Frequently asked questions

Although we have “adoption” in our agency name, our counselors are committed to providing unbiased, all-options counseling to all people who are pregnant or parenting. Our first priority when working with any pregnant person is to support them in exploring all of their options. The majority of people who access our counseling services do not ultimately choose to plan an adoption.

Yes, we welcome the cooperation and participation of the non-pregnant parent. Ideally, both parents help choose the adoptive family, meet them, and develop ongoing relationships. Each birth parent can create a separate Open Adoption Agreement with the adoptive family. Adoptees benefit from knowing all parts of who they are.

Yes, our counseling continues to be available to provide support, resources, and referrals after an abortion or parenting choice has been made. We are not a mental health provider, but can help people explore other resources for ongoing help and support as needed.

We are not an abortion provider. We provide abortion resources, support, and referrals to trusted organizations/providers.

We provide information about supports available and help people connect with community resources for all options, including parenting.

We are a nonprofit, full-service agency that provides no-cost all-options pregnancy counseling. We’re pro-choice, promote reproductive justice, and are not religiously affiliated. When the choice is adoption, we provide pre- and post-placement counseling and support for adoptee-centered open adoptions. We have an active adoption community and host events to encourage ongoing education, build relationships, and provide lifelong support. Our board of directors is led by a birth parent and comprised of adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents who all help inform our services.

Our options counseling is free, and is offered for as long as needed.

Someone facing an unplanned pregnancy can choose to terminate the pregnancy by having an abortion, or can choose to continue the pregnancy. If they choose to continue the pregnancy, they can choose to parent the child or plan an adoption.

In all-options counseling, we support people as they explore their pregnancy options, including parenting, adoption, and abortion. We do not advocate for any particular choice. We ask the expectant parents we are working with to reflect on their values and consider how each choice might affect their life. We support people in whatever decision they make.

No. In our child-centered adoptions, we recognize that sex assigned at birth does not determine one’s gender identity.

At OA&FS we welcome people of all backgrounds, and we honor and celebrate the diversity of all our clients. We mutually assess the fit of our open adoption philosophy with prospective adoptive families who are exploring working with our agency. In our homestudy process, we ensure that families meet the state’s standards for prospective adoptive parents. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to adopt, however, you do need to legally live in the United States as your primary residence. The age limit for prospective adoptive families in our pool of families is 55. A person should consider their age when starting the process to ensure they are considering their family’s capacity and what is best for a possible future adopted child. A prospective adoptive family must have an approved homestudy to adopt a child in any state.

Yes. Adoptive parents from throughout the United States can adopt through OA&FS with the exception of residents of the state of New York, which places restrictions on out-of-state private agency adoption. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen in order to adopt, however, you do need to legally live in the U.S. as your primary residence. On average about 10% of waiting families in our pool reside outside of Washington and Oregon.

We are a nonprofit, full-service agency that provides no-cost all-options pregnancy counseling. We’re pro-choice, promote reproductive justice, and are not religiously affiliated. When the choice is adoption, we provide pre- and post-placement counseling and support for adoptee-centered open adoptions. We have an active adoption community and host events to encourage ongoing education, build relationships, and provide lifelong support. Our board of directors is led by a birth parent and comprised of adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents who all help inform our services.

Adoptive families are chosen by expectant parents, who consider families that are open to their specific situation. When choosing an adoptive family, expectant parents consider what is important to them as they review prospective adoptive family profiles. These profiles include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy.

The number of families in our waiting families pool varies. The current three-year average is 63. We do not limit the number of families in our waiting families pool because we believe that expectant parents should be able to choose from as many families as they can in a given situation. We have found that the number of families stays relatively consistent over time, with families leaving the pool for a variety of reasons, including planning an adoption, becoming parents through another path, or choosing not to pursue parenting after all.

The average wait between pool entry and placement is 20 months. This does not take into account the time spent waiting by families who entered our pool but ultimately did not adopt through OA&FS. Because adoptive families are chosen by the expectant parents, prospective adoptive families can be chosen at any time and should not have expectations that they will be chosen within a particular time period.

An individual or couple must have an approved homestudy completed by a licensed agency and have completed 10 hours of pre-adoption training as part of this process. For OA&FS clients, attendance at our pre-adoption seminar fulfills the 10-hour training requirement.

An individual or couple must have an approved homestudy and have completed 10 hours of pre-adoption training as part of this process. For OA&FS clients, attendance at our pre-adoption seminar fulfills the 10-hour training requirement.

