I had the privilege this past Monday evening of  facilitating a workshop for prospective adoptive parents..the topic was Adoption Through the Eyes of the Birth Mother..I call it a privilege because two very special woman  both birth mothers I worked with through the years bravely told their very personal journey of placing their infants at birth for adoption…both woman spoke candidly about the joys and the pain of making the decision and how they have coped through the years with the choice they each made..both addressed the love they had for not only their birth child but for the adoptive parents who were raising their children.. both had close and loving open adoptions with their birth children as well as the adoptive  families.. the audience of prospective adoptive parents were riveted to their seats as these woman spoke…. Tears flowed through out the evening, but  because of the courage displayed by these two woman,  who so openly shared their stories , they were able to humanize and accurately portray who birth mothers  really are. In doing so they dispelled any myths that  birth mothers  forget or don’t love their children… as I drove home that night thinking of these two brave and loving woman  I was reminded of a poem written by a birth mother titled.. “We are a Legion”..Click the link below to read these powerful words..

http://www.openadoptioninsight.org/html/birth_mother_s_poetry.html

I had the opportunity to view some of the highlights of the MTV 2009 hit series” I’m 16 and pregnant “. They are posted on the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy website..These are powerful real stories of the challenges and heartache that teens and their families endure when a pregnancy occurs..the series( season 1 ) is six episodes, covering a wide range of issues confronting teens..there’s even an adoption story highlighted in one episode where a teen couple (Catelynn & Tyler) lovingly and courageously place their baby for adoption in spite of  little support from their families…..the series is out on DVD and comes with a discussion guide book and a teen pregnancy fact sheet.. click below to link to the Campaign’s homepage you’ll also find other useful information and facts regarding teen pregnancy issues.. a great website for parents and teens!!

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/media/16andpregnant.aspx

Birth parents often struggle with conveying  family history and background information to their children they have placed for adoption in a personal way rather than just completing the necessary State or Agency background forms that tend to be cold and impersonal…. “A Birth Parent’s Book of Memories” may be  the answer..it is a fill in the blank scrapbook written specifically for birth parents to give to their birth children ….it allows a birth parent to convey background information in a loving , intimate and personal way…it has room for photos , art work and also comes with helpful suggestions from the author as to how to fill it out..this is truly a gift of love from a birth parent to a birth child..click on the link below to see this book and also how to order;

 http://www.adoptshoppe.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&PROID=804

I was recently asked by a young woman seeking options counseling at our agency if I could recommend a book that might guide her through the decision making process …….informed decision making should be the goal of good counseling ..I can’t think of a better book to recommend than The Third Choice: A Woman’s Guide to Placing a Child for Adoption.. click on to the link below to learn more about this valuable resource..

http://www.thirdchoicebooks.com

Kinship Center’s social workers are committed to helping women explore all options regarding their pregnancy during counseling sessions so that they are able to make an informed decision….click on the link to read an article that explores single parenting…. http://www.optionsmagazine.com/magazine/article_view/article/17_3041