[acb-hsp] Social Media Makes Adoption Easier

[peter altschul]

Social Media Makes Adoption Easier
  Rebecca Hagelin
  One lopsided statistic easily overlooked in the abortion debate 
is this: 3700 abortions occur each day, drastically outnumbering 
the 68 adoptions that occur across all fifty states on any given 
day.  It's "a staggering gap," says Thea Ramirez, a social worker 
and former adoption agency director.
  Numbers like those inspired Thea, a married mother of two young 
children, to leap forward in faith and found a new, stunningly 
successful website called Adoption-Share.  When you visit her 
site at wwwddadoption-shareddcom you will see the beauty and 
genius of her idea.  Thea has a profoundly pro-life mission, with 
a very practical goal: to make adoption easier, more transparent, 
and more successful for all involved-licensed agencies, adoptive 
parents, and birthmothers.
  But back to those numbers for a second.  Why so few adoptions?
  First, most women with crisis pregnancies don't view adoption 
as a viable option.  Anyone who has worked with women in crisis 
pregnancies knows it's difficult to open women's hearts to 
adoption.  Pregnant women often say, "I could never give my baby 
up for adoption.  If I'm going to have the baby, I'm going to 
keep the baby."
  When adoption seems unthinkable, these women find their 
"choices" reduced to two: keep the baby or abort.  For some, 
keeping the baby loses its appeal fast or becomes untenable.  A 
boyfriend or husband may threaten violence or abandonment if she 
keeps the baby.  Or the women herself may realize that she lacks 
the human capacity to parent a child, perhaps because of drug or 
alcohol addiction, serious immaturity, or lack of support.  The 
stats tell the rest of the story: In some cities, over 40% of 
women will choose abortion as their "best" option.
  Understandably, those on the frontlines of pro-life work focus 
first on helping women make that life-affirming decision to carry 
the baby to term.  Thea rightly points out, however, that through 
non-directive and non-coercive counseling, we can present an 
additional choice--comto parent or not.  Women in crisis 
pregnancies need the opportunity to hear the benefits of adoption 
presented gently, with time to ask questions and reflect.
  The reality is that some women who admirably choose life are 
unable to parent -- and human decency demands that we help them.
  And, it's always in the best interest of the babies to help 
place them in loving homes right away.  The child who might have 
been a great candidate for adoption at three days of age," but 
remains with the birth mother, "might be the child at 15 who is 
in foster care," needing serious intervention because the mother 
proved unable to parent.  Situations like that are preventable.
  Another reason for the low adoption rate is that the adoption 
process itself is expensive, uncertain, and mysterious.  Families 
grope in the dark, trying to make decisions quickly to maximize 
their chances of receiving a child.  Many lose their way.  
Prospective adoptive families sometimes avoid licensed agencies 
to save money, but spend more and never realize their dreams.  
Other families bend under agency pressure to sign up (and pay 
hefty fees) long before they feel ready.  And others try foreign 
adoptions, with uneven success or higher rates of failed 
adoptions.
  Enter Adoption-Shareddcom.  It's an online network (similar to 
Facebook) for those actively engaged in the adoption process.  
Not an adoption agency or "facilitator," Adoption-Share is simply 
a place for all parties in the adoption process to meet-to 
connect, network, and gather information.
  The benefit? The network promotes transparency among possible 
parties to an adoption and represents an amazingly easy way to 
break through the confusing and expensive adoption process.
  Who may join? Women exploring adoption as a solution to their 
crisis pregnancy may join Adoption-Share for free.  The 
confidentiality of an on-line setting and the ease of a social 
network provide time, space, and privacy to seriously consider 
adoption.
  Licensed agencies may join, for a monthly fee.  They benefit 
because every prospective adoptive family in the network is 
already approved for adoption.  (Families must have their home 
study completed and approved in order to join Adoption-Share.) 
Agencies can be transparent about the adoptive situations they 
offer and streamline the process.  And prospective adoptive 
parents enjoy the great blessing of communicating, networking, 
and gathering relevant information from licensed adoption 
agencies before they need to make a financial commitment.
  Thea Ramirez is a woman with a passion for families-and a 
vision for streamlining the adoption process to make it a viable 
pro-life solution to crisis pregnancies.  If you know a 
birthmother considering adoption, or a family (with a completed 
home study) ready for the next steps, encourage them to visit 
Adoption-Shareddcom Tell them it just might be the place to "meet 
your new family."
  Rebecca Hagelin is a public speaker on the family and culture 
and the author of the new best seller, 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save 
Your Family.