How to Prepare Your Home When Adopting a Baby

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.

Brittany is the Office Manager and Paralegal for Adoption Choices of Colorado. Brittany is the newest member of the Adoption Choices family and has loved every minute of it! Brittany first became involved in adoption while working at an adoption agency in Utah. She started as a child care provider to the birth mothers, worked up to birth mother helper and lastly worked as Administrative Assistant, answering phones, having constant communication with adoptive families, maintaining the adoptive family files and running a monthly adoptive family training. Brittany traveled all over for adoptions in different states and would be there to support both sides during this amazing experience. It was through working at the Utah adoption agency that Brittany discovered her love for adoption and legal work. Her career path had been decided, Brittany moved to Colorado in 2010 to go back to school to become a Paralegal. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, she does all of the filing for adoptive parents and birth parents, preparing documents and supporting the staff with any task given to her. She is in daily contact with families, and loves helping each and every one of them on their journeys through adoption. Each day is different and that is the biggest thing that she loves about adoption. There is always something new and a challenge to overcome. Brittany sees the true meaning in adoption and the real “why” in the work that is done with adoption agencies. Seeing an adoptive family with their baby is the best feeling, knowing that a dream came true for that family! In her free time Brittany enjoys each moment with her husband and 2 daughters. Brittany also enjoys camping, hiking, vacationing, baking and reading.

Christy has been with Adoption Choices of Colorado 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 of Colorado 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.

Jen joined the Adoption Choices family in 2017 but her journey into the adoption world really began from day #1. As an adoptee, Jen has experienced the life of adoption first-hand. She understands and relates to birthparents and adoptive parents, while always advocating for each baby lovingly considered for adoptive placement.

Jen has had a heart for adoption for as long as she can remember. Empowered by a supportive family, Jen confidently embraced being adopted, becoming an ambassador for adoption. In high school, she was invited to speak on an adoption panel that presented the adoption option to pregnant teens in surrounding high schools. She was also invited to train as a peer counselor, which unofficially began her career in the social work field and officially ignited her passion for building relationships and helping others.

Jen has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her professional background includes advocating for children in care of the state, implementing case plans, integrating families, and working with foster and adoptive parents. She has experience providing home studies for prospective parents wishing to adopt. Jen also has experience working with at-risk children and families in the public school system, providing counseling and small groups, administering grant programs and conducting trust development training in high school physical education classes.

Jen has a true passion for building relationships with each birth parent and providing hands-on support every step of the way. She has a heart for mentorship and growing leaders. In her free time, Jen loves hiding out in the mountains with her favorite people (and pets). She enjoys making, baking, and adventuring. Jen is dedicated to mindful living and making a positive impact on others. She loves the opportunity to be fulfilling her purpose with the dedicated and caring team at Adoption Choices.

Amber Klein started her career in the marketing and advertising world and quickly learned all about various types of communication, how to talk to people and how to effectively market any business. But she always knew that she wanted more. In 2016, she started to feel as though she wanted to give back in some way in her career and marketing wasn’t fulfilling that need for her. After a well-timed stint at jury duty (which she found fascinating and was actually disappointed to not be placed on the jury), she knew that she’d found the industry she wanted to be in and embarked in an intensive paralegal certificate program. Upon completion of the program, she started working at Adoption Choices of Colorado as office manager and paralegal. At Adoption Choices, she does all of the filing for adoptive parents and birth parents, preparing documents and supporting the staff with a variety of tasks. She’s so thrilled to have found a place where she can combine use her education and love of law to help better the world one family at a time. In her free time, Amber enjoys spending time with her family and friends, attending concerts, reading, experiencing her native Colorado backyard and running agility with her dog, Kirra.

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
graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 2006 and began her legal career as a Guardian ad litem (GAL) representing abused and neglected children in the child welfare system. Catherine continues to do this work and finds her experience working in public child welfare to be an asset in working in the adoption arena and Adoption Choices’ Fresh Start program. Prior to law school, Catherine attained a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She completed her clinical training in a community trauma intervention where she counseled child and adult victims of domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, rape, violent crime, and homicide bereavement. She later went on to serve as a victim-witness advocate for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office Child Abuse Unit in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she counseled and advocated for child victims of physical and sexual abuse and criminal neglect. Catherine is a National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) Board Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS). Catherine has appeared before both the Colorado Court of Appeals and Colorado Supreme Court in cases pertaining to child welfare and adoption. She is also an active member of Jefferson County Juvenile Court’s Best Practices Committee and is a selected committee member of two-state sponsored pilot programs aiming to improve outcomes in child welfare proceedings

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.

Nicole is thrilled to be the newest member of the Adoption Choices team! With pervious adoption experience she understands the importance of working with people in a more intimate capacity. It takes all members of the triad to help assist with a positive adoption experience on all ends–both Expecting Parents and Hopeful Adoptive Parents. With a BA in Women’s Studies, she brings patience, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to empathize without judgment. Nicole is a Chicago Native and coming from a big, traditional Italian family, she understands the importance of love, family, and relationships. Outside of work, she enjoys, traveling as much as possible, attending concerts, cheering on her Chicago Bears, rehabbing recycled furniture and goods, along with spending time with her loved ones. Nicole aspires to always be hands on and helping in any way that she can, by creating a supportive environment for others around her.

1. Orientation
2. Complete initial paperwork packet
3. Choose adoption plan and select the adoptive family for your baby
4. Build relationships specific to your adoption plan
5. Legal services and relinquishment counseling – provided to you at no cost
6. Delivery and hospital support
7. Post-Placement care