24/7 CRISIS SUPPORT:
Pregnancy ONLY
Hotline: 1-888-731-6601
PWNL After Hours Crisis Hotline: 1-888-955-3339
24/7 CRISIS SUPPORT:
Pregnancy ONLY
Hotline: 1-888-731-6601
PWNL After Hours Crisis Hotline: 1-888-955-3339
We invite you to contact a Barker pregnancy counselor anytime, 24/7, to talk and find out more about your pregnancy options.
If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy, or if you’ve recently given birth and are unsure what to do next, The Barker Adoption Foundation is here for you. Our licensed, adoption-competent pregnancy counselors are available 24/7 to support you in whatever decision is best for you and your baby—whether that’s parenting or making an adoption plan.
Call: 1-888-731-6601
Text: 240-600-1106
Email: info@barkerfoundation.org
Adoption has changed. Today, you’re in control of the process. With Barker, you decide:
Our services are free, confidential, and guided by ethics, empathy, and your rights under Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. law. Whether you’re just finding out you’re pregnant, in your third trimester, or already parenting—we will meet you where you are, in the hospital or elsewhere, and walk alongside you.
We take pride in providing ethical, no-pressure services, and would be honored to work with you. Connect with a Barker counselor to learn about your adoption options today!
Lara Jones
Adoption Counselor
and Clinical Support Specialist
EMAIL: ljones@barkerfoundation.org
BS, Brigham Young University-Idaho; MSW, Case Western Reserve
As the Adoption Counselor and Clinical Support Specialist for Barker’s Domestic Infant Program, Lara provides compassionate and empathetic counseling to expectant parents who are considering adoption and also provides support to prospective families who are seeking to build their family by adoption. Lara has lived experience as an adopted person. She brings her experience, her passion, empathy, and notable clinical skills to her work and is able to help families navigate complex decisions. Lara has worked in a variety of clinical settings prior to her work at Barker, including public and private sector populations. Lara believes that the essence of family is love, acceptance and understanding, and the key to a strong society is in building strong families.
Here are some frequently asked questions that you may have while exploring adoption:
Not every expectant parent is at a point where they are ready to parent a child. Providing a stable and loving family for your child may be the most courageous and responsible decision you can make.
The following are the primary reasons that expectant parents choose adoption:
No matter how far along you are in your pregnancy, now is a good time to call. Our counselors can give you information you may find helpful now and will continue to support you as long as you need it. It is never too early or too late to contact us.
Consents for adoption are signed after the baby’s birth, typically a day after delivery. We will never ask you to sign a consent before the baby is born.
The birth mother and birth father are required to sign consents for adoption. If the birth father is unknown, we can assist in identifying and informing him, or work with the courts to terminate parental rights.
Birth parents working with Barker always have the choice to select the family they feel is best for their baby. When you are ready, your pregnancy counselor will provide scrapbooks made by our waiting families and tell you more about them. Some of these families also choose to appear on our website. Visit our Waiting Families page to view their profiles.
Contact our pregnancy counselors today by calling 1-888-731-6601 or texting them directly at 240-600-1106 to start talking about your options.
There are five essential steps that are part of the adoption process for women considering adoption. Barker’s pregnancy counselors will help you navigate those steps by providing emotional support and honest information and by talking to you about your options in a pressure-free environment. We have worked with women in your exact situation and understand the feelings and questions you may be facing.
Schedule time to meet with a pregnancy counselor and discuss whether making an adoption plan is right for you and your baby. They will meet wherever you feel most comfortable.
Once you have decided, you will work closely with your Barker pregnancy counselor to answer questions like, “What kind of adoptive family would I like for my baby?” “Do I want to stay in contact with my baby?” “How would I want to communicate?” Your adoption plan also includes details regarding your hospital stay. Your pregnancy counselor can assist you in preparing a birth plan for the hospital and can have a social worker advocate for you while you are there.
Selecting adoptive parents for your baby is an important step in the adoption process. Barker has several waiting families. Each prospective adoptive family is screened, local (Maryland, Virginia,or Washington, D.C.), and prepared to provide your baby with the love and support they will need. Once we know more about what is important to you and you are ready to make the next step, we can present you with a selection of family profiles from which to choose.
Now you’ve formalized your adoption plan by signing the appropriate legal consents, and have worked with your adoption counselor to understand your rights in your state. What happens now and where does your baby go? At Barker, you have the option, after signing consent, to have your baby placed directly with the adoptive family that you have selected, or you can choose to have your baby placed temporarily into a Cradle Care home, during the legal timeframe that you have to change your mind about your adoption plan – this is called a revocation period. Learn more about Cradle Care HERE, and the services that are offered to you.
With a Barker adoption, we support you in identifying what kind of post-adoption contact or relationship you wish to maintain with the adoptive family and your birth child and help advocate for those wishes with the chosen family. We also develop the legal document that outlines the adoption arrangement that you and the adoptive family agree upon.
