Lifetime Adoption is proud to provide post adoption support for birth mothers. We know that birth moms will have so much on their minds after their child has been adopted. We want to put their minds at ease, which is why we place such focus on the post-adoption life of the mother.
Lifetime works with birth mothers on open adoptions, which means that moms choose the adoptive family. It also means that the birth family and the child’s new family work out plans together for visits and other forms of contact (letters, phone calls, video chats, etc.). Because open adoption allows for this type of relationship, our support for birth mothers after adoption extends beyond what we can offer in terms of emotional and counseling support.
In other words, we think that open adoption creates an extended family that is proven to help birth mothers heal and to move forward with their own lives, confident that their child will have the life they’ve planned for them.
Still, it’s important to provide professional adoption counseling services, as well. Let’s go over a few of the ways Lifetime Adoption supports birth mothers after adoption.
Free and Ongoing Post-Adoption Adoption Support
Lifetime Adoption Foundation
The Lifetime Adoption Foundation has a wide range of services for birth mothers after adoption. It includes opportunities for and information about educational scholarships for birth parents. The Foundation can also assist with books, can provide laptop computers, and so much more. Learn more about the Foundation here.
Contact
Support for birth mothers after adoption is free and ongoing at Lifetime Adoption. For example, if at any point a birth mom needs to speak with someone, she can contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All they have to do is call or text our office anytime at 1-800-923-6784.
Best of all, no matter when you call, someone will be there to listen. You won’t reach voicemail. We really are here for you 24/7!
Peer Support
Our Peer Support Network is made up of moms who have made the loving choice to place their child for adoption. They will remain available to birth mothers who need support after the adoption.
Peer counseling is free for birth mothers both before and after adoption. They are available for regular appointments via email, phone, or text, or if a birth mother prefers to limit that contact to only those times it is needed. Think of our peer counselors as friends — someone to talk to who has walked the journey before. They can answer those awkward questions you may have.
You can find more information about our Peer Support Network here.
Counseling
During the adoption journey, birth mothers may be interested in speaking with a licensed counselor. We provide independent, outside counselors who are available to talk by phone or in person, whichever way is most comfortable and convenient.
Extended Family Time
We mentioned above that open adoption allows for the creation of extended families. That goes for your family as well! At Lifetime, we encourage birth mothers to include their families in future contact plans, if they wish. Their own mother, siblings, and even children can meet the adoptive parents and be a part of the extended family in the future. Our adoption coordinators can help with the details.
The flip side of this is that if birth mothers choose to go through the adoption process without planning for future contact, or desiring just limited contact with the adoptive family, then we can help with that, too. Many women may feel at first like they don’t want contact, but then after meeting the family and the baby, their feelings change. That’s OK! At Lifetime, all of our families are open to ongoing contact, so if you change your mind, the door is always open.
Communication from Lifetime
After the adoption, Lifetime continues to provide updates to birth mothers. We also work to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone involved.
Communication and open dialogue are important. That’s why our birth mothers are assigned an adoption coordinator at the very beginning of the adoption process. This relationship will grow and flourish over time so that moms can feel comfortable sharing their feelings, thoughts, and concerns with their coordinator.
Of course, our counselors and peer support network are also available to discuss any concerns. We also have the ability to help plan post-adoption support, including referrals to scholarship programs.
Questions or concerns? Facing an unplanned pregnancy? We are here for you, whether you’re a birth father, mother, or friends and family. All those affected by adoption can contact Lifetime Adoption today!
Naturally, our focus is on birth parents and adoptive parents. But as adoption professionals, we understand that adoption placement affects a wide range of people. (Not just the expectant parents and the children for adoption!)
As a domestic adoption agency, Lifetime Adoption is ready to help.
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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