The Gladney Center of Adoption was founded over 130 years ago. Here is a 19 facts about Gladney guide about this center. Since day one, Gladney has been an adoption ally to expectant mothers, hopeful adoptive parents, and adoptees worldwide. Gladney’s commitment to helping the members of the adoption community build brighter futures drives its dedication in serving all who come to its door. These 19 facts about the Gladney Center for Adoption prove the excellency provided in the adoption family.
1. Gladney Works with Expectant Mothers Nationwide.
The Gladney Center for Adoption has a main office in the heart of Texas. The agency has regional offices throughout the state of Texas, as well as offices in Florida, New York, and Oklahoma. In addition to serving in the communities where this agency is found, Gladney reaches out to expectant mothers across state lines. No matter where an expectant mother lives if she is interested in learning more about adoption and working with professionals to complete the adoption process, Gladney is the place for her.
2. Gladney Offers Lifelong Counseling.
Adoption is a lifelong commitment. A birth mother will always be a birth mother. An adoptive parent will always be an adoptive parent. An adoptee will always be an adoptee. Although adoption is a sacrifice of love, it can also introduce mental and emotional challenges. Gladney’s team understands that these obstacles and emotions continue post-placement. Just because the papers are signed and the placement is complete, Gladney doesn’t just step out of the picture. Rather, the agency offers a lifetime of support to those it works with. For birth parents specifically, clinical support is available pre- and post-adoption.
3. Gladney Helps Expectant Mothers Find Medical Care.
Some couples spend years saving up for and preparing to start a family. When an expectant mother faces an unplanned pregnancy, she immediately begins to prepare for everything that pregnancy entails. It is more than just showing up at the hospital and delivering a baby after nine months. She is thrown into a whirlwind of expensive prenatal care, health insurance, ultrasounds, and maternity clothes. Little time passes before the bills begin to add up. For this reason, Gladney is prepared to financially assist expectant mothers who are considering adoption.
4. Gladney Assists Expectant Mothers in Making an Adoption Plan.
Picking a family, navigating hospital plans, remaining emotionally healthy, choosing an adoption plan, and more–this is an ever-growing list of plans and appointments that expectant mothers must address when considering adoption. As the clock ticks down toward the due date, an expectant mother can feel buried in all of the decisions to make regarding adoption. Rather than making the journey alone, Gladney assists expectant mothers in making a plan that she can feel confident in when it comes time to finalize an adoption.
5. Gladney Hosts a Home for Pregnant, Young Women in the Foster System.
Pregnancy among pre-teen and teenage girls in the foster system is one issue that Gladney is aware of and ready to assist with. To help meet the needs of these young ladies, Gladney has opened its doors to housing these young, expectant mothers. The Gladney Home is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and serves young, expectant mothers in the area who are currently in the foster system. The home offers services that help expectant mothers better themselves throughout their pregnancy and post-placement. These services include life skills coaching, medical care, counseling, permanency support, emotional support, education plans, and recreational activities and outings.
6. Gladney Has a 24/7 Hotline for Expectant Mothers and Other Inquiries.
Expectant mothers and others inquiring about adoption for an expectant mother can call Gladney’s 24/7 hotline at 800-452-3639. Nothing should ever stop an expectant mother from pursuing a bright future for herself and her child. Confidentiality and a non-judgmental or biased approach is Gladney’s guarantee when speaking with an options counselor. There is no pressure to pursue the adoption process any further than a mother is comfortable with. Her safety, needs, and desires for her own future are respected throughout the process as a priority.
7. Gladney Works with Mothers Considering Adoption, No Matter Where She Is in the Process.
It is never too late to consider or create an adoption plan. Whether you are a few weeks or a few months along, or if you have already given birth and are just now considering adoption—Gladney is here for every mother in every circumstance. Adoption isn’t always the first choice or even a consideration for expectant mothers. That doesn’t mean that adoption should ever be taken away as an option. Gladney wants to help anyone that feels adoption may be the best choice moving forward. A bright future doesn’t always include parenting. There is no pressure from Gladney to choose one option over another, the agency is simply there to support mothers in journeys through and toward parenthood.
8. Gladney Covers All Legal Expenses for Expectant Mothers.
For expectant mothers who begin working with Gladney early on in a pregnancy, the Gladney team will be the primary source for assistance, advising, and guidance. Once a family is chosen for placement, finalization approaches, and legalities are set in stone, adoption attorneys, court fees, and other expenses will begin to accumulate. To ensure that a birth mother’s requests are met and that the adoption is completed ethically and legally, Gladney helps expectant mothers by covering all legal services throughout the adoption process.
9. Gladney Counselors Help Expectant Mothers Make Personal Plans Post-placement.
Gladney does not sever ties with the mothers it works with once an adoption is completed. The agency’s interest and scope of services reach beyond the finalization of an adoption. Gladney’s options counselors can help expectant mothers and birth mothers to make an education plan and plan for each woman’s future. Gladney will also help an expectant mother plan a future regarding the level of contact with the child who was placed for adoption. An unplanned pregnancy doesn’t have to be the beginning to the end of a bright future and hopeful goals. Gladney wants to help the women it works to meet her potential and find happiness in her future.
