Adoption Today: Changes Seen When Choosing Adoption in CO
By Blessing E. Ikhimokpa
Adoption has been around for many years. The way a birth mother would place their birth child up for adoption now. It wouldn’t be the same as someone 20 years ago. Times have changed and so have the laws regarding birth mothers. Over the years, more private adoption agencies have come into place. For example, our agency. Adoption Choices of Colorado is a private adoption agency that lets the birth parents control their adoption process. If they decide, they would like our agency to take over instead. They have that option.
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 does modern adoption look like?
When birth mothers are pregnant and considering adoption, go to an adoption agency and create an adoption plan. An adoption plan is a plan that goes over what the birth parents need to do during the adoption process. Which is:
- 1st: Contact an adoption agency
- 2nd: Work with an adoption agent to create an adoption plan
- 3rd: Birth/Hospital plan
Compared to back in the day. Birth mothers can choose whether they’d like to keep in contact. Back then when a birth mother would place their birth child up for adoption. That would be the end. They wouldn’t see the birth child until later on in life when the birth child decides to reach out. Now birth parents can talk to the adoptive parents. To get to know them and know that their birth child will be in safe hands. Closed adoption used to be the common route birth mothers would take. Instead of knowing how the birth child is, they’d rather cut ties. As of now, open adoption is the most common. Since birth mothers want to have a relationship with their birth children. Outside of taking care of them.
How did CO adoption change over the years?
Back in the day, when children would be adopted. It would be by wealthy families looking to adopt boys. To make them wealthy. Since it was common for wealthy households to have wealthy sons so they could take over. When birth mothers would place their birth children up for adoption, it would be because they couldn’t afford to take care of them anymore since birth mothers back in the day had multiple children. Nowadays, people adopt birth children because they’re looking to start a family. Since they’re unable to do so by themselves. Adoption used to be something that was looked down on. Now it’s something to talk about since you’re giving children a chance at a new life.
What are the three options birth mothers have when dealing with an unplanned pregnancy?
If someone was dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and didn’t want to place their birth child up for adoption. They had three choices. To raise the child, terminate the pregnancy, or place them up for adoption. Depending on the laws in their state. They were able to go through with terminating their pregnancy. But now, after Roe v. Wade was taken away. Some birth mothers were thinking of terminating their pregnancy when it was legal. Aren’t able to since it’s illegal.
Was it harder to place a child up for adoption 20 years ago in Colorado?
Placing a child up for adoption can be emotionally hard. But placing up for adoption, in general, is not a hard process. Depending if the birth parents decide to work with a private adoption or not. Will determine their experience. If birth parents decide to work with a private Adoption agency. Then they would be able to control who the birth child will end up with. While also having the opportunity to form a relationship with the adoptive parents as well. If birth parents decide to work with a public adoption agency. Which is foster care. They won’t be able to control their experience.
Is it easier to place a child up for CO adoption today than in the past?
Yes, it is easier for birth parents to work with private adoption agencies. Private adoption agencies offer birth parents the chance to spend time with the birth child. While also being able to keep in touch with the adoptive parents. Depending on the Adoption agency, they offer assistance to birth mothers during their pregnancy and after.
If the birth parents decide they would like to receive counseling. It is available. But if they decide they don’t want to counsel after the adoption process. They have the option to refuse it. Counseling is a service that is offered, not forced onto birth parents. For birth mothers looking for a local adoption agency in their city. They could visit Denver Adoption for birth mothers that live in Denver.
In the private adoption process, birth parents can:
- Choose an adoption type
- Pick and review the adoptive parents
- Figure out how much assistance they would need
- Create a hospital/birth plan
- Decide if they would like to receive counseling after the adoption process
Looking for more insight on how adoption has changed over the years? 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!