November is National Adoption Month, and every year we celebrate our founding program, Adoption. Since 1956, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas has provided adoption services as a state-licensed child placing agency, working with expectant mothers and married couples to place babies with their forever families. Last fiscal year, 96 expectant mothers received counseling, education, baby items and referrals to community resources through our Pregnancy Support Services program, and 17 families connected with us through our Adoption program. The program provides loving support and advocates for women, families and children adopted. Read below a hope story from the program that occurred this past year.

A woman was interested in obtaining information from her adoption file. She knew she wanted health and background information, but she was not sure if she wanted to make a connection with her birth parents. She had many unanswered questions, including wanting to know the reason her birth parents placed her for adoption. While working with our Adoption program, a case manager reminded her that some of the fears she had could also be fears shared by her birth parents. After reviewing her adoption file, a few things occurred. She learned some important aspects of her health history and the reason her birth parents placed her for adoption. The reason was not one she most feared; instead, her parents had chosen adoption out of love. Her birth parents had wanted to find a home that could provide for her what they could not at the time. She also learned that her birth parents had selected her adoptive parents. Within a few days of learning this information, she made a connection with her birth mother, who was very happy that she had reached out. The woman is not yet sure what the future holds for this new connection, or if she will now look for her birth father, but she is grateful for the answers and support she received from our Adoption program.