Erica's Story

I was about six months along when I decided adoption was the right plan. I knew that if I parented, I could not give my baby everything I wanted him to have. I also knew that if I placed him for adoption, I could give him the world. I recently talked to the adoptive parents, and they said all he does is giggle. At that point I felt like God had come down and given me a kiss because I had done something so wonderful.

Amy's Story

For many years I always said if I was ever in a situation where abortion would be a solution, I would chose adoption without a second thought. So when I was 18 and in high school, I knew immediately when I became pregnant that adoption was the right choice. My birth parent counselor was always there for me, and she always said, "How do you want things to happen?" That was really important to me. Now when I get pictures and letters about my son, I feel good inside knowing I have given him the best gift in the world - a happy life and a chance to make his dreams come true.

Maggie's Story

I was 16, in high school, and very upset when I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to finish school and become a hair stylist, and I knew I was too young to give my baby what he needed. So adoption was the best choice for me. I love his adoptive parents. They are so warm and caring, and they send me pictures and letters every few months so I know he is doing well. I made a great decision for me, by baby, and his new parents!

Angela's Story

I was 23 years old, a single parent of a 4 year old with a full-time job and education goals. I could not offer two children a secure future. I felt so comfortable with the counselor I spoke to on the phone at Adoption Minnesota, I came in right away to look for an adoptive family. She continued to be there for me whenever I needed her, night or day. While I know my daughter was a loving gift to the adoptive parents, their gift to me was letting me be at peace knowing she will always be loved, happy and safe.

Julie and Sean's Story

When we first discovered that Julie was pregnant, we had lots of questions about what we should do. We knew adoption was one option, but we really didn't know much about it. So we decided to contact the Adoption Minnesota to get some information.

Julie was really nervous about calling, but the birth parent facilitator who took her call was very kind and understanding. She explained the process clearly and sent us written information. We loved our baby very much already, and we wanted the best for him, so we knew it would be a hard decision to find a family we could really trust to give him the best.

Several months later, Julie called to set up a meeting with the facilitator, Ruth. She was willing to meet us wherever we would be comfortable, so we choose a Perkins Restaurant near Julie's home.

Again, we were really nervous. Ruth put us at ease by explaining all our options, including parenting — she didn't assume we were already set on adoption. We decided to wait to look at prospective adoptive families until after Julie was finished with school in May. During this whole time, we never once felt pressured to rush, but we kept in contact with Ruth for questions and support.

When we were ready to look at families, Ruth helped us decide what type of family would be best for us. We discussed lots of issues and developed a list of the things we wanted in a family. In mid-May Ruth brought us about 30 Dear Birth Parent letters to look at, all from families who fit our list. Julie sat in her kitchen reading and reading. She narrowed the choices down to 10 families and then with Sean's help decided on 4 families to call.

Ruth helped us decide what questions we wanted to ask when we talked to these families on the phone and suggested some topics we could talk about. Although making those calls was nerve-wracking, we felt well prepared.

We decided we wanted to meet all 4 families, so we made arrangements to get together at various restaurants. We brought pictures of ourselves growing up and shared those with the families. It was Ruth's idea and a great conversation starter.

After these meetings, we spent a lot of time talking to Ruth about our final decision. She was a great help in bringing out what we thought were the strengths of each family and our feelings about them. Finally we decided on our adoptive family. It was a great relief! We had found a family we totally trusted and knew we would have a good relationship with, even after the adoption was completed. We then worked with Ruth to set up our plan of how the adoption would go including contact before the birth, at the hospital, and after the baby went home with the adoptive family. Ruth then let the adoptive family know what to expect.

When Julie went into labor, the adoptive parents came to wait at the hospital. Ruth came too and made sure things went the way we wanted. She was very sympathetic and always available when we needed her. It was especially great to have her there when the discharge took place because that was an extremely emotional day for us.

After Julie was back home, Ruth was available to us any time night or day. It was great knowing we had that kind of support. We have continued to have contact with Ruth over the months since the adoption was finalized. It is nice to know she will always be available to us to help us sort through all the emotions we have felt.

If you're considering adoption for your child, the iARC is a place where you'll find support and comfort with people who really care about you. For the most important event in our lives so far, we couldn't have had a better experience!

Julie & Sean