Making an adoption plan is a loving and courageous option many women consider for their pregnancy. Some people assume adoption is “giving a child away” and fear the child will grow up feeling unloved and unwanted. That is simply not true! Placing a child with an adoptive family tells your child “I love you so much that I wanted the best for you.” Your child can have a beautiful life, and you can choose to be a part of it, without the full responsibility of parenting. Not everyone will understand your decision, and it requires sacrifice on your part. At Avenue, we believe that beauty can come from any pregnancy decision. If neither parenting nor abortion are the right option in this season, maybe making an adoption plan is right for you. Your consultant at Avenue would love to talk with you and support you on this journey.
Contact between birth parents and their child depends on the adoption plan that is made. An open adoption allows full contact between birth parents and adoptive families. Many birth parents remain actively involved in their adopted child’s life. A semi-open adoption allows for contact, but mediated through the adoption agency. A closed adoption does not allow for any contact between birth parents and child or adoptive family. You can choose which type of adoption plan is best for you.
Changing your mind is okay, even at the last minute! A birth mother does not sign papers to finalize her adoption plan until at least 72 hours after giving birth. You can explore making an adoption plan without making any commitments right now. It never hurts to explore your options and know what an adoption plan could look like, whether you act on that plan 9 months from now, or not at all.
Your Avenue consultant is here to support you while you explore adoption! She can help you make calls to agencies, gather information, and organize your pros & cons. Adoption agencies are also very experienced at answering questions from family members, significant others, or anyone else who is participating in your process.
For more information on the adoption process and testimonials, visit bravelove.org.
A note from our consultant, Jen:
“I have three children, and one is adopted. She has a great relationship with both her adopted and biological siblings. She has a biological brother who was adopted by another family, and we get together with them as often as possible. Now that they are old enough to text one another, I think they really appreciate having a relationship with someone else who knows the challenges of being adopted. There are challenges to adoption, but also incredible beauty, and now my daughter takes great pride in being adopted. She knows that she is dearly loved by her birth parents, and chosen and prayed for by her adoptive family.”
