Homeless, Abused, and Pregnant: Choosing Adoption in Colorado
by Jaclyn Prasa
If you are in the midst of difficult circumstances, such as homelessness and abuse, it might not be the best time, nor the safest environment, to welcome a baby. To face an unplanned pregnancy can be scary, especially if you feel like you do not have the right resources to care for your pregnancy. Luckily, Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to assist you.
We offer birth mothers several resources for safety, financial security, health, and healing.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
1. Safe Housing Through Your Unplanned Pregnancy
If you are down on your luck, homeless, and suffering from abuse, bringing an innocent and vulnerable baby into an unsafe situation is probably the last thing you want to do. Each day can be a struggle. That may be a reason why you seek adoption in Colorado. You do not want your baby to struggle. First, your difficult situation may seem inescapable, but we are here to help you through it. If you are in an abusive partnership, the first step is to leave that situation. Any harm to you can risk your pregnancy. We want to protect you.
If eligible, Adoption Choices of Colorado can provide you with safe and comfortable housing. Living in a reliably safe home can be a relief to you. Therefore, it can allow you the time and energy to nourish your pregnancy. We can also assist you post-placement to find you a safe place to stay.
2. Financial Assitance Throughout Your Adoption
Based on your needs, Adoption Choices of Colorado can assist you financially. As a homeless birth mother seeking adoption, it is likely that you will require extra help. That is not a problem. We offer financial support to assist with rent, utility bills, maternity clothing, doctor’s appointments, etc.
Adoption Choices of Colorado understands the emotional strength it takes to put up a baby for adoption. We hope to make the process as comfortable for you as we can. You will not need to worry about your living situation with safe housing or fret over finances during the adoption process. Instead, it might allow you the time to consider and plan for your hopeful future.
Once you contact your local adoption agency in Denver, you’ll work one-on-one with an adoption counselor. Together, you will set up your adoption plan. It will include the financial plan; your chosen adoptive family will cover some of your financial needs. Based on what you choose from the adoption options (open adoption, semi-open adoption, or closed adoption), you may have additional support and communication with that adoptive family. Ultimately, everyone’s goal in this process is to ensure that you and your baby are safe and healthy.
3. Medical Assistance
An essential part of your pregnancy is prenatal care. It might seem daunting. Doctors can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t seen one in a while. You’ll learn the right kind of nutrients you and your baby need. Additionally, the checkups may be vital for you in case you have any deficiencies from your prior living arrangement. If you are nervous and have decided on open adoption, you might choose to communicate with your adoptive family for moral support. Or there is always your adoption counselor who can help.
Your adoption counselor can assist you in finding a doctor, making appointments, planning payment methods, and setting up transportation. Your health checkups have been decided and planned already in the adoption and birthing plan with your adoption counselor. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any surprises for you. Ultimately, the only thing you need to do is to show up for the checkups to care for your’s and your baby’s health.
4. Emotional Support and Adoption Counceling
Adoption Choices of Colorado offers emotional support counseling for you, 24/7, throughout the adoption process and afterward. You may be going through a lot as a homeless birth mother who has suffered from abuse. There may be a lot of troubles and upsets that have weighed upon you for years.
You may fear the emotional impact of placing your baby up for adoption could impress upon you. It is a difficult thing you are choosing to do, but you are acting in love by offering your baby more than you can currently give. You are giving yourself and your baby hope.
Throughout the adoption process in Colorado and post-placement, we are available to you through any woe or worry. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. It is crucial that you feel supported and heard. We will be here to listen to you cope so that, eventually, you can heal.
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!