Adoption

Here's a recent note from our agency. If you've ever considered adoption (or haven't), this might be of interest to you.

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Domestic adoption has changed drastically in the last year.

Layoffs and downsizing have caused a great loss in the birth parent job market – waitressing, factory jobs, laborers, fast-food workers. Many young women are finding themselves pregnant and desperate for a solution. More than ever, they are considering adoption. We are the busiest we’ve been in our history, not just with the sheer number of women calling us, but with the level of care each of them need. Some are homeless, turning to drugs and finding themselves in jail. More than 1/3 of our calls involve teenage birth mothers as young as 14. Many of their parents are in an economic crisis as well and unable to raise their grandchild--an option that might have been their first choice. It is a more desperate time. Families that never thought they’d consider adoption before are choosing it now. Our staff is always caring, patient and resourceful. Even more is being asked of them now as they scramble to help these women compete for housing, aid with utilities, OB waiting lists and even Medicaid. Adoptions like these are not simple, and colder weather will only cause more competition for social services.

So far, we have kept up with the demand, but we are getting nervous. The first half of the year is always filled with new, hopeful couples and most of our placements take place before July. This year is different. Monday, we had 44 couples – it’s Wednesday and five families have placements. Of the 39 left, 25 already have solid leads and a relationship with their birth mom (several couples even have multiple leads.) We presently have 41 birth moms – 25 of them are due before the end of the year. We have never in our history had more birthmothers than adoptive couples. But it is a desperate time.