If you’ve just had a baby and want to look into adoption, it’s not too late – an adoption agency can help you with everything you need to make the best decision for your child. Adoption agencies are licensed, full-service adoption professionals that are equipped to guide you through every step of the process. If you reach out to an adoption agency, your personal adoption specialist will help you find a family, give you counseling and support, arrange for financial assistance, and guide you through the legal side of your adoption – all in a matter of days if necessary.
If you’ve just given birth, you likely want to come to a decision and complete your adoption as quickly as you can. An adoption agency can ensure you make a quick but positive and informed decision by offering the following benefits:
For women who have already given birth, the adoption experience is different in a few ways. If you are pursuing adoption after you’ve had your baby, keep the following in mind:
As the mother, you are the only one who can decide what the right choice for your baby is. It does not matter whether you are nine months pregnant, in the delivery room, or have already had the baby – if adoption is the best decision, you can always reach out to an adoption agency to help you make the best decision and to ensure all of your goals are met.
In response to last year’s rulings to prevent adoption discrimination based on sexual orientation, the state of Utah is currently reviewing a bill that would return favor to heterosexual couples. Utah Representative Kraig Powell has introduced the bill with the argument that children should have both a male and female parental figure. Over the past year, homosexual and heterosexual parents have been given equal preference in Utah adoption and foster care. The new bill, if passed, would allow the state’s foster care programs to choose one family over another based purely on sexual orientation. It would not affect the proceedings of private adoptions. After last year’s Supreme Court rulings, many states are revisiting their adoption laws. At Considering Adoption, we hope that this bill does not result in a step backward in the movement for equal adoption rights. References:
Adoption gifts can be a great way for all members of the adoption triad to show love and appreciation for one another. Whether it’s for the holidays, birthdays, or an adoption day, here are some adoption gift ideas to help you find the perfect present for the people involved in your adoption journey.
Some vendors have adoption-related merchandise, often in the form of clothing or decorations, which can be a great option for anyone who has been touched by adoption. Whether you or someone you know is part of an adoption triad, these gift ideas can work for anyone. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of adoption gifts you can find:
For more ideas about gifts specifically related to adoption, you can visit websites such as Many Hearts One Beat or AdoptShoppe.
If you are an adoptive parent, then the birth parents in your life have given you a gift beyond measure; how do you give them a gift in return? Everyone has different likes, hobbies, and tastes, so these suggestions should be treated as a springboard for ideas. These are just a few ideas for items that you can give to a birth mother:
Whether you’re looking for birthday, holiday, or adoption day gifts, you want your child to know that he or she is always in your heart. These suggestions can give you generalized gift ideas, which you can personalize to your child’s tastes:
After a family has adopted, they will usually throw an adoption shower. Sometimes families will have a shower before an adoption, but this is not usually recommended. Whenever they have their big bash, gift-givers should think of it like any other baby shower.
If you are involved in an adoption, consult your adoption specialist to be sure that your gift is appropriate for the recipient and your particular situation. No matter the occasion, there are endless gift possibilities for the adoptive parent, birth parent, or adoptee in your life.
The Indiana Senate approved a bill in a 43-5 vote that would allow adoptees access to currently sealed birth records. The proposed bill will now move on to the House. If the new legislature is passed, it will affect adoptions taking place between 1941 and 1993. Currently, adoption records within this time frame are sealed, which means that adoptees cannot obtain potentially crucial information. Those in opposition to the bill state that opening the records would infringe on the privacy of the birth mothers. Under the new bill, birth mothers would be able to indicate whether or not they were open to communicating or exchanging information. The new bill will go into effect in 2018 if passed. References:
Faith Hill is recognized across the world for her music, but she is just as highly thought of in the adoption community for her advocacy of domestic adoption. She even played a major role in helping her biological brother turn his life around, even though she didn’t know him for the first 20 years of her life. On September 21, 1967, Hill was placed for adoption by her birth mother and adopted by Ted and Edna Perry, who named her Audrey Faith Perry. As Hill’s career blossomed in her late teens and early twenties, so did her desire to reconnect with her birth family. “I was adopted into this incredible home, a loving, positive environment, yet I had this yearning, this kind of darkness that was also inside me,” she told Good Housekeeping. Hill decided to shed some light on the darkness that she couldn’t escape. After moving to Nashville in 1993, when she wasn’t working on her next album or concert, she was searching for her birth family – and she found them. “The first time I met my birth mother, I just stared at her,” Hill said. “I’d never seen anyone that looked anything like me.” And she learned that she had a biological brother as well. As excited as Hill was to meet her brother Zachary White, he was perhaps even more excited to meet her. According to National Enquirer, White had many run-ins with the law, including stealing purses and cars to fuel his drug addiction. Fortunately, White found the help that he needed and began to turn his life around. Then, Faith Hill entered his life, and remained there. “I made my share of mistakes in the past, but Faith showed me that I could be a better person,” White told National Enquirer. “Faith is a beautiful, amazing person, and she’s forgiven me for the mistakes I made when I was younger.” Hill continues to serve as an inspiration to anyone who has been touched by adoption. Anyone can see how Hill isn’t ashamed of her adoption, she’s embraced it. And because of her adoption, she has not just her adoptive parents that love her, but her birth family as well. And if Hill wasn’t placed for adoption, would she be the mega-country star that she is today? Thanks to her birth mother, we will never know. “I have a lot of respect for my birth mother and no feeling of anger or any of that,” Hill said. “I know she must have had a lot of love for me to want to give me what she felt was a better chance.” References:
