Considering My Colorado Adoption Choices
By Wendy Swisher
An unplanned pregnancy comes with a lot of unknowns. After the initial shock wears off, you will decide what your next steps are. With an unexpected pregnancy you have three options: parent, terminate, adoption.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Pregnancy Options in Denver
The first is to parent your child. What this means is you would be responsible for their upbringing. Teaching the right from wrong and molding them into adults who will have a productive life. Maybe you do not feel you are ready to be a parent or there may be several other reasons why raising your child is not a choice.
Your second option would be terminating the pregnancy. With the Roe vs Wade decision being overturned in the Supreme Court the laws are different from state to state now. In Colorado you can legally terminate your pregnancy by a licensed physician within the first twenty-four weeks of pregnancy. Not everybody is comfortable with this option because of their religious or personal beliefs. That is why the third option of adoption in Colorado may be the best choice for you.
Adoption allows you to provide a couple the chance to be parents and love your child as their own. If a Colorado adoption is right for you and you are looking for a Local adoption agency, then call us today at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Adoption Choices of Colorado Services
We can help you with any questions you may have regarding adoption. We know you are making a tough decision, but we are here to help. To start the adoption process, pick up the phone and call us today. One of our birth parent counselors can help you through the adoption process. The birth parent counselor will first get to know you and your situation, so they can help you form an adoption plan that suits the needs of you and your child.
One of the first decisions you will make after that is what type of adoption you would like; open, semi-open, or closed. The one you choose depends on the level of contacts you want to have with your child and the birth parents. For you to make this decision you need to know what each adoption type is and if it suits you.
Types of Adoption in Colorado
With an open adoption it allows you to stay in contact with the adoptive parents. You can receive updates and pictures as your baby grows. Also visits and phone calls can be arranged if the adoptive family is ok with them.
With a semi-open adoption you can still receive updates but everything is done through the agency.
In closed adoptions, there is no contact between the birth and adoptive parents. A closed adoption is for people who want closure on their end because it may be too hard to see their child with someone else. Those feelings are completely valid and understandable. Basically the type of adoption depends on the level of contact you want. In the final adoption plan everything will be decided down to post-placement contact. This way there is no confusion.
Choosing an Adoptive Family in Colorado and More Adoption Choices
After you have decided the type of adoption and services you need, you will then pick a family to adopt you baby. Your adoption birth counselor will provide you with files of potential adoptive families. Sift through them and find the family you connect with. A birth plan for the hospital will be created and your birth parent counselor will be there to advocate for you. They will see the plan executed the way you want it and help with any issues that arise during your stay in the hospital.
Our agency also provides financial assistance for things like bills, groceries, and medical expenses. Everyone goes through hard times and needs a little extra help to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomach. We may be able to help ease this burden. We also provide help in finding a good prenatal doctor. Someone who will oversee the health of you and your baby. Another service offered is counseling to help you deal with all the emotions you are experiencing during your journey. We know giving up a child for adoption is a hard decision and you will experience a wide range of emotions. It is good to have someone to help you navigate your feelings and give you useful tools to help work through them.
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!