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Educational Services
Options related to an unplanned pregnancy
A staff member is always available for pregnancy counseling which is designed to meet the need of the pregnant woman and her support system. This service is offered at no charge and will usually involve an exploration of potential strategies for addressing the emotions and needs related to an unplanned pregnancy. Options for parenting, adoption, temporary care for the child, and the issues related to abortion can be discussed in detail according to the needs of the client. There is never an obligation toward adoption implied or required for this free service.
Adoption Consultation for Prospective Adoptive Parents
We are happy to schedule a consultation session with prospective adoptive parents who may be in the process of exploring if adoption is the right choice for them, exploring types of adoption which may be suitable for their family, or other issues related to adoption. This session is offered at no charge and is designed to help a couple who might receive other services through this agency arrive at a decision regarding adoption that is right for their family by providing information and a forum for discussion. Fee schedules as well as an application can be supplied at that time.
Adoptive Parent Orientation
This session is open only to couples who have submitted and received an approval on their application submitted to AAA Adoption Assistance Agency. Attendance is by invitation only and is the required first session of the Pre-Placement Study (or homestudy) process. It is a working session at which the documentation required for the Pre-Placement Study is initiated or completed. It is also an orientation to the adoption process and to what to expect as the process unfolds. The first payment of the Pre-Placement Study fee is required at the time of the orientation.
Adoptive Parent Training Seminar
Our Adoptive Parent Training Seminar is required for all families completing an adoption through AAA. It is best to take the training prior to placement of a child with your family, although occasionally the placement occurs first. We will not make a second placement with a family until they have completed this seminar. It is very important that both husband and wife attend the seminar, as building a family through adoption is a full family process. It is important for both members of the couple to be united in commitment to the adoption process, as well as to growing in knowledge and understanding of adoption issues that are important to both parents and children. The cost of the seminar is built into the application fee, so there is no extra charge for the seminar or the materials you will be given.
The seminar is usually held twice a year, when the demand is present. It is held in Albuquerque on a Saturday and lasts from 8am to 3:30 pm. We are usually hosted in a building provided by a church or parachurch organization. Continental type breakfasts as well as beverages and snacks are provided. A nutritious catered box lunch is brought in, as we continue working through the lunch hour to allow for an earlier dismissal time. There is a cost-per-person charge for the food.
AAA is happy to assist out-of-town couples with suggestions for lodging while you are in town for the training. It is important for our out-of-state and out-of-town families to plan to attend the training. It is most helpful to our staff to know you personally when your album is presented to prospective birth parents. We are able to better represent you if we have met you and know you. We suggest out of state, as well as out of town families come to Albuquerque early enough on the Friday afternoon preceding the seminar to come by the AAA office so you can see the office and meet the staff.
The seminar is divided into three categories: 1. Mechanics of the Adoption Process, 2. Clinical Issues of Adoption, and 3. Panel Presentations by members of the Adoption Triad. Your seminar notebook will contain more material than we have time to cover in our seminar. We trust you will cover all the materials in the notebook in your preparation to be the best adoptive parents you can be. Contents covered are as follows:
1. Mechanics of Adoption
a. Review of Legal Flow Charts
b. Open Adoption Issues
c. Interstate Compact on Placement of Children Issues
d. Tax Benefits, Social Security Number & New Mexico Health Insurance law
e. Bibliography
2. Clinical Issues of Adoption
a. Adoptive Family and Children?s Issues
b. Attachment Issues
c. Adoption Language
d. Searching
3. Panel Presentations
a. Birth Parent Panel
b. Adoptive Parent Panel
c. Adult Adoptee Panel
Community, Church, or School Groups
Staff members are available to address groups to explain and discuss the positive option of adoption. Information is tailored to meet the needs of the particular group.
Training for Pregnancy Center and Medical Staff for Adoptions Counseling
Many medical personnel and pregnancy center personnel find the need for an increased knowledge base in the area of adoption in order to be able to provide their patients and clientele with the broadest and fullest information available in regard to an unplanned pregnancy so that the woman can make a fully informed decision about her options. Our staff is equipped to provide training in adoptions counseling so that accurate and complete information can be provided to the woman who is working through a decision about her pregnancy.
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