Adoption means wanting the best possible family for your baby to grow up with. You choose the parents that you feel would be the best fit for you and your child.
Potential Birth Parent
Confidential Options Counseling
Facing an unplanned pregnancy is one of the most personal experiences a person can go through. The questions come quickly, and the weight of each decision can feel significant. Where do you turn? Who can you trust to give you honest, unbiased information without pressure?
At Hopeful Beginnings, we understand that what you need most right now is a safe, confidential space to think through your options. Our options counseling service exists for exactly that purpose.
How Hopeful Beginnings Can Help
Every person who reaches out to us arrives with their own story. There is no single reason someone considers their options during an unplanned pregnancy, and there is no judgment here for whatever your circumstances may be. Below are some of the concerns our social workers hear most often, and how we can support you through each one.
- “I don’t know what my options are.” We walk you through each available path, including parenting, adoption, and referral to medical providers for other options, so you have a full, clear picture before making any decisions.
- “I’m worried about being judged for my situation.” Our team operates from a foundation of respect and dignity. We serve all individuals without prejudice, regardless of religion, income level, race, or orientation.
- “I’m not sure I can afford support services.” We accept all Medicaid plans and commercial insurance, and offer sliding scale fees for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Financial barriers should never stand between you and the information you need.
- “I come from a different cultural background and worry I won’t be understood.” Our team reflects the diverse communities we serve. We are committed to culturally sensitive care, and we work to make every client feel genuinely seen and heard.
We offer this support not to steer you toward any particular choice, but to stand beside you through the process of making one.
Options for Potential Birth Parents
We understand the immense and complicated emotions you may be experiencing when questioning your options as a birth parent. We’re here to deliver the clarity and support you need. One of our social workers can meet you at a location that is most comfortable for you, including the hospital if needed. Our social workers are available 24/7 throughout Illinois. Our goal is to empower and educate you on your rights and options regarding your unplanned pregnancy, which include adoption, parenting, and abortion.
Adoption
Through adoption, you can choose who parents your child and the level of openness you want to keep as your child grows. Our adoptive parents go through an extensive background process to ensure your child would be cared for.
Steps to consider:
- Your rights as a woman considering adoption
- Adoptive families
- Level of openness you’d want
Parenting
Parenting can be rewarding and filled with love, but it is also extremely difficult and might interfere with the goals you have for yourself. Balancing your dreams with the demands of raising a child can be overwhelming.
Steps to consider:
- Finances
- Support
- Your emotional and physical health
Abortion
The option of abortion will end your pregnancy. Your decision is extremely personal and you deserve to have support and education. We do not provide abortion services and refer all clients back to their medical providers.
Steps to consider:
- Asking a medical professional about the potential risks and the procedure itself
- Your emotions surrounding this option
- Prepare for potential short and long-term emotional and physical effects
Why Choose Hopeful Beginnings for Options Counseling?
Many agencies offer adoption services. Fewer offer the kind of holistic, wraparound support that Hopeful Beginnings provides to potential birth parents.
Here is what sets our approach apart:
- No pressure, ever. We support you with whatever option you choose. Our role is to inform and support, not to guide you toward a particular outcome.
- Around-the-clock availability. Our social workers are available 24/7, including at the hospital.
- A legacy of service. With more than 135 years of experience, our organization has supported thousands of women and families through some of the most significant moments of their lives.
- Financial accessibility. We accept Medicaid and commercial insurance and offer sliding-scale fees so that cost is not a barrier.
- Post-decision support. Whether you choose parenting, adoption, or another path, our perinatal mental health team offers counseling for postpartum depression, grief, anxiety, and adjustment to parenthood.
- A relationship-centered model. We believe adoption is a lifelong relationship, not a transaction. Birth parents who choose adoption at Hopeful Beginnings remain connected to their child’s story.
You Deserve Support, Whatever You Decide
An unplanned pregnancy raises serious questions about your future and your goals. You deserve honest information, real support, and a team that respects your ability to make the right decision for your life.
At Hopeful Beginnings, we are here to provide all of that and more. Reach out to our team today for a consultation. One of our counselors will respond within 24 hours.
FAQs About Adoption in Illinois
Reach Out to Us
Please contact us at Hopeful Beginnings if you would like to discuss your options or if you have any questions. One of our counselors will respond to you within 24 hours. You may reach us by calling or by clicking the button below.
