Placing a child for adoption is about gaining a family, not losing a child

As Alberta approaches Family Day, a reminder that not all families look the same

CALGARY, AB, Feb. 13, 2024 /CNW/ - As Alberta approaches Family Day, Alberta's three non-profit adoption agencies have come together to raise awareness and destigmatize adoption. Adoption is More strives to create an accurate understanding of adoption and what it looks like in Alberta.

Placing a child for adoption is a difficult decision, but not a shameful one. For the birth mothers and parents making the decision to place a child for adoption, the reality is that they can still play a role in that child's life as they grow up and remain part of that child's unique family.

Take Oakley's story as an example. Oakley and her husband knew that becoming parents was not the right path for them. When they became aware of Oakley's pregnancy, they decided early on that placing their child for adoption was the right move. They settled on a potential adoptive family, met with them, shared the birth experience, and remained involved in the child's life even after adoption. This is known as an open adoption and is common practice today in Alberta.

With nine per cent of Canadians identifying themselves as having been adopted as a child, adoption is not as rare an occurrence as some may believe.

How an open adoption relationship will work between the birth and adoptive parents, as well as with the child, can vary and is up to the birth and adoptive families to negotiate and set boundaries. The adoption experience can look different for everyone, but it is increasingly common for birth parents to remain involved, in some capacity, in the child's life.

"As difficult as it was, I knew I wasn't able to care for my child," says Heather Hobbs, a birth mother who placed her child for adoption. "I made my adoption decision 18 years ago, but to this day I enjoy a strong and healthy relationship with my birth child and their adoptive parents. This has included some difficult conversations but is mainly filled with joy and love as I celebrated birthdays and other milestones. In this way, I believe adoption leads to more: more opportunity, more connection and more love."

Both Oakley's and Heather's stories show how adoption provided a bright future for the children involved, but also for birth and adoptive parents alike.

"No one should be alone when making an important decision like placing a child for adoption," says Sheryl Proulx of Adoption Options, one of three non-profit adoption agencies in Alberta. "That's why we offer counseling and support for as long as needed for birth parents at no cost to them or their families. We value empowering an individual, providing access to community resources and supporting one in making an informed decision. There is so much stigma and many misconceptions about adoption. Some of that is out of a belief that the decision is made from weakness. In fact, it is made out of love and a realization that the best decision isn't always the path towards the typical family journey."  

Open adoption is able to bring together and intertwine the unique journeys of people. It creates a new narrative for the lives of everyone it touches, and that narrative does not need to exclude birth parents.

The Adoption is More movement is working to destigmatize adoption and continues to work with birth and adoptive families to find loving homes. Albertans are encouraged to visit www.adoptionismore.com to learn accurate information about adoption, the process and to hear stories from real Albertans who had their lives positively changed by making the choice to adopt or place their child for adoption.

About Adoption is More

Adoption is More is an initiative of the three licensed non-profit adoption agencies in Alberta: Amaris Adoptions, Adoption Options, and A Small Miracle Adoption. Adoption is More raises awareness, reduces stigma, and develops an understanding of what modern adoption looks like in Alberta. It strives to ensure the stories of the child, birth parents, and adoptive parents are not forgotten or overshadowed in the process. The agencies facilitate domestic adoptions and work to bring children together with loving families. For more information, visit adoptionismore.com.

SOURCE Adoption is More

Media Contact: Mike Brown, Worthington PR & Story, For Adoption is More, [email protected], 587-590-4465