This week, Lifetime Adoption was interviewed by Washington, D.C. news station WUSA 9 to discuss adoption options for mothers struggling to provide for their baby or young child. Becoming a mom is a major life change, and some women find themselves unable or unequipped to raise their child for a variety of reasons.
In the interview, Heather Featherston of Lifetime Adoption shared about the assistance, resources, and adoption options that Lifetime provides to struggling mothers. You can watch Lifetime’s spotlight segment over on the WUSA 9 website.
An unplanned pregnancy can come at a time when a woman doesn’t have the resources — emotionally or otherwise — to care for a child. Some of these women find adoption to be the best option for both themselves and the baby. Other women decide on adoption after months or even years of parenting when they realize that they can’t provide a stable environment for their child.
Whichever situation sounds more like yours, know that Lifetime Adoption is available 24/7 to provide support, answer your questions, and connect you with free counseling if needed. Finding out you are pregnant unexpectedly can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming. Getting the right support so that you can make the best choice for you and your baby is important.
Know Your Adoption Options
Choosing an open adoption plan gives you the chance to stay in contact with your child through emails, letters, and even visits. You’ll also get to know the adoptive family when you have an open adoption. Studies show that open adoptions help birth mothers experience less sadness and pain due to the loss of adoption. Many adopted adults have a wonderful relationship with their birth mothers because of open adoptions.
Open adoption also gives you the ability to choose the adoptive family for your child. An Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime will show you profiles of hopeful adoptive parents depending upon your criteria. Perhaps you want your child to grow up with older siblings or a family of the same ethnicity as the baby. Or maybe you want your child to grow up in a certain region or state. You can search adoptive family profiles on our website to find an adoptive family that matches what you’re looking for.
If you’re worried whether your baby would be safe with the adoptive couple, know that every couple adopting a baby through Lifetime has been thoroughly pre-screened. They have had detailed background checks and home visits with a social worker, who makes sure they are fit to be parents. Each hopeful adoptive parent is ready to speak with you about the hopes and dreams you have for your child. Also, they are ready to commit to an open adoption with you and talk about what that future contact will look like.
Once you pick your top three adoptive couples, you can talk with them and get to know them better. Your Adoption Coordinator will be with you through this process. She is here to help you find out more about your choices and decide what to ask potential adoptive parents.
Many women look into adoption because they realize they can’t provide a stable home environment for their baby. Along with choosing your baby’s adoptive parents and gifting your baby with a better life, adoption can give you peace of mind about your child. Adoption gives you the chance to provide your child opportunities you would not be able to provide for them.
“After the adoption, I was able to have peace of mind because I knew my baby was with a loving family. I didn’t worry about my child getting all the things he needs,” explains Julia, a birth mother.
It’s Never Too Late to Choose Adoption
An unplanned pregnancy can be stressful, especially if you’re not ready to be a mom. You may be feeling nervous about what the next few months and years will look like. You might also feel scared about becoming a parent. Having a child changes your life, and it is OK to recognize that it may be something that you are not ready for.
It’s important to know that it’s never too late to choose adoption. Lifetime has helped many women who tried parenting before turning to adoption. You can oversee the entire adoption planning process, and that includes deciding when you’re ready to begin. No matter if your child is weeks, months, or years old, adoption is always a decision that you can make. If you choose adoption later on for your child, you have the same choices and rights as a pregnant woman making an adoption plan. This includes:
- Creating an adoption plan that meets your goals for your child’s future.
- Choosing the perfect adoptive parents for your child.
- Deciding on how much contact you’d like to have with the adoptive family and your child (before and after the adoption)
- The ability to get the resources, support, and services you need
- The power to determine when you’re ready to sign adoption paperwork
You’re also able to move through the adoption process at your own speed. Lifetime isn’t here to persuade you or pressure you into a decision you’re not OK with.
Taking the first step can be as easy as a text or phone call to one of our caring adoption coordinators. They can help answer your questions about what adoption can look like for you as you decide how to provide the best future for your child. Our coordinators are here to help expectant mothers in every state find the answers they’re looking for as they consider an open adoption.
Call or text us today at 1-800-923-6784 to speak with a kind and experienced adoption coordinator. There is no obligation and no pressure. We are here for you, anytime, day or night.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell’s life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN’s Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
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