Birth Parents

Birth parents can come to the agency at any stage of the pregnancy or after the birth fo their child. Adoption is one of the options available to you as you make the decision about your pregnancy. It is a decision that should be made with all of the correct information. Please call our office to discuss options counseling with one of our trained counselors.

Adoption Dreams Come True is staffed by experienced, compassionate and dedicated counselors. We offer 24 hour a day availability. We work throughout the state and will come to you if needed.

Services
The Birth Parent Program is set up to cater to the needs of a birth parent who is considering all options for their child, including adoption. The counseling and support are the biggest pieces of the program, assuring that all options have been explored and that each parent is making the best decision.

The program includes:

• Options counseling-options around an unplanned pregnancy for the future of the child
• Relinquishment counseling
• Labor support (if desired)
• Support at the hospital
• Legal relinquishment
• Lifelong support following relinquishment
• Choices and information on Open vs. Closed adoption
• Opportunity to select the family for your child
• Peer counseling

Options Counseling
Our counselors help birth parents select the very best option depending on individual situations and desires. We collaborate with other services if they choose to parent the baby, in order to obtain medical coverage and other necessities. Our counselors provide job search assistance, help with resumes, and provide referrals to other county agencies and resources if this is their decision.

For an appointment to speak with one of our counselors, please call (800) 281-6690 or for immediate service anytime of the day or night, call (970) 495-9205.

Relinquishment Counseling
Adoption Dreams Come True offers relinquishment counseling to any birth parent, free of charge. Relinquishing a child is both a voluntary and a legal process. In the State of Colorado, a parent choosing to relinquish a child for adoption must meet with a counselor to discuss the legal and emotional consequences of the process. The counseling offered by Adoption Dreams Come True covers the legal process and paperwork, the selection of the adoptive parent(s) for the child, paternity and fathers’ rights, and the emotional side of the process, including feelings of fear, grief, loss and sadness. Adoption Dreams Come True’s counselors make a personal connection with our birth parent clients and work extremely hard to advocate for each client. We will be available to our birth parent clients throughout the entire relinquishment period and offer continuing support indefinitely after the relinquishment.

Typically, once a birth parent meets with an Adoption Dreams Come True counselor and has decided on relinquishment and adoption for their child, the next step is to create an adoption plan. An adoption plan incorporates providing a proof of pregnancy, choosing a family for the child, laying out a birthing plan and discussing the amount and type of contact desired for the future with the adoptive family and the child. One of the first considerations to discuss is the type of adoption desired: open (direct contact with the adoptive family), semi-open (indirect contact with the family/through the agency) or closed (no contact or identifying information). The amount of contact a birth parent desires to maintain with their child throughout his or her life determines the type of adoption and is the decision of the birth parent. An adoption plan is personalized and helps the counselor understand what the birth parent(s) desire so she/he can work to make the experience as supportive/comfortable as possible. Once an adoptive family has been chosen by the birth parent(s), the counselor will be a laison for the initial introductions. The agency requires a number of documents to be filled out, including social and medical histories on the birth parents. The legal paperwork will not be submitted until after the baby is born. The legal process is explained in depth during the counseling. Once the baby is born, the baby goes home from the hospital with the adoptive family. The legal relinquishment process will begin and the length of time until relinquishment is final depends completely on the circumstances of the case. Once relinquishment is final, legal custody will be awarded to the agency for purposes of placement with the qualified adoptive parent(s) and the agency will continue to monitor the placement of the child until the family is ready to adopt (a minimum of 6 months).

Peer Counseling
Adoption Dreams Come True offers birth parents the unique opportunity to meet with other birth parents who have gone through the process. Through this peer support, birth parents have the opportunity to meet and discuss their situation with another person who has faced the same decision. Although each birth parent experiences unique and personal factors that lead them to relinquishment, many find it helpful, comforting and insightful to talk with someone who has been through the process. Sometimes the chance to connect in person with another birth parent who has relinquished can help with the grief and healing.