Pregnant
and Considering Adoption:
Birth Parent Services
Bright Futures offers both pre and post-placement services for
pregnant women and couples. Click below to learn more about each
of the services offered by Bright Futures.
Education, Counseling and Support
Intake Evaluation
Opportunity to Evaluate and Select Adoptive
Parents
Financial Assistance
Post-Placement Services
Facilitation of Ongoing Contact with Your
Child's Adoptive Family
Newsletter
Education, Counseling and Support
Bright Futures offers free education, counseling and support to
birth parents throughout the adoption process. Bright Futures
first offers education to birth parents about the adoption process,
different types of adoption, and alternatives to adoption. Next,
Bright Futures provides counseling and support to birth parents
making the difficult decision about whether to parent or make
an adoption plan for their child. All such education, counseling
and support is provided free of charge to birth parents regardless
of their final decision. top
Once birth parents decide to make an adoption plan for their
child, Bright Futures provides education, counseling and support
as needed. Such education, counseling and support may include:
(a) counseling birth parents about their role in the adoption
triangle and compassionate methods of communicating with adoptive
parents and their extended family, (b) providing support in specific
situations that may arise prior to or after the birth of their
child, (c) assisting birth parents in creating an adoption plan
that is appropriate for all parties involved in the adoption and
modifying the adoption plan to meet changes in circumstances throughout
the adoption process, (d) assisting birth parents in arranging
the details of the delivery itself and dealing with the legal
and emotional issues that may arise, and (e) counseling and supporting
birth parents in managing their relationship with the adoptive
family after the birth and placement of a child. In addition,
birth parents will have the option of becoming part of a support
network comprised of birth parents that have made adoption plans
for their children or are in the process of making an adoption
plan for their child. top
Intake Evaluation
When birth parents begin working with Bright Futures, a social
worker from Bright Futures will meet with the birth parent(s)
and do an Intake Evaluation. During the Intake Evaluation, the
social worker will discuss with the birth parent(s) their specific
needs, desires and concerns about adoption and what type of adoption
is right for them. The social worker will also help assess the
birth parent(s)' current situation and make a service plan that
addresses the birth parent(s)' needs. The service plan may address
any of the issues described in the next few sentences. If the
birth parent(s) would like to have counseling, the service plan
will indicate how often the birth parent(s) wish to have counseling,
who will provide the counseling and where the counseling will
take place. If the birth mother needs financial assistance to
pay for doctor or hospital visits, the service plan will indicate
how often the birth mother visits the doctor, the expectation
for length of hospitalization and who will pay the expenses. If
the birth mother needs assistance with housing, living or transportation
expenses, the service plan will indicate what the birth mother's
needs are and how they will be addressed. The service plan will
also indicate who will provide the birth parent(s) with legal
counsel in connection with the adoption and who will cover those
legal costs. top
During the Intake Evaluation, the social worker will also help
the birth parents complete a Birth Family Medical Information
Form and a Birth Parent Social and Family History Form. The information
contained in these forms will be passed on to the adoptive parents
selected by the birth parent(s) so that the adoptive parent(s)
can make it part of their family history and so that it is available
to share with the child as he or she grows older and begins to
ask questions about his or her birth family. top
Opportunity to Evaluate and Select Adoptive Parents
Once the Intake Evaluation has been completed and Bright Futures
has a sense of what the birth parent(s)' needs are and what type
of adoptive family the birth parent(s) would like to have parent
their child, Bright Futures will provide the birth parents with
pictures and letters from adoptive families that have been approved
by Bright Futures and that share the birth parent(s)' needs and
expectations about the adoption (including expectations about
the racial, cultural or religious identity of the child, ongoing
contact, and financial ability/needs). The birth parent(s) will
then have the opportunity to select the family or families that
they would like to get to know better. After the birth parent(s)
have had the chance to ask questions and speak with the adoptive
parents, the birth parent(s) will be allowed to identify the family
that they want to work with to make an adoption plan for their
child. Although Bright Futures will work hard to match each child
with the family selected by the birth parent(s), by law Bright
Futures is required to make the final decision about whether the
placement is in the best interests of the child. top
Financial Assistance
Bright Futures helps birth parents determine what their counseling,
legal, living and medical expenses may be in connection with making
an adoption plan for their child and provides birth parents with
a plan for how to pay those expenses. An adoption financial plan
may involve: (i) obtaining available state and federal aid, such
as AFDC, Medicaid or WIC, if the birth parent(s) are eligible,
(ii) payment by the prospective adoptive parents of certain pregnancy,
birth and adoption-related expenses of the birth parent(s) as
permitted by applicable law, such as counseling fees, legal fees,
reasonable living expenses, medical expenses and transportation
to obtain medical, legal, counseling or other adoption-related
services, and (iii) use of any other resources that may be available
to the birth parent(s). top
Post-Placement Services
Bright Futures provides birth parents with education, counseling
and support services after placement of their child, including
counseling regarding adoption-related issues such as identity,
roles and relationships between the participants in an adoption
plan, assistance in joining or developing a support group, and
general information regarding current adoption issues, practices
and laws. top
Facilitation of Ongoing Contact with Your Child and Your Child's
Adoptive Family
Building a relationship with your child's adoptive family based
on trust and mutual respect is an important part of a birth parent(s)'
job. Bright Futures helps birth parents build relationships with
their child's adoptive family by:
- Facilitating the exchange of pictures and letters if the birth
parent(s) or the adoptive parents are not comfortable disclosing
their address at the outset;
- Assisting birth parents in creating an ongoing contact plan
that is comfortable for the birth parents, comfortable for the
adoptive parents and in the best interests of the child (such
a plan may include a combination of letters, telephone calls
and/or visits);
- Assisting birth parents in revising an ongoing contact plan
that has become uncomfortable for the birth parents, for the
adoptive parents or for the child; or
- Providing a neutral ground for meetings or visits with the
adoptive family.
top
Newsletter
As a client of Bright Futures, any birth parent that elects to
do so will receive Bright Futures' newsletter. The newsletter
contains articles on current adoption issues, letters and articles
from birth parents and adoptive parents on their adoption experiences,
dates of upcoming adoption conferences and news about Bright Futures,
its programs and services. top
