November is National Adoption Month! Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay has been part of our community’s adoption story for over 100 years in northeast Wisconsin. National Adoption Month is a time set aside to celebrate adoption along with finding ways to support all who have been touched by adoption, including adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents.
In honor of this month, we are grateful to share the experience of Molly and Ryan, a local couple who adopted their son earlier this year.
“When our prayers and hopes of growing our family naturally weren’t coming to fruition, it was on our hearts to pursue adoption. Being strong in our Catholic faith, it was important to us to work with an adoption agency that shared our values. While there are other Christian-based adoption agencies, the choice for us to work with Catholic Charities was simple: it was rooted in our Catholic faith, local, and they emphasized support to all persons involved in the journey of adoption. Additionally, due to the generous support of the Diocese of Green Bay, the fees associated with adoption were far less than the other agencies, which also supported our decision.
While we were disappointed to be on a waitlist initially, when we were able to begin the process, our social worker was ‘all in’ on our journey of becoming parents. Going through the adoption process can be very challenging emotionally. Our social worker was nothing but supportive and understanding throughout our journey. We never felt judged or dismissed for questions or concerns we expressed to her. The adoption program at Catholic Charities is pivotal to our story of becoming a family of three, and one we share joyfully with others, when we share about the miracle of our son.”
The Catholic Charities Adoption & Pregnancy Support Services program offers Relative, Intercountry, Stepparent, Domestic, and Independent Adoption Services as well as Pregnancy Support Services to those considering creating an adoption plan.
In honor of National Adoption Month, a home study fee reduction will be offered to those pursuing Stepparent, Relative, Intercounty, and Independent Adoption who return their application in November or December 2024.
To find out more about our Adoption & Pregnancy Support Services or to inquire about the fee reduction offered in November and December 2024, please visit our website at https://catholiccharitiesgb.org/adoption or contact us by phone at (920) 272-8234.
To learn about more ways to celebrate National Adoption Month and support those touched by adoption, be sure to check out the November/December issue of On Mission magazine – arriving in mailboxes next week! If you don’t currently receive the magazine, which is free to all households in the 16 counties of the Diocese of Green Bay, please call (920) 272-8208 to be added to our mailing list.
Chelsea Baucom-Young is the Adoption & Pregnancy Support Services Manager with Catholic Charities.