Oct 2022 News

CAFO was Sept. 28-30!
More info here.

Panel Recording: Here’s the link to the video of the CAFO panel, (yay!).
It's about 60 min long. https://youtu.be/punS7IDG_7U

Birth Mom Panel at CAFO!

Last week was our panel workshop at CAFO and my goodness, Laura and Ali did a beautiful job!!

A First-Hand Look Into The Hearts & Minds of Moms Who Place for Adoption
(60 minutes) This is a very rare opportunity to hear directly from birth Moms -- why they chose adoption for their babies, what they expected and what was on their hearts at the time. Learn whether & how they stayed involved in the child's upbringing, how they got support & care after placement, and how they feel now looking back on their decision.

Even though one of our three birth moms could not make it at the last minute, the two women who took the stage with me were absolutely fabulous: calm, poised, open, articulate and so sincere about their experiences. They were a huge blessing to all who attended.

Comments from the CAFO Panel Evaluations

What was the most helpful thing you learned?
* Everyone's story is different, each adoption is different,
* Open adoption is healing for the birth mom (as she sees her child thrive),
* Open adoption benefits child for all their life (as s/he can learn his/her story),
* Consistent visits are important!
* Boundaries change over time.
* As in any relationship, communication is key.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?
* There CAN be a healthy, significant relationship between the birth mom and adoptive parents,
* Birth moms also don't like the term "giving up", to say "intentionally place" is much better,
* Post-placement support for birth mom is vital.

Relevant Radio's John Morales, host of Morning Air, chatted with me last week about adoption. John is also an adoptive parent. The interview was almost 30 minutes long, and he even took a few callers at the end of our half hour together! You can listen to our discussion on the October 3 show here.

Morning Air with John Morales

Book Update!
We're getting there, still targeting a November release in honor of National Adoption Month!

Target Publish Date
We are hoping to publish this book by the end of November. It's an aggressive goal, but fingers are crossed!

Get ready to help Promote the Book!
There will be many opportunities for you to help promote the book when it's published. Next month's newsletter will include social media posts for you. Stay tuned!

MY BLOG WAS PUBLISHED ON ADOPTING.COM!

"Open Adoption: A Changed Reality" was just published on Adopting.com. It's a part of spreading the word about open adoption as an option.
I'm happy to share it with you here.

Phrase of the Day: Open Adoption

Open adoption is a form of adoption in which the biological and adoptive families have each other's contact information and varying degrees of contact with each other, by phone, in person and/or through social media.

OPEN ADOPTION;
It's Not Like the Olden Days!
All of this is about spreading the word about open adoption -- a reasonable option for women facing unplanned pregnancy. The 1970s and 80s were all about closed adoptions. Then we discovered the beauty of open adoption. Learn more about open adoption in this short video.

A Reference Guide for Families

Here’s a guide to open adoption and how to make it work, from the match period through common post-adoption bumps. It includes tips on how to keep the focus on the child’s best interests.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fewer than 0.5% of women facing unplanned pregnancy make an adoption plan?
When they do, it's because an adult in their life encouraged them to consider adoption?
There are over one million U.S. couples waiting now to adopt?

Check out our website at www.UnplannedGood.org/
Comments? Email us, at UnplannedGood@gmail.com
Submit stories, testimonials, questions or comments.
Why are we doing this?
Young women are 50% more likely to make an adoption plan when the trusted adult in their life suggests it to them. Otherwise, most girls don't give it a minute's thought, and choose between abortion or single parenting. That's why we need to get this on the radar of more people.

Want to help Unplanned Good?
Here's what we need:

You can help!
It's easy! Sign up to automate your donations; they can start at just $10 per month. Sign up to give your tax deductible gift monthly via credit card here.
Thank you!

Tell a Friend

You know people who've been touched by adoption. Ask them to write their short story for our web site and sign up for our newsletter.

"My Mom encouraged me, and that made all the difference!
I needed to know that she'd stand by me through this and support the adoption plan."

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Help us to get the word out!

Submit your story!

Please forward this newsletter to someone you know has been touched by adoption. Ask them to sign up for our monthly news here and/or contribute their story to our web site.

Thank you so much for your continued encouragement & support of UPG.

Terri

About Unplanned Good

We promote adoption as a positive option for those facing unplanned pregnancies. It can be so very good (and beautiful!) for all involved.

Unplanned Good is reaching out to both teens and their parents, to let them know that adoption is an option. Studies have shown that young women are 50% more likely to see their pregnancy through and make an adoption plan when an adult suggests this path.

Please visit our site, and pass it on. Read the encouraging, heartfelt stories there. Send in your own story, and ask a friend to do the same.