Creating an adoption plan for your baby is often emotional, and the support you receive throughout this delicate process does not end once you leave the hospital. Barker’s pregnancy counselors and our Family and Post-Adoption Services are available to you even after the placement. Services range from individual counseling to a free monthly support group exclusively for birth parents. Ask your pregnancy counselor about the various post-adoption services and support available to you after placement.
We hope these steps create a better picture of what your adoption plan and process may look like. We encourage you to speak to a Barker pregnancy counselor today to discuss any of these steps in greater detail. It is never too early or too late to reach out or to explore your options or start the process. Call our free and confidential line today at 1-888-731-6601.
Meet Aaren. Aaren was a senior in college when she faced an unexpected life-changing event. After learning she was expecting she decided to find help, which ultimately led her to Barker. Learn more about Aaren’s journey and experience working with a Barker pregnancy counselor.
We invite you to contact a Barker pregnancy counselor anytime, 24/7, to talk and find out more about your pregnancy options.
Here are some frequently asked questions that you may have about the adoption process:
Absolutely not. We offer counseling to you with no strings attached. We are here to help you decide what is best for you, and if that is parenting, then that is great. Barker will connect you with resources to help you parent successfully, even when adoption is not the plan that you select.
In an agency adoption, each state and jurisdiction has a specified period after birth parents sign consents. During this period, birth parents may reflect upon their decision and, if they so choose, revoke their consents for adoption. This is known as the revocation period. The following periods are in effect in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area:
If you are considering placing your baby for adoption, having limited available resources may be a major challenge. The Barker Adoption Foundation helps birth parents with critical resources such as housing, food, and medical care. Your Barker pregnancy counselor will work with you to tailor a resource plan that meets your specific needs.
We invite you to contact a Barker pregnancy counselor to learn more about how we provide financial and emotional support. Pregnancy counselors are available 24/7.
Call Us: 1-888-731-6601
Text Us: 240-600-1106
Email Us
Does the birth father have to agree to adoption? How do I tell him about my adoption plan?
What if I want to place my child for adoption but the father is unknown, uninvolved, or unsupportive?
We understand and have experience with all of these situations. A pregnancy counselor can discuss the birth father’s rights and the options that are available.
Below are some frequently asked questions you may have about the role of birth fathers and the adoption process.
We understand that this can be a delicate time for each of you, and your support to each other is invaluable. Expectant parents who are considering an adoption plan for their baby together may choose to speak to a counselor together, individually, or some of both. Barker’s pregnancy counselors will provide confidential support as you work through your thoughts about the process.
Many times in an unplanned pregnancy the focus is primarily on the birth mother and her feelings during this time. In most circumstances, birth fathers also face similar emotions of grief, sadness, and even embarrassment when faced with their partner's unexpected pregnancy. If you are a father in a similar situation, please understand that these feelings are common and that supporting an adoption plan for your baby does not mean that you are irresponsible, weak, or a man not living up to the responsibilities of a father. In fact, considering adoption for your baby is the exact opposite. Barker pregnancy counselors can work with you individually or with you and your partner to explain all your options and how the adoption process works. Call 1-888-731-6601 today for free confidential support and services.
Adoption is a formal transfer of all financial and legal parental responsibility. You will have no responsibility to pay any fees or child support for your child if you chose to place your child for adoption.
Having an unknown birth father does not have to end your plans for adoption. While you may be feeling scared and overwhelmed, you are not alone. We help you understand the laws in each state and will hold your hand through the process of making sure that you follow the legal guidelines for creating an ethical adoption plan.
Adoption has changed a lot over the last few decades. No longer are things a secret. Today birth mothers and birth fathers are typically very involved with all aspects of the adoption process, including selecting, meeting, and requesting regular communication with the adoptive parents. Open adoption is positive for all involved, most important the child. Contrary to previous beliefs, children in open adoptions have no confusion as to who their parents are. If anything, openness can help children understand adoption.
There are several degrees of openness, and your Barker pregnancy counselor will help you explore what kind of contact you would like. That might include a periodic exchange of pictures and letters or a visit from time to time. We have a lot of experience in this area and will guide you through these important decisions when you create your adoption plan.
In an open or semi-open adoption, birth parents may wish to meet the adoptive parents they chose during and after the pregnancy. The birth parents may also request regular communication with the adoptive parents after the placement. Each situation is unique and can be tailored to the kind of experience that gives you, the birth parent, peace of mind knowing that you chose what is best for you and your child.
Hear from a Barker birth mom and her experience with open adoption.
Here are some frequently asked questions that you may have while exploring the levels of contact you may want for your adoption plan:
A closed adoption occurs when the adoptive family and birth mother and/or birth father choose not to have contact prior to or after the placement of the child.
Birth parents working with Barker always have the choice to select the family they feel is best for their baby. When you are ready, your pregnancy counselor will provide scrapbooks made by our waiting families and tell you more about them. Some of these families also choose to appear on our website. Visit our Waiting Families page to view their profiles.
The families ready to adopt include individuals and couples who have stable and loving homes and are of all religious, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. They each prepare a scrapbook, with photos and information about
themselves, their family, their home, and their hobbies, to help you understand what is truly important to them and what kind of life they envision and can provide for a child they adopt.