Adoption Types in Colorado
By Anna Keller
There are several different types of adoption if you are interested in learning more about the adoption process. Different kinds of adoption Colorado offers enable you to choose a type that works best for you. One adoption agency Denver endorses is Adoption Choices of Colorado. Our adoption agencies like this help you select your type of adoption. It will depend on what you want out of the adoption. Meaning it depends on how involved you want to be in the kid’s life.
Adoption agencies in Colorado will help you navigate your unplanned pregnancy from beginning to end. Although, it doesn’t really ‘end’ when you give birth. Even though you are placing your baby for adoption, your experience will still affect you. That is why it is important to make an adoption plan that works for you. Adoption in Colorado has valuable resources that will help you navigate pregnancy and birth difficulties. Unlike Christian adoption agencies, we at Adoption Choices of Colorado are not affiliated with any religion. You will also receive help postpartum if that is something you want.
Open Adoption
The first type of adoption is open adoption. Open adoption means that you will frequently communicate with your adoptive family about the child. Types of contact include emails, phone calls, letters, and in-person meetings. One thing to keep in mind about open adoption is that you raise the possibility of your child finding out about you sooner. This is, of course, a fine option. Your child will eventually understand why you went through with the adoption, even if they didn’t initially. But this initial misunderstanding is something you may have to wrestle with if you pick open adoption. With open adoption comes knowing when those difficult conversations are had. You get to check in frequently, but you also must deal with watching your kid get raised by someone else. This option is not for everyone. While some birth mothers are completely fine watching their babies get raised by adoptive families, others are not. Some birth mothers feel too close to the situation, too involved, to be able to zoom out and peek in from afar like that.
Another thing to keep in mind about open adoption is that if you go through with it, you have the option of meeting your child face-to-face as they grow up. This may be fine for some birth mothers but not for others. It all depends on what you think you can handle. If you know that seeing your child would be too painful, then don’t. But if you think you would enjoy it, then go for it.
Semi-Open and Closed Adoption
The next type of adoption is semi-open. This means that there is some mediated communication between the birth mother and the adoptive family. This includes the time period during the pregnancy. No revealing information is given, for that would tread closer to ‘open’ territory. However, you still can communicate as much as you want during the pregnancy; it will just taper off after birth. Meaning once you give birth, you will not contact them anymore.
Closed adoption is exactly what it sounds like: the birth mother makes no contact with the adoptive family at any point during the adoption process. This option, like the others, has both its benefits and drawbacks. To address the former, closed adoption can feel relieving for a birth mother who does not want to be reminded of their child. However, this option runs a risk. You will not be able to get a feel for the adoptive family in person. For some birth mothers, this is fine. For others, it makes all the difference. It depends on the type of relationship you want to have with your child.
Next Steps after Choosing Adoption Type
Now you may be wondering, what should I look for in an adoptive family? It depends on what type of lifestyle you want for your child. You are allowed to choose based on factors such as religion, gender, and sexuality. Some birth mothers are more selective than others about this, so it is up to you how to proceed. When you think you are ready to begin searching for families, your adoption agency will set you up with an adoption specialist. The adoptive families have already met certain qualifications and acquired licenses for most adoption agencies. Resultantly, you do not have to worry whether they will love and care for your child. That is built-in.
Next, you will meet with your caseworker, who will help you begin the process of finding families. After you choose which type of adoption you want, you will look through a parent profile book. This is where you factor in your values, such as religion and culture. You also should consider what type of family you want for your child, in all senses of the word. What about the families’ values and how they align with your own? Something as seemingly trivial as a level of strictness can be a huge impacting factor in choosing an adoptive family. That is why it is important to look at your options closely and think carefully before deciding.
Choosing a family does not have to be difficult since you have a support system to help you through the 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.