The Top 5 Reasons to Recognize National Adoption Month as a Birth Mother
Happy November! In the United States, the month of November is recognized as National Adoption Month. The purpose of National Adoption Month is to bring awareness to the unique familial bonds that are forged in the adoption process.
As a birth mother placing your child for adoption, this month can be a great time for you to learn about all things adoption and celebrate the opportunity you’re providing for your child..
Why Birth Mothers Can Celebrate Adoption
- The Loving Adoptive Families
For a birth mother who has made the difficult decision to place her child for adoption, you want to ensure that they are going to a family who will love and care for them. That they will have the best life possible. It may also be that you want to remain a part of their life.
There are many prospective families who are more than willing to establish this kind of relationship. Knowing that your child is going to be raised by loving and supportive people is certainly a reason to celebrate.
- The Chance to Start a New Life
If your living and financial situation is compromised in a way that makes you unable to take care of a child, Adoption Choices of Colorado is more than willing to help you. We can take care of rent for the duration of your pregnancy, and help you with necessary financial burdens, if you are eligible for our financial assistance.
This support can mean everything to some birth mothers and direct you towards the possibility of a new life.
- Carrying a Healthy Child means Becoming a Healthy Mother
If you are struggling with your health or fighting through any addictions, it may become a necessity for you to be sober and healthy while carrying a child. Maintaining sobriety for the benefit of your child can eventually lead to maintaining it for yourself. This is no mean feat, and we understand that. However, living free from your addictions and health worries, undoubtedly, leads to a higher quality of life.
- You’re the Decision Maker
A common narrative by people not experienced with the adoption process is that birth mothers don’t have any say in what happens to their child. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Birth mothers make a tremendous sacrifice when they place their child for adoption. We don’t underestimate their grief, and we give them autonomy in this process because they deserve that power and that closure.
As a birth mother, you have the right to choose the adoptive family of your child. Each adoptive family is required to submit a portfolio for review. The prospective adoptive parents may share things about their relationship, their home life, their professional lives, whether they have other children, and a whole host of other things! It is up to you to decide how you want your child to be raised and what opportunities they have growing up. That is definitely a reason to celebrate!
- You’re Getting a Community
It’s understandable to grieve in the aftermath of your child being placed with an adoptive family. It’s a shock to your system and a major adjustment in life. For this reason, Adoption Choices of Colorado offers support groups for birth mothers run by birth mothers. This is a community of women from all different backgrounds, with their shared experience as birth mothers tying them together.
There is no timetable on grief, and being surrounded by others who know your pain can be incredibly healing. Having a circle that understands you is another reason to recognize National Adoption Month as a birth mother.
Finding the Good in Adoption
It may seem strange to celebrate the adoption process as a birth mother. However, it is important to recognize this process as something that is the best for your child and yourself. It is an opportunity to care for something beyond yourself, and to do right by the child that you are carrying. By doing this, you will take care of yourself and your health by proxy, and as such your life will improve. It is also a possibility that you can develop a loving relationship with the child you placed and the adoptive family, and that is a wonderful thing.
You are the one in charge during the adoption process.You get to make the best decisions possible for your child. There are many reasons to recognize National Adoption Month as a birth mother, and the emphasis should always be on finding the good.
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: Katherine Burns is a journalism student at Loyola University Maryland with plans to pursue a career in the news and magazine industries. With over three years of experience writing for the Greyhound Newspaper at Loyola, Katherine specializes in Op-eds. However, she has recently branched out to cover a variety of topics, including education and sports journalism. She also has ample experience with travel blogging.
Katherine has conducted a variety of interviews in her time at Loyola and has displayed her stories through differing forms of media. In addition to her studies at Loyola, Katherine spent the fall of 2019 studying communications at the American University of Paris.To learn more about Katherine, be sure to check her out on social media.
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!