Adoption Information for Clinical Professionals [Infographic]

Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and approximately one-third of women facing an unplanned pregnancy wants to learn more about adoption as an option for their baby.

Every day, clinical professionals find themselves face-to-face with unintended pregnancy and adoption situations. Yet all too often, they do not have adoption resources in hand, agency referrals on call, or even the neutral, factual adoption information needed to help patients make a fully informed decision.

According to a recent survey of social workers and counselors, 95 percent of respondents indicated that learning about adoption is very important in their field. Surprisingly, however, 90 percent of these surveyed professionals received less than five hours of adoption training in the past year.

Whether you are a physician, social worker, counselor, therapist, or other clinical professional, basic adoption training and education can be valuable assets in your career. Not only will it help you understand more about the adoption process, but it will also be beneficial to your patients who want to learn more about this positive choice.

If you have a patient who is pregnant and considering adoption, it is up to you to help her (and potentially her partner) during this time of need—whether that means educating her on her options or referring her to an all-options adoption resource like Adoptions With Love. It is your role to offer her unbiased, accurate, and empathetic adoption information so that she can make the best possible choice for herself and her child.

Adoptions With Love is a non-profit, licensed, domestic adoption agency with over 30 years of experience. We work with social workers, adoption attorneys, and clinical professionals nationwide in efforts to provide free-of-pressure, free-of-cost services to expectant/birth parents considering adoption throughout the United States. If you are looking for unplanned pregnancy or adoption help for your patient, you can always call on us. Our reputable and compassionate staff is available 24/7 to speak with you and your patient about her possible options.

If you are here simply to learn more about adoption, we can also help. Adoptions With Love has compiled the above infographic to offer both you and your patients free and truthful unplanned pregnancy and adoption information. We hope you find this infographic helpful as you assist and care for women facing an unintended pregnancy. We hope that the knowledge learned here can be brought to your patients who want to learn more about making an adoption plan.

We understand that in order to guide patients fully through this decision, clinical professionals must stay up to date with all the necessary adoption information, from counseling ethics to adoption laws in their state. As a clinical professional, you must also remain empathetic towards your patients, no matter their age, background, or economic situation.  It is also important to use appropriate adoption language when speaking about your patient’s options. Adoption is a selfless act of love that requires a lot of an expectant/birth parent – remember that she is not “giving up” her baby for adoption; she is giving her child the life that he or she deserves. For this, she deserves the utmost respect.

For more adoption information, please stay tuned for Adoptions With Love’s “Clinician’s Guide to Adoption.” If you or your patient would like to speak with Adoptions With Love about making an adoption plan, please do not hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-722-7731. Remember, it is never too late to make an adoption plan. Whether your patient has recently discovered she is pregnant, is in her 3rd trimester, or has just given birth, she has the option to choose adoption for her baby.