Making An Adoption Plan With Adoption Agencies In Colorado
By Allie Nowak
Creating an adoption plan is a great way to be as prepared when placing your child up for adoption. Adoption Choices of Colorado strongly urges women who are considering adoption to reach out to representatives on our website to create a unique plan for them. This article will explain what an adoption plan entails and why it’s crucial throughout your adoption process journey.
If you need adoption help, call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
What is an adoption plan?
An adoption plan is a detailed list of what you hope to get out of your adoption experience and our adoption services for you and your baby. This list can also include who will be supporting you throughout your pregnancy, whether that’s a partner, family member, friends, or professional adoptive representatives, and any additional support you may need like financial, sheltering, counseling, or medical. You will also want to include a birth plan, where you will have the baby, and after-birth support.
How do I start making my adoption process?
Start by simply considering how you envision your adoption journey going. Some questions to consider are:
- Do I want to have contact with the adoptive family or my child?
- How much involvement do I want throughout this process?
- What type of support will I need throughout this process?
- Will make me feel most comfortable throughout and after my pregnancy?
- What is best for my baby?
Suppose you feel overwhelmed by all of the information on the internet or have any uncertainty. Our agency will work with you to create a plan that is best for you and your baby and explain anything that you are unsure of when it comes to adoption. Adoption agency representatives can also serve as extra support to take some of the stress off you during this process.
Things to keep in mind while creating an adoption plan
The most important thing to remember is not to rush any decisions. The adoption process can sometimes be stressful, but every choice you make is very crucial for the future of your baby. It’s essential to think through every option given to you so that you don’t end up in an adoption scenario you aren’t happy with. While it’s also essential to know your non-negotiables and write down what you want out of your experience, it’s also good to remain flexible and be ready for change. Sometimes adoptive families fall through, or you may not end up changing your mind on certain aspects. Please keep an open mind and remember that it’s essential to consider your options carefully.
Don’t feel like you need to make every decision yourself and go through the adoption process alone. Reach out to our Colorado adoption agency representatives today to get started on creating an adoption plan that feels best for you and your baby.
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!