To help the community we serve to understand and embrace the many facets and benefits of adoption, we have created two educational programs that explore the subject in further depth: Giving Life a Second Chance adoption awareness program in schools, and Infant Adoption Awareness Training for medical professionals.

Giving Life a Second Chance

This adoption awareness program for middle and high school students was designed to communicate the realities and challenges of parenting as a teenager, and improve general attitudes about adoption as an alternative for those facing a crisis pregnancy.

Because many teens do not know anyone who is adopted, they know only myths and stereotypes about adoption. The one-hour Giving Life a Second Chance class presentation gives teens the chance to ask questions and engage in conversation, and gives the presentation coordinator the chance to address their misconceptions directly.

The curriculum focuses on several key points:

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    • The emotional/financial challenges and responsibilities of being a parent

    • How adoption works today

    • Parental rights in Texas

    • Adoption laws

    • The history of adoption in America

    • Infant Adoption Awareness Training

Spaulding for Children & Harmony, along with adoption and pregnancy counseling agencies and health centers like Hope Cottage, has developed a curriculum called Understanding Infant Adoption (UIA) and a national delivery system called the Infant Adoption Training Initiative (IATI) that equips staff at public and nonprofit private entities to provide better health and counseling services to pregnant women. Hope Cottage is the lead agency in Texas responsible for implementing IATI statewide.

Specifically, the UIA curriculum trains healthcare professionals to give pregnant women adequate and reliable adoption and referral information. It also provides participants with an opportunity to compassionately and openly discuss the issues women with unplanned pregnancies face, while making them aware of service providers in their areas. Understanding the different resources available for pregnancy counseling and adoption services is essential for healthcare workers to make informed referrals consistent with client/patient needs and preferences.

UIA training goals include:

  • Creating an understanding of the adoption process

  • Educating about state and federal laws governing the adoption process

  • Exploring social and cultural issues that impact adoption

  • Shaping adolescent development and attitudes toward adoption

  • Enhancing nondirective counseling techniques

  • Promoting adoption resources and referrals

 
 

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