After the Adoption: What to Expect

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After a long road to adoption near Lafayette, it is finally time to bring your baby home. What an exciting time! But remember—even though your adoption has been completed, there are still a few responsibilities to keep in mind. What can adoptive families expect after their adoption is finalized? Discover how St. Elizabeth Foundation helps support you even after placement.

Post-Placement Visits

Once you are able to welcome your baby home, there are a few adoption-related responsibilities to be prepared for. First, make sure that you are ready for your post-placement visits. After your adoption near Lafayette has been finalized, the social worker who performed your home study will stop by during a specified supervision period. The purpose of these visits is to monitor developmental milestones and observe how your family is adjusting. Your social worker helps make sure that the placement is a good fit for both your family and your baby.

To prepare for your visits with your social worker, first ensure that you are still maintaining a safe environment for your child. Just like it was for your home study, do your best to keep your home in a similar condition to when you were preparing for your baby’s arrival. 

This is also a valuable time for you to ask questions or share any concerns or challenges with your social worker. Be sure to answer all questions honestly regarding your child’s growth, development, or any concerns you may have. And if you have your own questions, your social worker can help you find answers or connect you with resources for assistance.

Open Adoption Visits

In addition to these post-placement meetings, you will need to plan your visits with your baby’s birth mother if you completed an open adoption. This is a fantastic opportunity to bond with your baby’s birth mother or parents. Whether you have in-person meetings, video chats, or phone calls, take this time to get to know your baby’s family and share encouragement when you can.

Flexibility is key during these meetings. Understand that these open adoption visits can come with complex feelings for both the adoptive parents and the birth family. Encouragement, understanding, patience, and compassion should be given in abundance. And remember that you aren’t alone in the process! For both adoptive and birth families, our staff at St. Elizabeth Foundation can offer help with organizing open adoption meetings near Lafayette as well as post-placement counseling.

Post-Placement Tips

There is nothing more exciting than bringing home your beautiful baby after adoption. Now, it’s time to begin a new and exciting journey: parenthood. After your path to adoption is completed, this can feel intimidating—but don’t worry! There is so much joy and excitement ahead, and you can still find support as you enter this new chapter. 

After adoption, here are a few tips for adoptive parents:

  • Remember the benefits of counseling. Speaking with a counselor in all stages of your adoption journey can offer clarity and encouragement. This also includes the period after your adoption is finalized.
  • Don’t stop reading! There are countless books available to help adoptive parents learn more about parenting after placement. These can help encourage you and give you the tools you need for a smooth transition.
  • Stay in touch with other adoptive parents. There is so much strength to gain through conversations with others who empathize with your challenges. Keep up with other adoptive parents to gain advice and share about the ups and downs!

St. Elizabeth Foundation is passionate about connecting children with loving parents. If you are considering adoption, we would love to speak with you. Let us share more about our adoption agency near Lafayette and answer your questions. We are here to support you and cannot wait to encourage you as you begin your own adoption story.

Begin Your Adoption Journey Near Lafayette Today

Choosing to adopt a child is a wonderful adventure, even with its challenges. At St. Elizabeth Foundation, we are dedicated to stepping through the adoption process with you from submission to finalization. And once your placement is complete, we continue to support you as you embark on parenthood. If you are interested in learning more about adoption near Lafayette, give us a call at 225-769-8888. Or, send us a message with questions. We look forward to sharing more about the beauty of adoption with you.

6 Ways to Support a Loved One’s Adoption Near Lafayette

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Imagine that a friend or family member comes to you with the surprise that they are adopting. What wonderful, exciting news! What can you do to support them as they take their first steps towards adoption near Lafayette? And what can you do to help alleviate stress where you can? At St. Elizabeth Foundation, we know what the adopting family must face on their adoption journey. Let us give you a few tips to help take care of your loved ones, engage with them, and support them through the ups and downs.

1. Ask Questions!

One of the best ways to encourage your friends or family is with questions about their adoption near Lafayette! Show them that you are engaged and interested in the process. But, make sure your questions are balanced. Keep stressful or repeated questions to a minimum, and don’t overload the couple with questions. A few questions we suggest are:

  • What agency are you adopting through, and what is their process?
  • How long can you expect the process to take?
  • What has been the most exciting part of the process so far?
  • How are you feeling?

The adoption process can have many hurdles to overcome, and these may draw out the timeframe of the couple’s adoption. Avoid more negatively driven questions such as “What’s taking so long?” or “What if something goes wrong?” While these are valid questions, they do little to help the adopting couple. Keep your questions on the positive end of the spectrum.

2. Learn About the Chosen Type of Adoption

At St. Elizabeth Foundation, we offer three forms of adoption: open, semi-open, and closed. The type of adoption is chosen by the birth mother and determines how much contact remains after the completion of the adoption. If your loved ones already know the type of their adoption, take time to research it online. Not only does this give you insight into the process, but it also shows your loved one how willing you are to take research into your own hands.

3. Listen, Even During the Tough Stretches

While adoption is a beautiful and exciting journey, it is not without its challenges. This can result in long stretches of waiting, completing home studies and education, and grappling with the wide range of emotions that come with adoption. Be the listening ear your loved ones need. This may mean you allow the couple to vent their frustrations and worries or encourage them to pursue St. Elizabeth’s counseling services. Or, this may be as simple as offering a hug, a shoulder to rest or cry on, or other aid when the couple is too stressed to focus on themselves. Giving your time to listen and support the couple is invaluable as they work their way closer to finalizing their adoption near Lafayette.