In December, District Judge Janis Jack of Corpus Christi ruled that the current state of the Texas foster care system was unconstitutional and jeopardized the safety of foster children. To combat these issues, she has moved to implement a series of reforms, including regulating the number of caseworkers and increasing their supervision. Texas lawyers have responded by asking a federal appeals court to suspend the new requirements. The requests state that the requirements are too vague and could potentially break up sibling groups in foster care. Furthermore, they say that the changes would affect children who are not currently at risk of harm. At the time, the state lawyers’ requests have been denied. The reform movement will hopefully be the first of many steps toward protecting and improving the welfare of Texas children in foster care. References:
Last November, the Democratic Republic of Congo approved the international adoptions of 72 Congolese children. Now, the government is drafting new legislation and has reviewed pending adoption cases. Since 2013, international adoptions have been on hold in Congo because of flaws in the adoption process. As a result, many adoptive families found themselves stuck in the middle of their adoptions, unable to take their children home. Hundreds of families are still waiting to complete their adoptions. The new legislation will be voted on in March, and waiting families will be notified of the decision and the effect it has on their adoptions. References:
In 1977, a young Kate Mulgrew became pregnant unexpectedly with a man she did not wish to marry. At a time when pregnancies outside of marriage were considered taboo, Mulgrew knew marrying the father of her baby was not the right decision for her. The actress, best known for her portrayals of Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager and, more recently, Red in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, has defended her decision stating that it was the best option for her and her child. “Abortion was absolutely out of the question. So was marriage,” Mulgrew told Wilmington Star-News in 1979. “I suppose I thought I was in love…but I knew he wasn’t the man I wanted to spend my life with.” Mulgrew became pregnant just as her acting career was beginning to blossom through her role as Mary Ryan in the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. The show’s writers wrote the pregnancy into the script allowing her to continue her acting career. But even so, she wasn’t ready to become a mother and “would not consider raising a child as a single parent.” She remained committed to her adoption plan throughout her pregnancy and made arrangements with a Roman Catholic agency to complete the adoption. Mulgrew revealed to the Star-News that there were only two times when she “cracked.” “The first time was the night I sneaked out of my hospital room and, against policy, went down to the nursery and stood at the glass partition getting my only look at my daughter. It was a terribly difficult moment,” Mulgrew said. The second time “was when I went home from the hospital – without her.” Finding Peace Raised an Irish Roman Catholic, Mulgrew believes the sanctity of marriage is of the utmost importance. She grew up in a tight-knit, loving family and they were incredibly supportive of her decision to place the child for adoption. She finds comfort in knowing that her daughter was raised in the same sort of family. “I know my child is being raised somewhere by two loving parents in a home that’s filled with warmth and joy,” Mulgrew told Star-News. Mulgrew has no regrets about her decision to place her daughter for adoption and is thankful to have had the experience. “I believe it was God’s will,” Mulgrew said. “I wouldn’t trade the experience. I also wouldn’t repeat it. It’s a lingering pain, a pain that will always be there.” Through the pain, however, Mulgrew has been able to find peace in her decision. “Though I’m always going to feel the hurt, at least I know my child is alive and that she is happy somewhere and growing up surrounded by love.” Mulgrew is now happily married and has two sons. She was reunited with her biological daughter in 2001. References:
In the midst of recent speculation that Brad and Angelina were gearing up to adopt a seventh child from Cambodia, the Cambodian government has stepped forward to strike down the rumors. While Jolie was filming in Cambodia last month, there was no talk of adoption, and currently, adoptions are closed between the two countries. But that doesn’t mean the Jolie-Pitt clan is done growing. In fact, they had even talked about having as many as 12 kids. Whether or not that is still part of the plan is anyone’s guess, but the possibility is still there. Jolie and Pitt are no strangers to adoption, and their six children have always been of great interest to the public. In 2002, they adopted Maddox from Cambodia, and in 2005 they traveled to Ethiopia to add Zahara to their family. Brad and Angie then welcomed their first biological child, Shiloh, in 2006. A year later the clan adopted again, this time a young boy from Vietnam whom they named Pax. Then, in 2008, the clan welcomed two more biological children, Knox and Vivienne, 5. A family with six (soon seven?) children may seem overwhelming to many, but Brad and Angelina seem to be handling it with grace. Though they have been both criticized and praised for their parenting styles (see Shiloh Jolie-Pitt’s decision to dress like a boy), it seems that the clan is perfectly happy. The next child, if and when he or she arrives, is sure to be welcomed whole-heartedly into their family. References:
Senator Mark Kolterman of Seward, Nebraska has introduced a bill that would allow child welfare agencies to refuse gay couples on the basis of religion. This would potentially prevent gay and lesbian couples in the state from becoming foster parents. The proposed bill, Legislative Bill 975, would protect anti-gay agencies from losing funding if they made an objection on religious grounds. Kolterman has stated that many agencies have been shut down for refusing services to gay couples, and that the bill would be integral to maintaining these institutions and finding homes for children. The bill states: “Having as many possible qualified child-placing agencies in Nebraska is a substantial benefit to the children of Nebraska who are in need of these placement services and to all of the citizens of Nebraska because the more qualified agencies taking part in this process there are, the greater the likelihood that permanent placement can be achieved for each child.” Our Opinion: Anyone who can provide a loving home should have the opportunity to be a parent. If supporters of the bill were truly concerned with the welfare of foster children, they would encourage agencies to welcome all qualified parents, regardless of factors as irrelevant as sexual orientation. There have been huge strides in the adoption world for gay and lesbian parents in the last year, and we hope that this doesn’t become a step backward. References:
