You don’t have to face your unplanned pregnancy alone. As a licensed adoption agency, Adoption Advocates is help you explore your options and provide support as you make choices for you and your baby’s future. If you decide to move forward with adoption, we’ll guide you through every step of the process. (And if not, we’ll respect whatever decision you make.)
Clients in Wichita Falls and surrounding areas in Texas, are served by adoption specialist, Shaelynn Wolfe.
Call or Text: (972) 284-0027
Email: [email protected]
Services Offered for Expectant Parents
Making sure you and your baby stay healthy are a priority, regardless of whether you choose parenting or adoption. There are many resources available to help you during your pregnancy and beyond, including Pregnancy Medicaid for uninsured women who reside in Texas.
Wichita Falls Pregnancy Testing & Family Planning
Community Healthcare Center
200 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
(940) 766-6306
Visit website
Pregnancy Help Center
4011 Seymour Highway
Wichita Falls, TX 76309
Phone: (940) 322-4883
Visit Website
Please note that while we provide links to pregnancy care centers, we do not endorse specific organizations and their beliefs may not represent those of Adoption Advocates.
Wichita Falls Prenatal Care & Hospitals
United Regional
1600 11th Street
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
(940) 764-7000
Visit Website
Seymour Hospital
200 N Stadium Dr.
Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-5572
Learn more
Additional Resources
Texas Health & Human Services Benefits Office
1328 Oakhurst Dr.
Wichita Falls, TX 76302
(940) 767-1720
Benefit Programs: SNAP, TANF, Medicaid for families and children
Apply online for benefits
WIC – Wichita County Health District
1700 Third Street
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
(940) 761-7815
Apply online for WIC
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you can move forward with an adoption plan. Although things will move faster, you will still have the same rights and ability to make choices that an expectant mother does. An adoption specialist will visit you to answer your questions, help you complete paperwork, share waiting family profiles and discuss a post-placement plan. You will receive counseling and support after relinquishment as well, for as long as you choose.
Here’s a look at what to expect with the adoption process if your baby has already been born:
GET IN TOUCH: Reach out to us by calling (512) 477-1122 or texting (512) 270-8415. If you’re still in the hospital, you can ask the hospital’s social worker to help you get in touch with us. We already work with many hospital social workers throughout Texas.
MEET WITH A SPECIALIST: An experienced adoption specialist will visit you as soon as possible, usually within a few hours. She will explain your options, the different types of adoption and what comes next. After learning more about adoption, you’ll decide if you want to move forward with placing your baby for adoption.
MAKE CHOICES: If you’re ready, you’ll begin making choices for you and your baby’s future. You’ll need to decide if you want an open, semi-open or closed adoption. You can start looking at adoptive family profile books and choose one. If you do not want to choose the family, the agency can select for you. Remember, you are still in control of all of your choices.
SIGN PAPERWORK: If you’re sure about adoption and it’s been at least 48 hours since the baby was born, you’ll sign the relinquishment papers. Your chosen adoptive family will be able to take the baby home as soon as the hospital discharges him or her.
The adoption process moves quickly after a baby is born, and 48 hours may not be enough time for you to make a decision. Signing the relinquishment papers is permanent, so you need to be certain this is the right step for you. If you need more time, we can arrange for short-term interim care (also known as cradle care) after your baby is released from the hospital. You’ll be able to continue exploring your options and spend time with your baby before you make a final decision. Even though your relationship with Adoption Advocates began after your baby was born, we hope it doesn’t end there. Many women experience difficult emotions, including grief and sadness, after placement. We’re here to help you through those emotions with adoption counseling for as long as you need, at no cost to you.
An open adoption means that you get to choose the adoptive parents, and you can maintain some degree of contact with them. In an open adoption, you will always be honored as the child’s birth parent, because that’s who you are. In almost all adoption plans, the adoptive parents provide pictures and letters and exchange phone calls with birth parents. Depending on the relationship that develops between you and your adoptive parents, sometimes there is visitation. The most important thing to remember is that an open adoption is what the participants jointly decide that it should be. Open adoption is an informal agreement based on trust and respect.
It’s OK not to be sure about adoption right away. This is a really important decision! Take as much time as you need. Your adoption specialist will discuss all of your options with you — without pressure or judgment. Our goal is to provide support and answers, so that you can make an informed decision.
After speaking to an adoption specialist, you may decide that adoption is not right for you. That’s OK too. If you decide to parent, Adoption Advocates can direct you to resources to provide assistance during your pregnancy and your child’s early years.
Parents who adopt from Adoption Advocates are educated to respect the special bond between the child and the birth family. By knowing you and receiving information from you, they can raise the child that knows where they came from. Although open adoption agreements are not legally enforceable in Texas, chances are that you will choose a family who you like and trust, and they will be committed to honoring their agreement with you.
Start Exploring Adoption Today
Ready to get started? Complete the form below and we’ll be in touch to discuss your situation and see how we can help. You can also reach out directly to our Wichita Falls adoption specialist by calling or texting (972) 284-0027.
