WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!
It is hard to believe that the first quarter of 2019 is over! In the last three months, we have welcomed SIX sweet babies and their birth families to the AOI family. Please join us in welcoming Brayden, Maisey, Remy, Julian, Owen, and Jude.
So, the babies are home! Now the work is done, right? Far from it! Here’s what happens next:
- We spend time with the adoptive families in their homes, talking about adjusting to life with a newborn. From sleep schedules to navigating new routines, our social workers also make sure our families know how to create updates that honor their child’s birth family.
- We meet with birth moms as many times as she wants as she begins processing her grief. We often help her talk about adoption with her family or children, navigate relationships with the baby’s birth father and help her decide what she wants her relationship with her baby’s adoptive family to look like.
- We work with our legal partners to assure the proper filings and notices are made in order to finalize the adoption.
- We help families navigate Medicaid, when needed, and secure copies of relevant medical records.
We are honored to provide support to birth and adoptive families long after an adoption is finalized.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
You have the right to have help with medical and other pregnancy related expenses. If you don’t have health insurance, and are not eligible for Medicad, your medical fees should be paid by either your adoption resource or by your child’s adoptive family. In Indiana, the law allows for financial assistance for lost wages and living expenses during the second trimester through six weeks post-birth.
If you have questions about your rights, please contact us at day at 317-597-5312. We are here for you 24 hours a day.
EMBRACING TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION
This month, our prospective adoptive parents participated in a meaningful and important workshop entitled “What Transracially Adopted Children Need From Their Parents”. Led by Tara Vanderwoude, families talked openly and honestly about the importance of recognizing and celebrating a child’s racial identity. Tara is an amazing advocate and educator, sharing her own personal experience, asking tough questions and encouraging us to challenge our assumptions about race.
This workshop is offered twice a year and we encourage you to come listen to panelists share their own experiences as people of color, parents, adoptees and neighbors. For more information on Tara, please visit her website. Thank you Tara for being such a leader in this space.