Making the choice to grow your family with adoption is a big deal and a reason to rejoice. What many families don’t realize is how much goes into the decision of how or through what organization their new son or daughter will enter their lives. There are so many aspects to consider before making a commitment to an adoption agency. Most adoptive parents spend hours researching the experiences of other adoptive families, licensures and accreditations, fees, and other similar factors. However, too few consider the importance of how well an adoption agency assists young birth mothers.

Why Caring for Birth Mothers Matters
Oftentimes, the women whose children will be adopted are very young, afraid, alone, and in need of a lot of help. Few of them had any thoughts of pregnancy prior to their current situation and some may even face abandonment and rejection by their own parents as well. By pursuing adoption, these women are trying to do what is best for their babies and themselves. It is a brave and difficult journey, and it is possible that their only support is coming from the adoption agency.

What You Can Do
Adoptive parents have the power to perpetuate an adoption culture in which birth mothers are respected and cared for. Many adoption agencies include medical care for the birth mother in their fees or require the adoptive family to incur those costs. Some agencies go no further than that and less reputable organizations may do even less for their mothers. However, there are agencies that go above and beyond to set their clients up for success after the birth of their child. For example, adoption agencies that provide housing, career training, educational assistance, or relocation programs seek to help birth mothers move forward and build a better life. By responsibly searching for this type of organization, adoptive families not only change the life of a child but also the woman who gave birth to their new family member.