What is Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado?
As a birth mother, your preferences for you and your child are different from other birth mothers. You may love the idea of having communication between you, the adoptive parents, and your child, but you may not want a ton of it. Semi-open adoption might be the best choice for you.
Semi-open adoption is somewhere in the middle of open and closed adoption. Contact in a semi-open adoption is limited and may only be able to be through pictures, videos, phone calls, or letters. This can be negotiated with the adoptive parents, but it is all up to you in the end how much or how little communication you want.
In a semi-open adoption, contact is facilitated by our Colorado adoption agency. We use a confidential and secure online portal known as ChildConnect. Identifying information is limited, which may be of interest to you. This type of adoption has privacy like a closed adoption and communication like an open adoption. So, choosing semi-open adoption in Colorado could be the best of both worlds for what you are seeking for you and your child.
What Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado Means for You, the Birth Mother
For you as a birth mother, you get to decide how much communication you have between everyone in the adoption process. The types of communications you can have in a semi-open adoption are through pictures, videos, phone calls, or letters directly from the adoptive parents. You may also be able to visit the adoptive family, if this is something you both want.
You may not be able to parent your child, but you can still be in his or her life. You can see your child happy in a healthy family home in a semi-open adoption. This may help you heal from the adoption process and pregnancy.
What Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado Means for the Adoptive Parents
Semi-open adoption allows adoptive parents to be able to tell your child about you, the birth mother. Although identifying information is limited, the adoptive parents are still able to tell your child that he or she was adopted.
In a semi-open adoption, you and the adoptive parents can negotiate with you on what kind of communication each party wants. With this communication, if an illness or allergy arises in your child, the adoptive parents can ask you about past family illnesses or allergies to see if it is biological. The adoptive parents can also ask you for medical history to be ready for any possible illnesses or allergies. This could be very important to all parties throughout the adoption process in Colorado.
What Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado Means for the Child
Your child may be curious about his or her birth mother and, in semi-open adoption, they will get to communicate with you. This can be through written letters or messages once he or she learns to read and write, or even phone calls if you both feel comfortable. Although your child is in a healthy environment, he or she may be curious as to who their birth mother is and have tons of questions.
He or she may also be curious about their biological family history. Having a semi-open adoption will allow your child to learn about his or her family and find out cool facts about past relatives, if you are comfortable disclosing this information. Learning about their family history can help them connect to his or her self better.
Is Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado the Best Choice for You?
At Adoption Choices of Colorado, we are here to help you understand what each type of adoption entails. We want you to choose the best type of adoption for you and your child. The best way to do this is through researching and learning all you can about the three different types of adoption. In doing this, and educating yourself on all your adoption options, you can determine the right one for you and your child.
If you are seeking an adoption in Colorado, where you can still be in your child’s life from a distance, but don’t want too much communication with the adoptive parents, semi-open adoption may be the best choice for you.
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: Molly Allington is an aspiring author born and raised in Syracuse, New York. When she’s not watching her latest Netflix obsession, you can find her nose deep in a book or in her writing. She has been writing books since she was twelve and is in the process of trying to get her finished books published. Molly has a BA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. With her writing, she is hoping to share supportive information and help as many people as possible. Once she starts her own family, she is wanting to adopt.
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!