After checking out your recommended resources and filling in the appropriate forms, the adventure begins; and so does climbing over the many barriers to adoption for the child, adopting family, and agency. Those barriers will be discussed in the next article and resources for overcoming many of them. For now, let’s gain a closer perspective from those who serve their pregnant clients who don’t know what to do with an unplanned pregnancy and may want to consider adoption.
Diana Anzollitto, LMSW, Executive Director, for the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center in Boerne, Texas (www.lifesprecious.org), offers us that perspective. I first asked Diana “What main reasons are given when the center gets a phone call from someone? And what client age range is predominant?” She offered, “The main reason that many people call the HCPCC is because a woman believes that she may be pregnant. Some may be considering abortion but we do not perform abortions nor refer to agencies that do perform abortion. We do encourage all women to come into the HCPCC so that they may confirm their pregnancy through a pregnancy test and sometimes with a sonogram. We also encourage women to consider adoption or “providing parents for their baby” before making any decision about their situation. People will also call the HCPCC for testing for sexually transmitted diseases.”
I then asked what services does HCPCC provide on their behalf? In addition, what other issues/challenges surface impacting your clients' circumstances (i.e. family, biological father, finances, addictions)? “Our services are all free and confidential and consist of Pregnancy tests, STD testing, limited obstetric ultrasound, parenting classes, education of pregnancy, education about abortion and abortion alternatives. We also provide referral services for Adoption and Maternity Housing, Women’s Shelters and Emergency Housing, Medical Care, Parenting Classes, Job Training and Mentoring, Food and Material Needs, Local Churches. We services clients from Comfort, Blanco, Bandera, Hondo, Fredericksburg, Kerrville, San Antonio and other small towns in the Texas Hill Country.”
Diana then mentioned ways the center helps people get connected to adoption resources. “We always investigate Maternity Homes and Adoption Agencies before we begin utilizing them as referral sources for our clients. There are a number of good quality agencies which we have developed a relationship with over the past 25 years. We are able to call them while the client is at the Center for an immediate connection. And we also have pamphlets of these adoption agencies for clients who chose not to call while at the Center.
Many individuals and families know very little about how maternity homes and adoption agencies work these days. They are often surprised because of older stereotypes. That is why one of our focuses here at the HCPCC is to educate the community through the schools, community groups and churches about this. We have a very good video presentation called Teen Pregnancy: Decisions, Options and Choices which we can bring out to any group.”
Knowing the HCPCC staff face each any number of very emotional and difficult situations for their clients, I wondered what motivated them to become part of this pregnancy care center? A fellow staff member, Yvonne Gallo, Director of Operations and Outreach at the HCPCC, commented, “What motivated me and continues to keep me as a part of this Center is the desire to see our community stronger, especially when it comes to our youth. This can only happen if we are providing services of prevention to help them toward healthy lifestyles through education and their understanding of the choices available.”
In closing, I asked Diana what she sees for her care center in the years ahead? “In the years ahead I would love to see the HCPCC reaching more of our teens and young adults through our information, education and prevention outreach. The fact that San Antonio is number two among Texas cities for gonorrhea and Chlamydia means, that we have work to do in informing our youth not only about teen pregnancy and their options in that regard, but also about sexually transmitted diseases. I love that we serve individuals and families during a time of crisis and need; and I would also love to see the HCPCC impacting our community through our preventive educational programs.”
Diana also wishes more young people facing an unexpected pregnancy would come to realize they are not alone and there are caring adults available to work with them and help them through their crisis. “Adoption can be a blessing they may offer to their child and to a couple desiring to provide a family for their child.”
By all means, visit the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center to learn more about their heart and service to our community and the Texas Hill Country. I offer a variety of resources for adoption below that may help in your journey. The next article will cover those barriers families often face on this unknown island called adoption. The more you research and talk with those helping make adoption possible in your community, the more confident you will become in committing your life to that precious one chosen for you to adopt and adore.
Sources: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/statistics/adoption.cfm#gen
http://www.theadoptionguide.com/process/articles/how-long-adoption-takes
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/NSAP/chartbook/
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/statistics/adoption.cfm
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars
Intercountry adoption, http://adoption.state.gov/
Interfaith adoption-Texas, http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/CHILD/default.asp http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default
http://www.adoptionnetwork.com/adoption.shtml
http://texas.adoption.com/
http://www.adoptionaffiliates.com/
http://adoptuskids.org/
0 comments:
Post a Comment