Adoption is a serious consideration. It’s not the kind of thing that you decide to do in a second, or a week, or even several months. It’s also not something that you should go through alone.
At Gladney, we have these special people called options counselors. They have an important job in the process of adoption: help expectant mothers figure out what's best for them. Consider them the adoption help hotline. They aren’t here to convince you to place your child for adoption. They want what’s best for your baby, but they also want what’s best for you. If adoption isn’t the right thing for your situation, they want to help you figure out what is. This is what they do:
Listen and care. Options counselors are well aware that you are calling them because you’re in a very difficult situation. They also know that sometimes the most loving thing you can do for somebody is simply hear their story, and this is something that they do really well. Options counselors listen way more than they talk because they know you need to be heard. And they want you to feel heard because they really do care about you.
Share information. If you’re interested in adoption, options counselors can give you a lot of information about it. They know almost everything about adoption, including the things that you won’t find on the internet. They also know a lot about where to find help for people who aren’t considering adoption. If you and an options counselor discover that adoption is not for you, they will still be able to direct you to some resources that are specifically targeted to help people like you.
Give options. Options counselors care about you, but they aren’t in your situation, and this is actually a good thing. Because they aren’t involved in your circumstances, options counselors have somewhat of a bird’s eye view of what’s going on in your life, and they can help you figure out the best course of action. Sometimes it’s adoption, but if it’s not, they’ll help you figure out what is.
If you are pregnant, scared, and thinking about adoption, help is close. All you have to do is reach out.