Reasons Why You Should Choose a Semi-Open Adoption Plan in CO
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, we know how stressed and anxious you may feel when it comes to your options for the adoption process and what is best for you and your child. These worries and anxieties are completely valid, and we know how challenging and complex of a time this can be.
That’s why at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we want to provide you with the information you may need when it comes to finding an adoption plan that is best suited for you and your child’s needs.
What Is an Adoption Plan?
When you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you have three options. You may either raise your child yourself, terminate your pregnancy, or contact Adoption Choices of Colorado in order to figure out the next steps for your adoption plan.
We know that each of these steps can create its own stressors and complexities. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we can help you with the legal process of pre and post-placement of your child with an adoptive family.
An adoption plan is a helpful tool that outlines your needs and wants from the adoption process for you and your child. Here are some helpful resources it can include:
- It includes your plans after the baby is born and post-placement plans.
- It can outline the specific type of communication you want with the adoptive parents, such as open, semi-open, or closed communication.
- It can also include the knowledge you want your baby’s adoptive parents to know about.
- It can also include details on financial, counseling, and hospital plans.
All of this is written out very early on, and some of it may even be written before you start working with an adoption agency. If you are interested in a semi-open adoption plan, then your adoption plan will reflect that.
What Is A Semi-Open Plan and Why Should I Choose it?
Many agencies are usually somewhere between open and closed adoptions and label it as semi-open since they are the prime contact between you and the adopted parents. As a birth mother, you are in full control of the type of communication you want between your child and your child’s adoptive parents.
In a semi-open adoption, communication is essentially open but limited through the agency. You are allowed to choose your baby’s adoptive parents, similar to open adoption, but there is little information. You will not meet in person, rather Adoption Choices of Colorado will help facilitate any contact between all members involved.
Although your identity will be shared with the adoptive parents, there will be little information about you. You do not have contact with your child post-placement, but you will receive updates from them. This is typically done through photos and will be facilitated through our adoption agency again.
Benefits You Recieve When You Choose a Semi-Open Adoption
As we stated before, the best benefit is that it is between open and closed adoptions. Here are some of the reasons why to choose a semi-open adoption plan and how it can be helpful for birth mothers:
- Open communication can be too painful for many birth mothers, but they still want to maintain some contact.
- You are able to interview and select your child’s adoptive parents who can give you some peace in knowing your child will go to a safe and stable environment.
- If you desire some privacy but are still open to progress about your child, this can be a great medium for both.
- You can get a sense of closure knowing your child was adopted by a loving family that has a stable home environment, so it can alleviate any guilt or stress you may have if you have no communication at all.
- Your child may grow up and have questions about you, so the adoptive parents can give them information on why it was in their best interest to be placed for adoption or even know your name.
Choosing The Best Adoption Plan For You
If you are considering semi-open adoption, it’s important to reflect on how much communication is best for you and your child and how much you want with your child’s adoptive parents. With semi-open adoption plans, you still get a sense of privacy but also allow what is in the best interest of you and the child.
As a birth mother, you have full control over what you want from the adoption process, and we are here to make sure it’s as smooth as possible for you and your child. However, we know how complex and emotional this time can be, so we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your child when considering adoption.
At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we are here to make the transition as easy as possible for you. That means providing you with the tools and resources you need to make informed decisions. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or guilty, so that’s why we want to help you in any way we can. Contact us with any questions or concerns you have or if you want some help planning the next steps!
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.
Meet the Author: Katie Doherty is a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She loves to write, read, and edit, whether it’s technical or creative writing. Although she enjoys writing poetry, narrative nonfiction, and fiction writing, she also loves to write on current political events, cultural trends, and research. She spends her free time listening to music, watching the Great British Bake Off, and learning how to crochet.
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!