No. If you do not answer a petition for adoption, you will be involuntarily terminated, probably on grounds of abandonment. You are telling your offspring, on the record, permanently, that you did not care about him/her. You will perpetuate the image of the unwed father as an abandoner. There is no such thing as loving abandonment. Also, some states use involuntary termination of parental rights regarding a previous child as grounds for involuntary termination regarding a later child.
E. If I consent to an adoption, can I change my mind and get my child back?Probably not. Biological parents can revoke their consent to the adoption before the court orders the adoption (called finalization). But revoking consent does not translate to 'getting your child back.' When a biological parent consents to the adoption, he puts the adoptive parents essentially on equal legal ground with him. Thus, when the bio-parent revokes his consent, most state courts hold a best interest hearing. The biological advantage is gone, and dad must now show that he can provide a more stable and permanent family relationship for the child than the prospective adoptive parents can. This is difficult to do, especially if the prospective adoptive parents are married, better off financially than dad, and already have the child in their home. If you change your mind after the court orders the adoption, you may have the added burden of showing you were deceived or under duress when you consented to the adoption.
For that matter, any evidence of indecision you exhibit during the pregnancy will hurt you. It is a permanent double standard. Moms can be confused about whether to place their children for adoption, who their children's fathers are, or whether the dads are "bad guys" this week.