In an open adoption, the adopted child and their adoptive family maintain an ongoing connection to the child’s biological family – often with regular updates, visits, and a relationship that evolves over time like any relationship. This ongoing connection is recognized to be beneficial to everyone involved, especially the child. Our agency was founded in 1985 with a focus on openness, which was not very common at the time. Most adoptions today have some level of openness. Although openness in adoption is now considered a best practice compared with historically closed adoptions, it does not resolve the trauma and grief inherent in adoption.

Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one-on-one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. If a prospective adoptive family is chosen by expectant parents, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Expectant parents or parents considering placing their child for adoption first receive all-options pregnancy counseling. If their choice is adoption, they review prospective adoptive family profiles that include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy while they are also considering what is important to them in an adoptive family. Once an adoptive family has been chosen, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one-on-one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy and have completed their family profile materials, they are able to enter our waiting families pool.

Each step of our preparation process for prospective adoptive parents includes in-depth learning, ongoing assessment, and continuous self-reflection – with the goal of preparing families to best support the ongoing needs of adopted children. This starts with our two-day Pre-Adoption Seminar. The next step is an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If approved to proceed, families complete the homestudy process, which includes more required learning and a series of interviews with their OA&FS counselor. Once they have an approved homestudy report, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. From here, we provide continued opportunities for pre-adoption learning that build on prospective adoptive parents’ commitment to openness in adoption and their understanding of the complexities in adoption. Read more about these preparation steps here.

Each of the prospective adoptive families in our waiting families pool has done considerable reflection on their capacity for parenting, considering what a future child may need. Not all prospective adoptive families feel prepared for every situation, and an OA&FS counselor will work with an expectant parent or parent to determine which families may feel prepared for their specific situation. An expectant parent may also have specific hopes for their future child’s adoptive family, which may also narrow down the families from which they are choosing.

Yes, and we can support your adoption plan. Any adoptive family needs to have an approved homestudy.

Yes, we welcome the cooperation and participation of the non-pregnant parent. Ideally, both parents help choose the adoptive family, meet them, and develop ongoing relationships. Each birth parent can create a separate Open Adoption Agreement with the adoptive family. Adoptees benefit from knowing all parts of who they are.

Sometimes. Hospital time is determined by the expectant parent(s), who decide what level of involvement, if any, they want the prospective adoptive parents to have while at the hospital.

The legal rights of birth fathers vary from state to state, so the laws regarding consent will depend on where you and the prospective adoptive parents you choose live. A counselor can help you understand the legal aspects of your adoption, and you can consult with an independent attorney during the adoption planning process at no charge to you. At OA&FS, we believe that both parents should be involved in making the choice of adoption for their child when possible. Adoptees deserve to have access to information about and connections with both of their biological parents. We recognize that this is not always possible, and we are glad to talk more about your specific situation.

Expectant parents or parents considering placing their child for adoption first receive all-options pregnancy counseling. If their choice is adoption, they review prospective adoptive family profiles that include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy while they are also considering what is important to them in an adoptive family. Once an adoptive family has been chosen, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one on one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. If a prospective adoptive family is chosen by expectant parents, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Adoptive families are chosen by expectant parents, who consider families that are open to their specific situation. When choosing an adoptive family, expectant parents consider what is important to them as they review prospective adoptive family profiles. These profiles include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy.

Hospital time is determined by expectant parents, and can look many different ways. Expectant parents decide how much time they spend with their baby, whether to breastfeed, and when they are ready for legal placement. OA&FS counselors help expectant parents create a written birth plan outlining their wishes, and coordinate with hospital staff to support their plans around their birth and hospital time.

Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one-on-one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. If a prospective adoptive family is chosen by expectant parents, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Expectant parents or parents considering placing their child for adoption first receive all-options pregnancy counseling. If their choice is adoption, they review prospective adoptive family profiles that include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy while they are also considering what is important to them in an adoptive family. Once an adoptive family has been chosen, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Each step of our preparation process for prospective adoptive parents includes in-depth learning, ongoing assessment, and continuous self-reflection – with the goal of preparing families to best support the ongoing needs of adopted children. This starts with our two-day Pre-Adoption Seminar. The next step is an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If approved to proceed, families complete the homestudy process, which includes more required learning and a series of interviews with their OA&FS counselor. Once they have an approved homestudy report, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. From here, we provide continued opportunities for pre-adoption learning that build on prospective adoptive parents’ commitment to openness in adoption and their understanding of the complexities in adoption. Read more about these preparation steps here.

