What are the Hard Parts Of Choosing Adoption in Colorado?
By Blessing E. Ikhimokpa
Choosing to place your birth child up for adoption after going through an unplanned pregnancy. It can become stressful at times, especially if you’ve Never heard of the adoption process. Or how it works. There’s nothing to fear. At our adoption agency, we have worked with many birth mothers in your situation. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we have adoption agents and counselors that will be there every step of the way when choosing adoption in Colorado. But if you find yourself not wanting to use that service. You don’t have to.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
What does the adoption process in Colorado look like?
Colorado is similar to other states. There’s a process birth parent(s) go through when placing their birth child up for a Denver Adoption. It’s called the adoption process. In this process, there are steps that the adoption agent will walk you through. The steps in the adoption process are:
- 1st: Pick and review which type of adoption you’d like to go with
- 2nd: Pick and review the different adoptive parent (s) available
- 3rd: Creating a hospital birth plan for your delivery
- 4th: Deciding whether or not you’d like to receive post-placement counseling
What are the different types of adoptions to choose from?
When it comes to placing a child up for adoption, there are three different types to choose from. First, there is Open adoption which depends on the relationship you’d like to have with the birth child and the adoptive parent (s). You can choose this one. In this adoption, their contact information will be shared. So that the adoptive parent (s) can contact you and vice versa. You’ll be able to:
- Receive pictures of the birth child from the adoptive parent (s)
- Contact the birth child through email, messenger, or phone call
- If the adoptive parent (s) allowed it, there could even be visits to the adoptive parent (s) House
Next, there is semi-open adoption. Hence, the name not everything is open, like an open adoption. However, unlike in open adoption, e-contact information will be shared in this adoption. The birth parent (s) and the adoptive parent (s). Any communication between the two will be forwarded through the Adoption Choices of Colorado. This adoption choice is for birth parents (s) who don’t want to have a relationship with the adoptive parent (s).
Finally, with closed adoption. This is chosen when the birth parent (s) leave the adoption process to the adoption agency. They have decided that placing the child up for adoption is all they’d like to do. So, anything ranging from picking and reviewing the adoptive parent (s) to seeing the birth child after birth. It is out the window for them.
What are some hardships birth mothers may experience when choosing adoption?
Like everything in life, there will be some hardships at times. When it comes to adoption, people have never had to deal with it. Will start making the birth mother believe they were giving their baby up for adoption. Instead of placing your baby for adoption. People have based everything they know about adoption on misconceptions. Will start to:
- Make the birth mother feel like a horrible birth mother
- Tell the birth mother they shouldn’t have gone through the adoption process
- That if they had been more careful, this wouldn’t have happened
Another main hardship birth mothers may experience unwanted emotions. For some birth mothers, the unwanted emotions don’t come until they’ve decided they want to start a family. Later on in the future. For others, the unwanted emotions are instant. The minute the birth child has been adopted. They sometimes feel:
- Regret
- Guilt
- Sadness
- Shame
This is because of the birth mothers who have decided to start a family again. They’ll start to think of the birth child and how they’d feel. For the ones who are instantly hit with unwanted emotions. They will start to:
- Think about how the birth child feels
- Wonder if the birth child thinks bad about the birth mother
- Wonder, if given a chance, will the birth child want to see the birth mother again
What are the benefits of choosing private adoption in Colorado?
- It’s faster than public adoption since the birth parent (s) get to control their experience
- Gives the birth parent (s) a chance to choose the adoptive parent (s)
- The birth parent (s) can choose the type of adoption they’d like
- Have the option to have a lawyer handle to adoption
- Have adoption counseling available when needed
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!