What is Domestic Adoption?
While international adoption, including those by celebrities, have been sensationalized in the media, most adoptions are domestic adoptions. Or, in other words, US-born infants being placed with US families. The domestic adoption process allows you, as a birth mother, to choose your child’s adoptive parents and legally release them into the care of new guardians. m.
The legal process of domestic adoption includes background checks, placements, formal documents and a written adoption plan, all of which Adoption Choices of Colorado can assist you with. Our agency specializes in working on domestic infant adoptions.
Who Can Adopt Domestically?
Adoption Choices provides you with profiles of pre-approved adoptive parents. We do not exclude based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We also welcome single potential adoptive parents. You will get the chance to look through candidates and choose your child’s adoptive parent(s) yourself. One of our case workers will work closely with you to identify the best option for your child.
Domestic Adoption Types
There are 3 kinds of adoption. The first is a closed adoption, which provides you with complete anonymity. Your child and their adoptive parents will have no information or way to contact you. Second, you may choose to go with a semi-open adoption. This allows you to receive anonymous updates through our third-party portal so you can hear how your child is doing without sacrificing your privacy.
The third and final option available to you is an open adoption. Most domestic adoptions are currently open adoptions. Open adoption plans allow you to visit and receive updates and contact from your child and their adopted family as agreed upon in your contract.
Domestic Adoption Expenses
We are here to support you during this time. We offer free counseling services both to you and any birth fathers or family supporting you during this time. This free service allows you to process your thoughts and feelings around facing an unplanned pregnancy and/or the adoption process. Furthermore, Adoption Choices of Colorado can assist you in getting court-granted funds for food, rent, medical visits, and other bills/expenses.
Domestic Adoption Next Steps
If you are interested in placing your baby for domestic adoption, please contact us. We continue to serve you, offering our full services at this time while remaining mindful of necessary COVID precautions. Our staff will help you get the education and resources you need to determine the right choices for you, and our case managers will work with you to choose the adoptive parents you desire for your child. We will also assist you in completing all the legal paperwork, and in creating a formal adoption plan that best meets your desires around privacy and contact with your child and their adoptive family..
Domestic Adoption Post-Placement
It is natural to have lots of emotions and thoughts after placing your child for adoption. We offer support groups and free counseling for birth mothers to help support you throughout your natural grieving process. Open and semi-open adoption plans can be great choices if updates and contact letting you know that your child is happy and healthy would be reassuring to you during this time. If you desire complete confidentiality, then a closed adoption plan will help you take the time and space you need to take care of yourself during this time.
Domestic Adoption in Colorado
Domestic adoption is a wonderful option for birth mothers. Taking the next steps to create an adoption plan that feels best to you is so empowering. You are incredibly brave and compassionate to be placing your child into a loving home that can give them the best life possible, and we are here to help you get the information and support you need to place your child for domestic infant adoption.
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: Kara Bringewatt is an English major and psychology minor at Queens University of Charlotte. She plans to get her masters in social work and work at a nonprofit as a case manager for at-risk youth. She loves using writing as a means of creating community and bringing attention to causes she’s passionate about.
Kara is particularly interested in educational and mental health interventions for young people in foster care. She’s worked as a tutor, professional caregiver, preschool teacher and acting instructor, and loves being able to utilize her wide range of passions to support young people and plans on being a foster and adoptive parent.
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!