10. Gladney Has a Rest and Respite Program for Parenting Mothers Who are Considering Adoption.
In cases where a child has already been born and a mother is considering adoption, Gladney offers a Rest and Respite (R&R) Program to assist in the process. Adoption is a big step. This is a huge decision to make—especially for someone who may already be struggling in parenthood. The Rest and Respite program offers short-term care to children of parents considering adoption. During the interim of temporary care, the biological parent(s) will meet with Gladney counselors and other adoption professionals to discuss options and an adoption plan moving forward.
11. Gladney Works with Hopeful Adoptive Parents to Make a Family Profile.
Family (or parent) profiles are the new and modern resource for introducing expectant mothers to eligible, hopeful adoptive parents. Rather than sifting through miles of paperwork and pictures, a family profile is an online profile that introduces a potential birth mother to her child’s potential forever family. Gladney works with hopeful adoptive parents to create the most accurate and successful parent profile that will represent the couple or family in a genuine light. Hopeful adoptive parents are eager to share their home and hearts with a child—a family profile can be one of the best places to communicate those desires to a future birth mother.
12. Gladney Helps Connect Expectant Mothers and Hopeful Adoptive Parents.
Gladney approaches each case personally and with each unique adoption plan in mind. Some birth mothers are looking to place a child in a home with certain values, lifestyles, and goals. Some adoptive parents also have specific goals and plans for the forever family that will affect the decision to adopt a child. There are plenty of factors that can affect an expectant mother and an adoptive family’s chemistry and compatibility. Gladney’s team understands that a personal connection between a mother and her child’s adoptive family is crucial to successful adoption. Because of this, Gladney does all it can to make this connection possible.
13. Gladney Assists in Domestic, International, and Foster Adoptions.
Each hopeful adoptive couple or family has a different vision for the building of a forever family. Choosing between domestic and international adoption is personal to each family. Gladney works with several international adoption programs to assist in adoptions from China, Columbia, and Taiwan. In 2000, Gladney expanded its services to include foster adoptions. Foster adoption cases are even more specific and introduce other challenges. No matter your anticipated adoption plan of the journey, Gladney has experience and resources to make your goals a reality.
14. Gladney Is a Hague Accredited Adoption Agency.
In order for an adoption agency to be eligible to provide international adoption services, it must be accredited by the United States federal government to do so. This accreditation or approval is done through the Council on Accreditation. The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is a treaty that acknowledges and ensures that ethical practices are being followed and safeguards met throughout the adoption process. The Hague accreditation and approval system are imperative in protecting the safety and best interest of children, birth parents, and adoptive parents who participate in international adoptions.
15. Gladney Hosts the New Beginnings Program to Help Children in Foster Care.
Foster adoptions introduce unique challenges throughout the adoption process that domestic and international adoptions don’t typically face. Often, foster adoptions involve children who are older, who have experienced trauma, who require specific types of assistance, and who require specialized care from a forever family. Gladney’s New Beginnings program is designed to assist hopeful adoptive parents through the process smoothly and with the child’s best interest in mind. Not all families will be eligible for the New Beginnings program. This is simply because of the complexities of foster adoptions. Gladney can help prepare hopeful adoptive families for these cases, though, and offer assistance where possible.
16. Gladney Has Educational Opportunities for the Adoption Community.
The Gladney Center for Adoption is not just an adoption business. It is not just an agency that offers specialized services. Gladney is part of the adoption community. This agency is constantly seeking new ways to provide education and resources to those affected by adoption. Training opportunities and more are available to parents, health professionals, and other adoption allies who are seeking to learn more about the community at large. These resources open the conversation to providing the best care exercising the best practices when it comes to individuals who are touched by adoption.
17. Gladney Hosts a Podcast All about Parenting and the Adoption Community.
Gladney’s education program, Gladney University, also hosts a podcast called reFRAMED. The reFRAMED podcast is all about parenting and taking a mindful approach to meeting a child’s needs. Each episode is hosted by a Gladney team member who discusses topics with a guest specialist. Each episode dives into the issues surrounding parenting and how to build a brighter future within the home. You can access the reFRAMED podcast online or wherever you listen to podcasts. Parents who tune in can expect to be uplifted, enlightened, and inspired to be and do better.
18. Gladney Helps Adult Adoptees Participate in Voluntary Adoption Registries.
The adoption conversation often revolves around expectant mothers, birth parents, hopeful adoptive parents, adoptive parents, and foster parents. But when the papers are signed and everyone goes home, there is one very important person who has a voice in the conversation–the adoptee. Because Gladney commits to a lifetime of support for those it works with, the agency also caters to the needs of adult adoptees. In cases of closed adoptions, Gladney offers resources for a reunion. Adult adoptees who are interested in participating in the voluntary adoption registry can do so through the Gladney website.
19. Gladney’s Mission Is to Build Bright Futures through Adoption.
Gladney has over a century of success in building happy, healthy families. The website states, “Gladney exists to give children loving, caring families here at home and around the world. That’s the heart of our mission.” Gladney’s dedication is centered on serving expectant and birth mothers, hopeful and adoptive parents, and adoptees. With years of experience, education, and success, Gladney is a leader in the adoption community.
Courtney Falk was adopted at 3 days old. Growing up in a home where adoption was discussed openly, she always had a passion for sharing her story. When she was 18, she reunited with both of her birth parents and continues to have a positive relationship with each of their families. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in professional writing. Since then, she’s had the opportunity to create and edit content in areas such as fitness, health and wellness, financing, and adoption. When she isn’t behind a book, you can find her dancing in the living room with her 11 nieces, attempting to cook, and tending to her extensive collection of house plants.