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Recent Adoption ArticlesAdoption Loss, How can I reduce the risk of a reclaim?
http://usaadoptions.com/articles/reclaim.htmlOne of the most important services your adoption professional should provide is watching for "red flags." These are warning signs that indicate a birth mother is at risk of reclaiming or having a change of heart in her adoption plan.
Your adoption professional should begin with the initial screening of potential birth mothers. Most adoption professionals with years of experience will know the important questions to ask. By asking vital questions, they can find out precisely what she's looking for in her life, if adoption is a good choice for her and her child, and what she desires in adoptive parents.
They should be able to spot from the outset the warning signs of a woman not ready or willing to see the adoption through. It is difficult for adoptive parents to do this on their own.
The national reclaim rate varies greatly between professionals and can be as low as 4%, but some organizations have much higher rates of adoption disruption. I have seen one attorney claiming 25% reclaim as normal. This is not an acceptable reclaim rate.
The reclaim rate often depends on when the birth mother changes their mind: before the birth, at the hospital, or when the child has been in the adoptive parent's care. As hard as any change of heart is, it's much easier to have the birthparents make this decision before you've received the child in your arms.
A qualified adoption professional that properly screens, monitors and provides options for counseling or peer counseling for birth mothers should have a reclaim rate of around 4% to 6 %. At Lifetime our reclaim rate is very low, because we offer a great deal of services and attention to each client.
Extensive information on reclaims can be found in chapter four of my book, Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide. (ISBN number 0-9705734-2-1).
"I am amazed at how much good and practical information Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide contains, especially the sections on how to avoid bad adoption situations. It is good advice for anyone looking to adopt, and for anyone thinking about adopting, it's a MUST-read!"
Author:
Mardie Caldwell, COAPAbout the Author:Mardie Caldwell, COAP is nationally recognized as an authority on adoption and adopting safely on the Internet. Mardie has helped build families though open adoption since 1986. Her organization Lifetime Adoption helps birth parents and adoptive parents come together. She is an award-winning author of AdoptingOnline.com and Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide, as well as the radio talk show host of “Let’s Talk Adoption…with Mardie Caldwell”. Mardie has written and spoken on parenting, adoption, infertility, and women’s concerns in all areas of the media. She speaks nationwide to groups on issues of adoption. Contact Mardie through her radio site at Let’s Talk Adoption with Mardie Caldwell.
NBC’s Today Show in New York on Wednesday, May 9th, discussed recent changes in adoption. Mardie appeared live, as an expert on adoption. She was one of the special guests during the month of May. The series focused on various ways to build a family.
As an adoptive parent who experienced many of the challenges adoptive families might face, Mardie knows the sorrow of dealing with infertility including 7 lost pregnancies. She understands the important steps that must be taken to complete a safe and secure adoption. Mardie knows the joys of loving and raising an adopted child.
Mardie’s life work is dedicated to helping adoptive parents and birth parents find each other to build happy families and provide a loving and secure future for these precious infants and children. Honoring birth mothers for their courage and love to provide their babies a more secure, happy future is a hallmark.
Mardie has been a guest on numerous television networks, including CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and BBC, PBS and radio talk shows. She is regularly interviewed by family and parenting magazines. Mardie has authored numerous articles on adoption resources, challenges and joys of adoption and parenting.
To contact Mardie please visit www.adoptingonline.com
December 21, 2007 03:34:08 PM
