Adoption Agency Information in Colorado
Understanding your choices of adoption agencies is a very important key to your adoption plan. As a birth mother, you want the best for your child, which means choosing a trustworthy adoption agency. Knowing how adoption agencies become regulated, whether or not to choose a private adoption agency or an adoption facilitator, and how you know you can trust a certain adoption agency are all important when starting your adoption journey.
Being a birth mother entails choosing a good family and life for your child, but it also entails being knowledgeable about adoption agencies and adoption laws. When you place your baby up for adoption.
Here at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we want you to be as comfortable as possible. We want to help ease any anxieties that you have. We understand how stressful an unexpected pregnancy and an adoption already is, so being able to trust an adoption agency to help you through that is important. If you have any questions or need to reach out to someone at our agency, we are here for you.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
How a Licensed Adoption Agency is Regulated
As a birth mother, regularly regulated licensed adoption agencies are important to find. Choosing an adoption agency that is regularly regulated is important because it means that they are keeping up to date with certain state laws and regulations. They will have the best intentions for you and your child throughout the entire adoption process.
So, how is a licensed adoption agency regulated? Yearly, a professional from a state’s licensing agency or department reviews licensed adoption agencies in their state to be regulated. This needs to happen for the adoption agency to continue to help birth mothers. Some agencies are reviewed multiple times a year if they are licensed in multiple states by each state’s government.
A certain state’s government looks over a licensed adoption agency’s files and operations. They review client case files, personnel files, financial audits, and informational materials. All to ensure they comply with laws and adoption regulations and ensure that these adoption agencies can serve these families properly.
Choosing Private Adoption Agency Over An Adoption Facilitator
Understanding the difference between a private adoption agency and an adoption facilitator is important. This person or agency will guide you through your adoption process and help match you with adoptive parents. One is more trustworthy than the other and may be the better option for you.
Adoption agencies like us, Adoption Choices of Colorado, are licensed, regulated, and monitored by the state in which they work. There are minimum requirements for adoptive parents when working with these adoption agencies. There are support services for birth mothers within these adoption agencies, like counseling, legal assistance, and a caseworker to support and help with the adoption plan. Frequent consultations with adoption attorneys are something private adoption agencies do to make sure they are staying within laws and regulations.
Adoption facilitators are unlicensed and unregulated. There are no requirements to meet when working with them, but they are not monitored. They often charge a large amount to match adoptive parents with a birth mother and are no longer involved once the match happens. The facilitator will then refer both the adoptive family and birth family to a licensed adoption agency in Colorado once the matching is complete. There is no private counseling or legal advice, nor is there an adoption caseworker who helps you through your entire adoption process when working with adoption facilitators. Your adoption plan will not be followed and finalized through a facilitator. Adoption facilitators are prohibited in Colorado but are legal in many other states.
How Do I Know I Can Trust an Adoption Agency?
Being able to trust an adoption agency is of huge importance. You want to make sure that you are getting the best care and support from a trusted agency, one that is state-licensed and regulated. Being able to see this information on their website is a huge plus.
You know that you can trust certain adoption agencies based on their credentials. Look to see if they are licensed in your residing state. This is important because it means that they are monitored by state adoption officials and are following correct laws and regulations.
Do your own research with your local state adoption agencies and find which one is the best for you. Keep notes of which adoption agencies are licensed, if they are adoption agencies or adoption facilitators, and if you know any birth mothers who have gone through a similar situation, get their opinion. They might be able to guide you in the right direction. Trust is of the greatest importance when it has to do with your child and his or her life, so take your time when choosing an adoption agency for your adoption journey.
Want More Information About Adoption? Contact Us!
As birth mothers, we know that you want the best information to start your adoption process. Understanding state regulations and laws for adoption agencies are important because it will prepare you to see the best agency for you and your child.
Here at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we are state-licensed in Colorado and follow Colorado adoption laws and regulations. We have 24/7 support available for you. If you want more information or more explanation, we have many professionals who know the ins and outs of adoption. Contact us if you are wanting more information and want to make sure that we are trustworthy to start your adoption process.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Molly Allington is an aspiring author born and raised in Syracuse, New York. When she’s not watching her latest Netflix obsession, you can find her nose deep in a book or in her writing. She has been writing books since she was twelve and is in the process of trying to get her finished books published. Molly has a BA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. With her writing, she is hoping to share supportive information and help as many people as possible. Once she starts her own family, she is wanting to adopt.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!