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Personal StoriesSusie and Bill's Adoption StorySusie and Bill, a young couple in the process of adopting a child for the first time last year, completed a home study and agreed to meet with the birth parents if a meeting was requested. The birth mother was very interested in Susie and Bill and wanted them to be the couple to adopt her baby. She was interested in open adoption and wanted the adoptive family to be at the hospital (which was three hours away) when she delivered. Through the efforts of Catholic Charities' staff, the meeting was coordinated between a nervous-but-excited adoptive couple and the birth family. Susie and Bill reached the hospital in time to experience the birth of their son. It has been nearly one year since that joyous occasion, and the adoptive family continues to maintain contact and have occasional visits with the birth mother and her family. Everyone involved remains pleased with this open adoption arrangement. Tara's Adoption StoryTara was twenty-one when she found out she was pregnant with her first child. She had just broken up with her boyfriend and didn't have her own housing. She was working full time to support herself and struggling to keep her bills paid. She had always dreamed of being a paralegal one day. When she found out she was expecting a baby, Tara felt hopeless. All the things she had been working for seemed out of reach now. Tara called Catholic Charities for support and enrolled into Services for Pregnant Women. We discussed her options and what she wanted for her and her child's future. Tara felt she was not able to care for a baby at this point in her life. She did not have the financial resources to raise a child. Even if she got on state assistance, it wouldn't have been enough. Tara also felt that she was not emotionally ready to be a parent yet. She wanted to go to college. She wanted to start a career. She wanted to be married and have her "life in order" before starting a family. Tara also thought about the baby. She wanted her baby to have a mother and a father. She wanted the baby to have the kind of life that she could not provide right now. Tara knew that placing her child for adoption would be a difficult thing. She also knew that it would be the best decision for her and her child. Tara felt making an adoption plan was the best thing she could do for her baby. She knew her baby would have a great life and that was a wonderful feeling to have. Catholic Charities worked with Tara in making her adoption plan. We completed all the necessary paperwork and provided the support and guidance that she needed. Tara looked through various profiles of prospective adoptive families and picked one to adopt her child. While Tara decided not to meet with the adoptive family, she receives written updates from them on a regular basis. She also looks forward to the pictures they send her. Tara often writes back to her son and his new family letting them know about her life and how she has been doing. She knows, first hand, that her son is doing well and growing every day. Tara knows that her son now has the life that she had envisioned for him. Catholic Charities continues to meet with Tara and provide her services. She just moved into a new house and has started dating again. Tara is attending college and studying hard to become a paralegal. She is happy with the direction her life is going. She is happy that her dreams are starting to come true. Brittany's StoryBrittany was just a junior in high school when she found out she was pregnant. She was scared to tell her parents and kept it a secret for several weeks. She knew she did not want to have a baby, but didn't know what she should do. Brittany called Catholic Charities for services. We discussed what options Brittany had and helped her through the difficult time. Brittany felt she was too young to be a mother. She did not want to marry her boyfriend and knew he would not be much help with raising the baby. Brittany wasn't ready to give up her youth. She wanted to continue with her education and knew having a child would hinder her personal goals. She didn't want her parents to have to raise the child either. Brittany knew adoption was a good option for her and her baby. She wanted her child to grow up in a two-parent family, with plenty of opportunities in life. She wanted her child to have everything in life. Brittany chose to have an open adoption and met with the adoptive couple before she gave birth. They had an immediate connection and felt very comfortable around each other. It has been over a year since Brittany's daughter was born. Brittany recently attended prom with her boyfriend and graduated from high school. She will be attending a local community college on scholarship this fall. Brittany is having a wonderful time being a teenager and doing typical teenager things, such as sleeping late and going out with her friends. She knows these things would not be possible if she had decided to parent her child. Brittany continues to have ongoing contact with her daughter and the adoptive family. They call each other and visit with one another on a regular basis. More important than her own life, Brittany is happy to see her daughter doing so well. She has the life that Brittany always wanted for her. 
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