What Does Adoption Finalization in Colorado Mean?
By Gabriella Maya
You are a birth mother in Colorado, and you chose our agency, Adoption Choices of Colorado. Our Colorado adoption agency assisted you with the first steps of the adoption process, creating an adoption plan. You chose one of the three adoption types: open, closed, or semi-open adoption. You have considered your list of essential preferences in an adoptive family and chose one that fits. Now it is time to proceed with the finalization of the adoption. This is the last step of the adoption process, and Adoption Choices of Colorado will prepare you for the finalization process and what to expect. Continue reading for more information. If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
What is Adoption Finalization?
Adoption finalization is when you legally transfer custody of the child to the adoptive family. The court ensures the child is safe in a trusted home and family. The adoption specialist and judge will help simplify the legalities of this process. Every child put up for adoption is protected by two very important laws called ASFA and ICWA, ensuring that every adoption is legal and safe.
What Are the Four Steps in Finalizing My Adoption?
When planning the finalization, a few things will occur in court that you must know. Each of these steps is simple and self-explanatory.
- Sworn In: Before entering the courtroom by yourself or with your chosen family, you must be called upon by the court judge to proceed.
- Discuss Overall Adoption Process: The court judge will discuss the adoption process so far up to the present day. Tracking the progress of the adoption and how the adoptive family is responding.
- Questioning Adoptive Family: The court judge asks the adoptive family various questions to see the intention and whether or not they are a proper caregiver.
- Finalization: The moment of truth where you sign the legal adoption decree documents, transferring custody to the adoptive family.
Unplanned Pregnancy Adoption Services in Colorado
Here are the adoption services you can use during your adoption process and after post-pregnancy.
Financial Aid
Apply for our loans and grants to see if you are eligible for approved financial compensation. We understand that adoption can be a financial challenge. You may apply to many of our programs and financial aids that can help you pay off expenses. We can pay for rent, maternity materials, phone bills, medical expenses, and transportation.
Medical Assistance
Finding the proper medical care can be tricky, especially if you do not have medical insurance or a primary doctor. Regardless of your income or doctor status, we offer professional doctors who want to help with your adoption plan.
Housing
You may not have a home, have enough space, or are in between houses. Regardless of your living arrangement status, we offer you housing. You are eligible to have a safe and comfortable space for you and your child. We empathize with your tough journey ahead. A place of solace is right for a birth mother. We have a list of potential living spaces for you to check out.
Birth Plan
You talk to your doctor about the birth plan during your pregnancy. Your want to prepare for safe, comfortable delivery. Some questions to think about are the location of the birth, who you want in the delivery room, if you want to breastfeed your child, would you want pain relief medicine, or prefer an all-natural birth/c section. For the finalization to occur, the baby must be born first before any legalities can be made.
Free Counseling
Being in a difficult mental state is normal when going through your adoption process. There may not be time to focus on your mental health. We offer counseling sessions: one on one or in a group. We are here for you 24/7 during and after the adoption is complete. Having a safe headspace to analyze your emotions and feelings, learn new coping skills, and accept the adoption; are the few practices you will learn at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
How Adoption Choices of Colorado Can Help
Adoption Choices of Colorado is the best agency in Colorado. We want to help with your adoption plan, adoption process, and finalization. This might be a tough road ahead, and you may feel overwhelmed or unprepared, but know that we are there for you. We want to help simplify the journey to make each step easier to handle. All decisions are made by you, and you control this journey. Our goal is the same as yours. We want your child to be in the hands of a loving family that you approve of. Join us and choose adoption in Colorado.
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.
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!