Special Needs Adoption with Adoption Choices of Colorado
Parenting is perhaps one of the most difficult things for a person to do. When the doctor brings the news that your child will have special needs, you might come to realize you won’t be able to properly take care of your child once they are born. Maybe you don’t have very good health insurance or money to pay for expensive therapy. Maybe you don’t have the time to spend with them to teach them what they need to know. No matter the reason, only you know what is best for you and your child. Adoption Choices of Colorado is a licensed adoption agency and can help you put your child up for adoption.
Can you put a Special Needs Child up for Adoption?
It’s natural to wonder if there are differences in the adoption process for special needs children. Adoption law, and law in general, can seem arcane and confusing to the average person. Court decisions, state laws, and federal laws can all change the rules for various systems in the United States.
In this case, it’s pretty simple. Special needs children can be put up for adoption the same as any other child. However, it doesn’t need to be your only option. Various state and federal programs can provide assistance to parents raising special needs children. There are a variety of adoption options in Denver, Colorado. You can always give Adoption Choices of Colorado a call if you’re unsure of exactly what those options are.
Starting the Adoption Process in Colorado
If you have decided to choose adoption, the first step is arranging a meeting with one of our adoption caseworkers. Here, you’ll learn about the variety of services we offer to expectant mothers and can ask any questions you would like. This is also where the adoption plan will be built.
A critical resource you can learn about is our fiscal resources. Many mothers come through our doors with concerns about paying for a pregnancy, but we can make sure you’ll never have to worry about paying your bills. No insurance? We’ll make sure you can still go to the doctor. Are you currently experiencing homelessness? We can provide an apartment for you to stay in for the duration of your pregnancy and a few weeks afterward. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we are committed to meeting your needs, no matter what they are.
Types of Adoptions in Colorado
Adoption Choices of Colorado offers three types of adoptions. They are open adoptions, semi-open adoptions, and closed adoption. It’s best to think of these as a spectrum. Open adoptions involve the highest amount of identifiable information shared between you and the adoptive family, and closed adoptions share no identifiable information. Most mothers choose to have an open or semi-open adoption, but we’ll leave that choice up to you.
Finding an Adoptive Family in Colorado
Another key step of putting your child up for adoption is finding the adoptive family. If you would like, you can interview the adoptive families to get a sense of their parenting ideas and styles.
We do understand that you might worry about putting a special needs child up for adoption. You might wonder, “Will anybody, even want them?” You’ll be happy to hear that every child we help get adopted is matched with a loving family.
How do we know? Each set of adoptive parents goes through an in-depth home study process. Through this process, the local government or home study association makes sure the family is ready for a child. They make sure the family has good living conditions and well-trained pets. Home studies typically also involve an interview about the family’s parenting styles and a background check. If anything at all seems unusual, the home study makes sure there’s nothing to worry about.
Another way we know is that adoptive parents are also eligible for government programs to help parents raise children with special needs. From therapy to school programs, you can be sure your child will be well taken care of.
Placing a Special Needs Child with Adoption Choices of Colorado
No matter who your child is, Adoption Choices of Colorado will help make sure they get a happy and healthy home. Colorado has no restrictions on the adoptions of special needs children, and we are happy to help you place yours up for adoption. If you choose adoption, you can also pick from the three adoption styles depending on your preferences. With an in-depth home study process and a variety of programs, we make sure the adoptive families are ready for a special needs child. Although it is said that adoption is giving up your child, you are really giving them a new opportunity. Want to put your child up for adoption today? Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to help!
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: Joshua Boulet is an aspiring journalist and writer with a particular fondness for research and social sciences. He loves music, writing, reading, video games and most art, and anything creative he can get his hands on. Boulet believes that there’s too much good stuff out there and not enough time to see it all. He grew up on video games: the classic Sonic the Hedgehog games, Mario Kart, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Legend of Zelda. The music of rhythm games led him to an interest in that, and the investigative journalism of Jason Schreier inspired him to discover the importance of journalism as an industry. That interest in developers’ lives led him to an interest in social justice and how the world could maybe be made into a better place. “All this to say, there is certainly a line I can draw between me obsessively playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and me interviewing my sociology professor about how to read academic articles. Those surprising through lines fascinate me all the same. At my best, I’m a person who gets to be constantly fascinated by the lives and work of other people.”
His favorite quote is from his favorite jazz musician:
“A genius is the one most like himself” – Thelonious Monk.
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!