4. Offer Encouraging Stories Rather Than Horror Stories

As with any major decision in life, you’ll find many shining success stories—and heart-wrenching horror stories, too. While it is realistic to consider all possibilities that the adopting couple could face, don’t bog them down with the harrowing what-ifs. When you can, replace worry with encouragement. Share exciting stories of adoption, especially if you know of any personal success stories from other friends or family. Remember that hardships are inevitable. However, it is better to focus on the positive adoption aspects to help keep the adopting couple in a strong forward motion.

5. Do Your Research!

Aside from researching the types of adoption available, research the adoption process as a whole! At St. Elizabeth Foundation, our adoption process follows seven main steps: qualifying for adoption, applying, completing a home study, finishing our education program, being chosen by a birth mother, learning your legal rights and responsibilities, and finalizing the adoption. Take time to research each step to discover ways you can help. Consider helping clean the couple’s home and organizing their items before the home study. You can monetarily support the adoption by donating towards the overall cost, purchasing diapers, or buying toys and clothes for when the baby arrives. When you understand the complexities of the adoption process, you can discover better ways to offer assistance.

6. Ask the Best Ways to Help and Support

When in doubt, communicate with the adopting couple. Ask them outright how you can best support them during their adoption. This can be direct assistance including being a good listener or helping with tasks around their home. Or, this could be as simple as inviting the couple over for a home-cooked dinner to talk about their experience. Your willingness to help and listen can do wonders for the couple as they prepare to welcome their new child!

Pursue Adoption Near Lafayette Through St. Elizabeth Foundation

If you or a loved one are interested in adoption near Lafayette, reach out to St. Elizabeth Foundation to learn more! We would love to share details about the adoption process, the approach our local adoption agency takes, and how you can take your first steps. Give us a call at 225-769-8888 or send us a message. Our staff looks forward to offering support, as well.

How to Cope With an Unwanted Pregnancy in Lake Charles

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When you hold a positive pregnancy test in your hands, your first response may not be awe or tears of joy. You may feel isolated, scared, regretful, or lost. Know that even when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, there are several options available to you near Lake Charles. At St. Elizabeth Foundation, we provide a safe space for expectant mothers to consider the right way to proceed after an unplanned pregnancy. Here is how we recommend moving forward after your news. 

First—Ground Yourself Mentally

Your first step is to calm the chaos you may be feeling internally. Coming to terms with your pregnancy is the first step toward coping. This may include accepting feelings of anger or fear about how your family or partner will react to the news. Know that your feelings are valid and to be expected. But, allow yourself to feel these emotions, process them, and then gather yourself for the next steps. Through St. Elizabeth’s, you can find judgment-free, professional counseling services to help you cope with the news of your pregnancy. And, we can also help you determine how to move forward. 

Reflect On Your Health

As you work through the emotions that come with an unwanted pregnancy, your next step should be to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider in Lake Charles. Not only can these professionals confirm that you are pregnant, but they can also help you know what care is needed for your pregnancy. If you drink alcohol, smoke, or use drugs, your doctor will recommend you abstain for the health of the baby. They will also advise you on prenatal supplements, diet, and exercise to help you and the baby stay as healthy as possible.

Identify Your Support System

Who in your life would be ideal to turn to for safety and encouragement? This may be one or both of your parents, the baby’s father, or close friends or family. Having an established support system is essential after the news of unwanted pregnancy, especially members you can speak to in person near Lake Charles. These loved ones can help you in making decisions, finding resources and medical care for your pregnancy, and making sure that you don’t feel alone in your situation. At St. Elizabeth Foundation, our staff is built of kind, loving professionals. From counselors to social workers and case workers, we extend love, understanding, and listening ears during a time of uncertainty.

Consider Each Option Carefully

Finally, it’s time to decide what to do about your pregnancy. Do you parent your baby? Do your place your child into adoption or foster care? Or do you choose to terminate your pregnancy?

It’s okay to be uncertain if you want to parent your baby. For many women, the news of unplanned pregnancy may come at the wrong time. Whether the mother is a high school or college student, a single mother, or a young professional—a pregnancy may conflict with other goals you have for yourself. Even if you are certain that motherhood is not right for you, you have several options to choose from, including adoption and foster care.

Your first thought may be to terminate your pregnancy. However, abortion is not the fast, easy solution that it may seem. Not only is abortion an expensive procedure, but it can also leave you with many emotional effects and even physical side effects. And with the recent conversation about the legality of abortion in Louisiana, it is smart to consider other options.

Through St. Elizabeth’s Foundation, an expectant mother can place her child for adoption under the care of qualified parents. Our agency thoroughly screens every prospective family before clearing them for adoption, ensuring that they are emotionally and financially prepared for a new child. And through our local Louisiana adoption agency, we give full control of the adoption to the birth mother. From choosing the adopting family to the type of adoption and hospital plan, each decision is up to you. Our team is here to support and guide you each step of the way.

Find Support for an Unwanted Pregnancy in Lake Charles

If you find yourself with an unwanted pregnancy in Lake Charles, know that love and support from St. Elizabeth’s isn’t far. Please consider reaching out to our adoption agency as soon as possible for counseling and guidance as you decide your next steps. You can reach a member of our team at 225-769-8888, or you can send us a message. We’ll be happy to show you all the ways we can help.