In an open adoption, birth and adoptive parents often collaboratively name their child. There are two birth certificates in adoption, an original birth certificate that is completed by the birth parents when a child is born and a second, amended, birth certificate that is completed by the adoptive parents when the adoption is finalized. In some cases, these names are different and in others they are the same. When biological and adoptive families are thinking about naming a child, they are encouraged to think about how the child may someday feel about the story of their name. Many adult adoptees have expressed feeling confused or hurt in learning that their name was changed.

Families who adopt through OA&FS have affirmed their commitment to openness in adoption and have engaged in a thorough learning and reflection process with our agency about why they value an ongoing connection to their child’s birth family. In Oregon and Washington and many other states a legally enforceable open adoption contact agreement can be created as part of an adoption plan. This agreement outlines a minimum level of contact everyone agrees to until the child turns 18. Ongoing contact is discussed during the adoption planning process, and all parties share their vision and hopes for their open adoption relationship. OA&FS provides ongoing support to everyone involved post-placement, including if challenges arise around contact/communication between birth family and the adoptive family.

Adoption is a permanent, life-changing decision, and someone considering adoption may feel differently about this choice at different times. In options counseling, counselors continue to revisit all options and support the person they are working with to feel confident in their choice. Many people who think they want to plan an adoption ultimately make a different choice, and this can sometimes happen after the baby is born and they have the opportunity to meet them. No binding decision regarding adoption can be made until after a baby is born. The laws regarding legal paperwork for adoption vary by state, including how long someone has to change their mind once they have signed legal paperwork. Expectant parents have access to legal representation to help them fully understand their legal rights.

Timing of legal paperwork will vary depending on the laws of the state where the birth parent lives and where the adoption will be finalized. Someone considering making an adoption plan would not sign legal paperwork until they are ready to do so. Birth parents may sign these documents at the hospital if they are planning an adoption for a newborn baby and the adoptive family is leaving the hospital with the baby.

If someone decides to plan an adoption, OA&FS helps them determine what financial support may be available from the adoptive family they choose. The laws regarding pregnancy-related expenses vary from state to state. In some states, these expenses must be court-approved, for example. Expenses may include medical costs, clothing, housing, food, and lost wages.

Whether you are pregnant, just gave birth, or have been parenting, the process is very similar. You can connect with a counselor to explore your options and get support and resources. We frequently are contacted by people who just gave birth and are still in the hospital, in which case we will coordinate with hospital staff to coordinate the options counseling and adoption processes. If you ultimately choose adoption, we will support you through that process. We can plan an adoption for children up to age 3, on whatever timeline feels good to you.

Please share our contact information with any clients whom you would like to refer. Our counselors are available 7 days a week between 7 am and 9 pm by calling 1-800-772-1115 or texting 503-300-6130. They can also fill out an online form. We are also happy to speak to service providers directly; you can reach out on the same intake line to talk to a counselor.

Absolutely! We always start with all-options counseling to help clients assess all available options and make a decision that feels right for them. We provide unbiased, nonjudgmental counseling to anyone who reaches out. Many clients call us before they have made a decision.

While we believe strongly in the benefits of openness to all members of the adoption constellation, especially adoptees, we understand that this does not feel like the right choice for everyone, and we honor the wishes of those who wish to decline the opportunity to be in relationship. We also know that many people who initially plan more closed adoptions may want contact in the future, which is something we are happy to work to facilitate if and when that happens.

We do expect all prospective adoptive parents to be committed to openness in adoption, whether that includes contact with birth parents, or just living their lives in a manner that honors the role of their child’s birth family. We understand that openness looks different for each adoption.

We are always happy to meet a client in person if they prefer. We have offices in Eugene and Portland, Oregon, as well as in Seattle, Washington. We are also available to meet by phone or via video call.

There are no fees for our all-options counseling or for parents who are working with us to explore planning an adoption. There are fees associated with becoming a prospective adoptive parent.

We are happy to discuss the legal aspects of planning an adoption, but we are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice directly. We will help people connect with their own legal counsel free of charge in instances where they desire to do so.

A great place to start is here on our website! You can find detailed information about our services, our values, and how we work with clients. In our Resources section, we also provide recommendations for additional learning materials (for example books and podcasts) that can help individuals and organizations increase their understanding of adoption generally and open adoption specifically.

