mothers qualify for Medicaid (any single person with an income below $1,677 per month qualifies), and our case workers at A Baby Step Adoption can help you register.
With Medicaid and other resources, you can reduce the cost of your healthcare both during your pregnancy and afterwards. Medicaid covers you throughout your pregnancy and up to 12 months after, so you can continue to get the care that you need. It’s important to register for Medicaid if you’re eligible, since the coverage lasts longer than any financial support from the adoptive parents.
If you choose to work with an adoption agency, they can also help you find doctors that are in-network, whether you’re on Medicaid or have other health insurance. Choosing an in-network doctor helps you save money by getting a bigger part of your medical expenses covered by your health insurance.
Financial support with ABSA
At A Baby Step Adoption, we want to help New Jersey birth mothers in any way we can. That means we try to help you cover expenses so you don’t have to pay anything during the adoption process. We’ll even help you pay for expenses like transportation, or we can help you find a doctor who is covered by your insurance so your medical bills are lower.
Even after your baby is born and placed with an adoptive family, we’ll continue to offer support and help you. We’ll connect you with counselors or help you find a new place to live so you can have a fresh start.
If you’re thinking about giving your baby up for adoption in New Jersey, get in touch with us and see what financial assistance we can help you find. Just remember that adoption will never cost you anything as a birth mother, and a trustworthy adoption agency won’t advertise paying you to give your baby up for adoption.
If you want to know more about our financial assistance for birth mothers in New Jersey, please call or text us at 610-906-8877.