Choosing Joy and Embracing the New Year after Adoption
By Bruce Kong
If December and January are known for anything besides the holidays, it’s that starting a brand new outlook on life plays a key role too.
When you finalized your Colorado Adoption, we can’t help but notice you struggling with loneliness. But maybe you don’t have to work with that. When you came to Adoption Choices of Colorado or a Denver Adoption Agency, we promised to walk you through every aspect of the Adoption Process, including the ending.
There is nothing worst than a birth mother who is Pregnant and considering adoption and feels like she has to struggle alone. You have done a selfless act and deserve nothing but support and a loving community.
We’re here to let you know that there is help, and if you have ever considered planning for a family in the future, it is never too late. Your life matters, and there’s nothing that will ever counter that.
But first, take time for grief; it is an integral part of the Adoption Process. One thing that birth mothers avoid after an Adoption in Colorado is the grieving process. The world has condemned grief as a stigma that does not belong, but that’s where we’re proven wrong.
Grief allows you to process and reflect on everything that took place. It requires emotions to be released and for you to be vulnerable when needed. Avoiding grief will leave you exposed and unstable.
And when you feel that you are ready to move on, you can follow the guidelines below, which will give you a glimpse of what you may need to start another family and the strong hope of living life once more.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Consulting your Adoption Professional
Fortunately, your adoption professional will help you with this process. They will provide you with the appropriate resources on how to tackle the challenges of overcoming your fears of starting a new family and where to start with this plan. Or if you need a listening ear, the adoption professional can help with that too!
Create an Adoption Plan
In your healing journey, it never hurts to set goals. It can range from a multitude of things like going back to school, beginning a new career, or branching out to a new community. There are exciting opportunities out in the world for you to claim, and while the saying “things are within your grasp” may seem cliche, it is true. You are not limited to anything and if you ever need help starting your adoption professional is available to provide tips and resources on how to start.
Keeping in Contact with the Adopting Family and Receiving Updates
This will come with time, and if you do not feel comfortable with it, that is fine. Birth mothers will choose to maintain a record of the adopting family’s contact information and request updates on the child. It is always nice to see your child growing up, the events they’re attending, and their hobbies; it can aid in the healing process to know that your child is being loved and taken care of.
Birth Mother Support Groups
Birth mother support groups are an excellent way for you to step out and seek a community of people who are experiencing the same struggles as you. Support groups allow birth mothers to discuss their struggles and emotions after adoption, much like an adoption specialist.
Moving Forward and Embracing the New Year after Adoption
Lingering on the past can sometimes harm life; it makes us think that there is nothing else to live for and will withhold us from pursuing future endeavors. People have their timeframes on how they process and heal, and you should never feel rushed. When you feel that it’s the right time to move on and think that you want to start chasing your dreams – nothing is holding you back.
Know that Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to answer your questions and is open 24/7 to provide support.
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!