We love to connect with community service providers. We provide online and in-person trainings about our services, and we are always eager to learn more about other providers. We work hard to develop meaningful relationships with organizations in our local communities, including DCYF and DHS, to provide helpful referrals and up-to-date information to anyone in the community who may need our support.

Yes, we are mandatory reporters and follow all mandatory reporting requirements. This includes any report of child abuse or neglect.

No, it is actually less confusing for a child to have access to information about all parts of who they are and be able to build relationships with their biological and adoptive families. Knowing about their adoption and the people who are a part of it can help adoptees to process and better understand their adoption story.

Adoptees and their biological families choose ways to refer to one another that work for them, and every situation is different. In some cases, an adopted child may refer to a biological parent using the word mother or father (or a variant such as mom, mama, etc.), while in other cases they may choose to refer to them using their first names. During adoption planning, biological and adoptive families often talk about how they will refer to one another, and this can set a foundation for how the child will refer to people. This can also change over time.

In an open adoption, the adopted child and their adoptive family maintain an ongoing connection to the child’s biological family – often with regular updates, visits, and a relationship that evolves over time like any relationship. This ongoing connection is recognized to be beneficial to everyone involved, especially the child. Our agency was founded in 1985 with a focus on openness, which was not very common at the time. Most adoptions today have some level of openness. Although openness in adoption is now considered a best practice compared with historically closed adoptions, it does not resolve the trauma and grief inherent in adoption.

In an open adoption, birth and adoptive parents often collaboratively name their child. There are two birth certificates in adoption, an original birth certificate that is completed by the birth parents when a child is born and a second, amended, birth certificate that is completed by the adoptive parents when the adoption is finalized. In some cases, these names are different and in others they are the same. When biological and adoptive families are thinking about naming a child, they are encouraged to think about how the child may someday feel about the story of their name. Many adult adoptees have expressed feeling confused or hurt in learning that their name was changed.

Birth parents can request that their identity not be shared with adoptive parents in their adoption process, and their choice will be honored. We encourage people to share as much information about themselves as they feel comfortable in cases where they do not want direct contact, so that their child can still know about their birth family as they grow up. Truly closed adoptions are difficult to maintain today because of the many ways people find one another, including social media, DNA tests, and adoptees having the right to access parts of their adoption file (laws vary by state). This means that ongoing confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. A birth parent’s desire to know information about or to have a direct relationship with their child and the adoptive family may shift over time, which is also something that OA&FS would help support.

Yes, and we can support your adoption plan. Any adoptive family needs to have an approved homestudy.

Sometimes. Hospital time is determined by the expectant parent(s), who decide what level of involvement, if any, they want the prospective adoptive parents to have while at the hospital.

At OA&FS we welcome people of all backgrounds, and we honor and celebrate the diversity of all our clients. We mutually assess the fit of our open adoption philosophy with prospective adoptive families who are exploring working with our agency. In our homestudy process, we ensure that families meet the state’s standards for prospective adoptive parents. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to adopt, however, you do need to legally live in the United States as your primary residence. The age limit for prospective adoptive families in our pool of families is 55. A person should consider their age when starting the process to ensure they are considering their family’s capacity and what is best for a possible future adopted child. A prospective adoptive family must have an approved homestudy to adopt a child in any state.

Yes. Adoptive parents from throughout the United States can adopt through OA&FS with the exception of residents of the state of New York, which places restrictions on out-of-state private agency adoption. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen in order to adopt, however, you do need to legally live in the U.S. as your primary residence. On average about 10% of waiting families in our pool reside outside of Washington and Oregon.

OA&FS offers a free adoption information meeting for anyone interested in learning more about adoption through our agency. This is a great place to start!

Expectant parents or parents considering placing their child for adoption first receive all-options pregnancy counseling. If their choice is adoption, they review prospective adoptive family profiles that include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy while they are also considering what is important to them in an adoptive family. Once an adoptive family has been chosen, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one on one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. If a prospective adoptive family is chosen by expectant parents, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.

Adoptive families are chosen by expectant parents, who consider families that are open to their specific situation. When choosing an adoptive family, expectant parents consider what is important to them as they review prospective adoptive family profiles. These profiles include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy.

The number of families in our waiting families pool varies. The current three-year average is 63. We do not limit the number of families in our waiting families pool because we believe that expectant parents should be able to choose from as many families as they can in a given situation. We have found that the number of families stays relatively consistent over time, with families leaving the pool for a variety of reasons, including planning an adoption, becoming parents through another path, or choosing not to pursue parenting after all.