Real Stories, Real Feedback
Insights from Birth Moms and
Adoptive Families
Buenos dias, soy una madre de 2 niñas que actualmente no cuenta con una red de apoyo y Hoppeful ha sido ese complemento perfecto para mis tiempos mas difíciles. Tenia temor de comenzar a recibir terapia porque me sentía como una mala mamá pero Laurie me enseñó que esta bien no estar al 100% y lo mas importante es reconocer que podemos expresarnos sin dejar de lado el bienestar de nuestros hijos, le agradezco mucho todos sus consejos para sobrellevar la llegada de nuestra segunda hija y aprender poco a poco que los momentos difíciles hacen parte de la vida...
We will never be able to thank you [Julia] enough for all of your support throughout these past several years. We always knew we could count on you for advice and/or opinions. You always made us feel comfortable and we never doubted that you had our best interest in mind. You are truly an amazing person and families and women that work with you are so very lucky to have you in their corner. We will keep in touch! Thanks again for everything.
I sought out Hopeful Beginnings due to postpartum anxiety and panic attacks. My first session, I was a mess, and I did not know how to cope with anything I was feeling. After 5 months of working together I can recognize any signs or symptoms and can manage my feelings. I would recommend Hopeful Beginnings to anyone else postpartum or pregnant as many unknown challenges come up.
Connie makes women feel welcome, validated and heard !!!!!! Love being part of this group!
I had a great experience at Hopeful Beginnings. Allyson was amazing! She helped me throughout one of the toughest times I have experienced with my mental health. Not only was she there for me for our in person sessions but she would actively reach out in a proactive way if she had not heard from me or just to provide me with some words of encouragement and reassurance. She treated me like a friend. She is an amazing counselor, friend, and support for any women going through a difficult time. I am very happy to have met her. She has...
We could not be more thrilled to have been able to grow our family with the help of Hopeful Beginnings of St Mary Services! While it was a long wait for us, and what felt like forever, the Hopeful Beginnings team was so there at every turn with support and words of encouragement. We did experience a spectrum of emotions during the waiting period, but our social worker, Julia, was able to help us navigate these feelings into productive outlets. Then, out of nowhere, we got the phone call we never thought possible… a beautiful baby boy who was 4...
I can’t speak more highly of the staff at Hopeful Beginnings. I was considering adoption for my baby and found hopeful beginnings after working with another adoption agency. It was clear from my first call with Hopeful that they just want to be supportive and empowering for whatever I felt was best for me and baby. They were always there when I had questions and were with me along every step of this journey. I could not have gone through this hard time without their support
Hopeful Beginnings allowed me to receive therapy when I would not have been able to if I had to pay for it outright. Removing the financial strain to help get mentally straight was life changing. I was able to feel supported postpartum and did not have to go weeks without speaking to someone. They are very accepting and don’t make you feel like a burden who needs help. If I did not have access to my social worker, I’m not sure were I’d be today. So, I am very grateful they are an available resource in our community.
Miranda was faced with an unplanned pregnancy and contacted our agency to make the selfless decision to place for adoption with a family that could provide the life she wanted for her child. A few months away from her due date, Miranda found out she was pregnant with twins, solidifying the fact that adoption was the best option for herself and her children. She was working hard to get on her feet when COVID-19 began, and she was unable to find a job. Hopeful Beginnings was able to help Miranda with rent, and she was also referred to a variety...
The adoption process has been an amazing process for us. That a birth mother is trusting us and giving us the opportunity to raise their child and welcome them as part of our family is something for which we are not only extremely thankful, but that we also are reminded of every day. We've always known we wanted to have children, and we knew that that the gift of adoption would be our path. We have two daughters, one adopted through DCFS and one through Hopeful Beginnings. Our experience with Hopeful Beginnings was wonderful. Our caseworker, Allyson, was a joy...
Latest Blog
Check Out Our Blog
Contact Us
Get In Touch
Please complete the form below to contact us regarding our
services or general questions you have. One of our
representatives will be in touch with you shortly. We are here to
help you.
"*" indicates required fields
The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. Testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty or prediction of what your experience with us will be. By providing contact information, users acknowledge and give explicit consent to be contacted via the methods of communication provided, including SMS. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Reply STOP to opt out.
St Mary’s Services DBA Hopeful Beginnings is a 501c3, registered under EIN #36-2167889.