Open Adoption & Family Services - Building Healthy Families

1. Jan Jamieson, BA, Regional Supervisor/ Counselor

2. Open Adoption & Family Services • Leaders in open adoption • Accessible to clients • All options counseling and adoption planning services

3. Open Adoption & Family Services • Open Adoption & Family Services is a non-profit agency with a progressive approach to building healthy families. Founded in 1985, Open Adoption & Family Services remains the Northwest leader in open adoptions.

4. Open Adoption & Family Services • Our Mission: OA&FS supports pregnant women/couples making decisions about parenthood in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. When the choice is adoption, we help plan child-centered open adoptions. We assist birthparents and adoptive parents as they create healthy, long-term relationships that address the ongoing needs of the child.

5. Open Adoption & Family Services • Licensed in Oregon and Washington • Over 1400children placed in 34 years • Unique in the country not religiously affiliated same sex couples pro choice legally binding open adoption agreements • No international adoptions • Support fully open adoptions • Private non-profit agency

6. Who We Serve • Couples or individuals facing an untimely pregnancy • Couples/individuals parenting children up to 3 years old • Couples or individuals looking to grow their family through open adoption • Adoptees, Surrogates, Intended Parents, Embryo/ Egg/ Sperm Donors • People born via Alternative Reproductive Technologies • All ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, races and cultures, relationship and parenting statuses, and educational levels

7. Agency Services • Expectant Parents • All options counseling • Community referrals • Adoption planning • Unlimited post-placement support

8. All Options Counseling • Create an atmosphere of dignity and respect to encourage clients to explore all options: adoption, parenting and abortion • All services free of charge to expectant parents • Counselors can travel to clients • Unbiased and client-driven • 80% of options counseling clients do not choose adoption

9. If Adoption is the Choice • We Provide: • Adoption planning • Guidance and support in building an open adoption relationship • Providing an explanation and review of expectant parents rights and applicable legal documents • Unlimited post-placement counseling, including grief counseling • Access to a variety of Open Adoption & Family Services community events

10. Choosing a Family • Expectant Parents Choose Adoptive Parents • Carefully screened: criminal/financial background checks, homestudy • Pool: 80-90 families, no restrictions for race, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression • Prospective adoptive parents desire to have open adoption relationship with birth family • Information provided • Homestudy, family books, online videos

11. Agency Services • Prospective Adoptive Parents • Adoption Information Meeting • Seminar • Application and Intake Interview • Homestudy Process • Pool Entry • Waiting Family Groups

12. Adoption Planning and Counseling • Meet, begin relationship • Ongoing counseling • Services for extended family members • Create legally enforceable open adoption agreement • Average of 2-4 face-to-face visits per year • Plan for time in the hospital • Counselor support • Placement gathering • Last minute adoptions • Abbreviated process

13. Open Adoption & Family Services

14. Open Adoption & Family Services

15. Three-year Statistics • 47 children placed on average • 65-85 families available (average wait time 16 months) • 20% of placements were last minute • 60% were Caucasian, 40% mixed ethnicities • Place infants and toddlers to 3 years • 60% of birthmothers used drugs prenatally • We work with some of the same birthparents as DHS, we catch them earlier in the process • Our hope is to offer a proactive plan for families with previous or pending child welfare involvement

16. Benefits of Open Adoption • For Adopted Children: • Eliminates fantasies whether negative or positive • Allows child direct access to information and support from birthparents • Witnessing an unconditional high regard for their birthparents communicates a powerful message to the child about his or her adoption, birth family and ultimately who they are • Provides answers and an atmosphere where questions and conversations about adoption are welcomed • Models values such as compassion and honesty, as well as healthy relationships and open communication • Child feels accepted and embraced for who he or she fully is, allowing for a healthy sense of identity and self esteem

17. Benefits of Open Adoption • Adoptive Parents • Provides the family tools for addressing the unique needs of an adopted child in the context of an open and supportive environment • Knowing birthparents personally can bring tremendous peace of mind • Feelings of trust in and by the birthparents • Being “chosen” is empowering • Availability of information as years go on and accessibility to birthparents and questions arise

18. Benefits of Open Adoption • Birthparents • Empowers birthparents to determine the environment in which their child will be raised • First hand observation that their child is thriving in the adoptive home, which can bring peace of mind • Open adoption relationship can ease intense feelings of grief • Provides a means for incorporating this role into their lives • Allows them over the years and throughout the process to express the loveand caring they feel for their child

19. Open Adoption & Family Services • Videos Open Adoptee Experiences - YouTube • Any Questions? • Contact information