AOI Update: April 2019

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WHAT IS OPENNESS…

…whatever you make it to be. One of the many beautiful things about adoption is that its never a “one size fits all”. Each adoption is unique and each relationship grows and changes over time. Meet three brave women with very different experiences:

  • When “Nancy” reached out to Adoptions of Indiana, she was in labor. She was scared, but she believed that placing her baby with an adoptive family was the right choice. At the time, she didn’t want to choose a family, didn’t want to see the baby or even know if it was a boy or a girl. Now, Nancy has had some time to grieve and process her decision and enjoys receiving updates and photos from her daughter’s chosen adoptive family. She’s not ready to meet them yet, but the beauty of openness is that she is allowed to move as slowly, or as little, as she needs to.
  • “Michelle” and “Richard” were in a situation similar to Nancy’s. They knew they wanted to choose a loving and welcoming family for their baby, but they didn’t want to meet them or see the baby at the hospital. Their daughter’s adoptive parents provided AOI with updates and photos and one day, Michelle reached out to our office and asked to see the photos. Now we are helping to facilitate a meeting between birth and adoptive families and hope that Michelle and Richard will decide to meet their daughter someday soon.
  • “Rachel” knew fairly early on in her pregnancy that she was interested in creating an adoption plan for her baby. She was matched with a loving family who was eager to welcome her into their home and community. Rachel has invited the prospective adoptive parents to doctor’s appointments and together they experience the ultrasounds. She even refers to them as the baby’s “mom” and “dad” to her doctors. This is the start of a really special friendship that honors and respects all parties and everyone will benefit from their openness.

Open adoption is different for everyone and can change over the years. At AOI, we encourage families to be open about their needs and expectations and we are always here to help navigate relationships as life changes.


KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to be put in touch with other women who have placed their children into adoptive homes.

Before making a decision, or after placement, it may be helpful to talk with others who have shared your experience and understand your feelings. We can connect you with our Birthparent Support Network where you will find people who understand.

You have the right to counseling.

A trained and impartial social worker, familiar with adoption, should be available from the beginning to help you review all your options and make the best plan for you and your baby. An established agency, like our, understands adoption is a life-long process and not a spur of the moment decision. You have the right to receive life-long support.

Click here to see all of your rights. We are here for you 24 hours a day. Please contact us at 317-597-5312.


WE NEED YOU!

As a nonprofit agency, we rely heavily on generous donors and community support. These funds allow us to provide options counseling and lifelong support to expectant and birth families. Donations allow us to spend time educating healthcare providers and social workers about the importance of respectful adoption language.

In order to make these things happen, we are starting the planning process for our annual fundraiser! Our events are volunteer driven and we would love your help on our committee. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Amber Sermersheim at amber@adoptionsofindiana.org.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS!

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