Voluntary Adoption Program- Infant and Toddler Adoptions
Program Name: Domestic Infant Adoption Program
Contact Person: Barbara Feliciano, Intake Worker for Pregnancy and Adoption Servcies
History of Program/How Long in Existence
This Voluntary Adoption Program was one of the first programs to be in existance when Catholic Charities was formed in 1943. This program has historically offered women who were experiencing unplanned pregnancy the choices of planning adoption or parenting. Hopefully through the support of counseling and offering these choices more women were choosing life for their unborn child. This program has also given birth parents an opportunity to learn skills to successfully parent or given them the support to make the most difficult decision of their lives, placing their child for adoption. This program provides safe, committed, caring and permanent families for children whose parents have determined they are unable to parent at this time in their lives.
Goal of Service:
To provide a safe and nurturing permanent home for children when their birth parents determine they are unable to parent and feel it is in the best interest of the child to choose adoption.
Services Provided to Birth Parents:
Birth parents and their family members receive intensive counseling to determine if adoption is the best plan for their child. They are prepared for the grief and loss they will experience through the adoption process. They are helped to develop their openness plan which includes selecting and meeting the adoptive family, planning how much time they will spend with the baby in the hospital, naming the baby, determining how and when they want to make placement and the type of contact they desire after placement such as pictures, letters, emails, phone calls and/or visits with the child and adoptive family after the placement. They are also provided with post placement counseling. During their counseling they receive case management services in which they are referred to various community resources to meet their needs.
If you are a Birth Parent seeking more information about your options and the adoption process, please click
here.
Services Provided to Adoptive Parents:
14 hours of pre-service training, home study and approval process, assistance with completing their Dear Birth Parent Book that will be presented to birth parents when selecting the adoptive family of their choice, pre-placement and placement preparation, and supervision of the family the until adoption is finalized.
Eligibility Criteria (Age, etc.)
Birth Parents of any age, race, ethnicity or economic status are eligible to participate in the options counseling program during the pregnancy or if they are considering options for children already born to them.
Adoptive parent applicants must be 25 years of age or older and married at least 2 years (single parents are also accepted), must be in good physical and mental health, financially stable, and meet Texas licensing requirements.
Geographic Service Area/Location
Greater Houston and Galveston areas: Harris, Fort Bend,
Montgomery, and Galveston counties. We may also service outlying areas such as College Station, Nacogdoches, Huntsville and Beaumont based on the needs of our clients.
Fees
There are no fees for services provided to birth parents.
Adoptive Parents pay a fee on a sliding scale that is based on their household income. Our fees cap at $24,000.
Staff
Services to all clients are provided by licensed professionals with adoption experience.
How To Access Services
Birth Parents may call counselors Barbara Feliciano at 713-874-6597. Spanish speaking clients may call Nicole LeBlanc at 713-874-6598.
Adoptive Parents: For informational brochures, orientation appointments, and application forms contact Barbara Feliciano at 713-874-6597.
Volunteer Opportunities (special projects)
Assistance is needed to help organize the Children's Circle who are volunteers interested in promoting adoption, foster care and parenting choices.
Assistance with special projects such as Adoptive Children's Day Camp, Encouraging Connections-Potluck dinner for Birth Families and Adoptive Families, and Adoptive Children's Christmas Party
Office assistant to enter data into computer program concerning adoption data, compiling packets for clients and community groups, containing information about the program.
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