FAQ on Adoption Series: Adoption Hospital Plans

What is an Adoption Hospital Plan?

The hospital plan is prepared by the prospective birth parent with a social worker or attorney.
A hospital plan is a document that provides an outline of what to expect during the hospital stay for parties involved in an adoption process including but not limited to: attorneys, hospital staff, social workers, and the prospective adoptive family.
The hospital plan outlines the prospective birth parents anticipated expectations of the interaction between the prospective adoptive family and themselves at the hospital. Outlines who will be involved and at what capacity during labor and delivery, time spent alone or shared with the baby, what documents or mementos the birth parents want to take home, preferences regarding special circumstances like babies initial vaccinations, or circumcision of a baby boy, etc., and what hospital. discharge may look like
A birth parent has the right to make changes to a birth plan at anytime.
A hospital plan is a beneficial tool that provides prospective birth parent the autonomy to decide how they prefer the hospital experience to transpire ahead of delivery and the prospective adoptive family knows what to expect before arriving at the hospital.
A hospital plan serves as a guide for what is anticipated, but is not an enforceable or legal document.