Choosing Adoption Through the Holidays
By Bruce Kong
With the holiday coming around the corner, everyone around you is full of joy, optimism, and cheer. Of course, Christmas is a time for families to unwrap presents and share a hot meal. But the season could be a big change for another family too, and maybe that’s where you, as a pregnant woman considering adoption, come into the picture. A Colorado adoption may be just the thing an adoptive family is looking for this Christmas, and you are the one to make it happen for them! Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to provide you with the necessary information and resources needed to understand what to look for in adoptive parents during the holidays. But before we get into anything further, below are the types of adoptions you would consider after the Adoption Process that a few agencies, like the Denver Adoption Agency, will recommend you look at. 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 are the Types of Adoption in Colorado and the Level of Openness
Open Adoption in Colorado
This allows the birth parents and the adoptive parents to swap contact information and keep in touch after the adoption. Nothing is off limits, and there is an intimate relationship between you, the adoptive family, and the child.
Semi-open Adoption in Colorado
Much like the open adoption, the semi-open adoption allows both parties to have contact after the adoption process finishes. The distinction is that the agency will act as the intermediary for continuing communication.
Closed Adoption in Colorado
Everyone is different before and after the adoption process. Birth mothers choose closed adoptions to escape their grief and guilt of placing their children up for adoption. Some would describe it as a clean slate. But there are several reasons birth mothers consider this option, for example, violence and disregard from the birth mother’s family. A birth mother would likely choose to have their child stay away from those negative aspects.
Qualities of Adoptive Parents and What to Look For
1. A Unique Connection with Your Birth Child
Open communication with your child will help you understand how the adoptive parents treat them. As a birth mother and one who is looking into a Colorado Adoption, a unique connection needs to be initiated between the adoptee and the adoptive parents.
2. Family Strength Within Your Adoption
Adoption in Colorado doesn’t just mean a stable home or two parents, and while those two things are great, it is important to note that unconditional love will continue to spread throughout the adoptee’s life. The adoptive parents should exude the same love and attention to the adoptee as you would too.
3. A Positive Outlook on Adoption
Look for fun, optimistic families who will share great stories about you and the adoptee. A family that will consider an open adoption means they still value you in the adoptee’s life. In the future, you will want to know that your child will grow up in a bright and celebrated home.
4. Adoption can Offer Security and Stability
A stable home is important, no doubt, and as the birth mother, you will want to ensure that your child grows up with a family that provides financial stability and even emotional support. If adoptive parents are open to open adoption, it never hurts to ask them for photos of the adoptee too!
Choosing Adoption Through the Holidays
Your voice matters when you come to Adoption Choices of Colorado, and finding the right family for your child plays a primary role in that. The holiday is a festive tradition that shines a bright light on people’s hearts. Seeing how you are making adoptive parents’ dreams come true, they will be open to the idea of open adoption. The Adoption Process can take a long time for adoptive parents, and if you can be that one parent to make it happen for them, then anything can happen when it comes to the types of adoption options. 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!