{"id":326108,"date":"2025-02-10T10:54:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=326108"},"modified":"2025-02-10T08:04:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T14:04:07","slug":"mother-mission-birth-mothers-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/mother-mission-birth-mothers-adoption\/","title":{"rendered":"One mom’s mission to undo decades-old adoption stigma and help birth moms see the ‘big picture’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Because of the enormous sacrifice of a birth mother who chose life for her baby girl, Terri Marcroft’s adopted daughter Sydney was given the opportunity<\/span> to grow and thrive under the care of her adoptive parents. Her teenage birth mother was also able to remain in contact with her through open adoption, while she moved forward with her life. This experience is what led Marcroft to found the pro-adoption organization <\/span>Unplanned Good<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We’re still trying to fight stigmas about adoption from decades ago,” Marcroft explained to Live Action News regarding her adoption advocacy and education work. “Adoption has gone from completely closed to mostly open. That means that the birth mother is in the driver’s seat. She gets to choose [the adoptive parents] and meet them beforehand.”<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Marcroft, over 90% of adoptions in the United States today are open to some degree, which she says has been proven to be “much healthier for everyone involved.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Secrets are replaced with transparency now. There’s no lying, no pretending the child wasn’t adopted. All is out in the open,” she said. “The [birth mothers] aren’t being forced into [adoption] like they were when I was in high school. They are choosing it themselves because they are pregnant and want to choose life, then turn it into something good for another family. My daughter knows the whole story and why [her birth mother] chose adoption, why she didn’t choose to parent. Kids blame themselves if you don’t tell them the truth.”<\/span><\/p>\n

How adoption benefits birth mothers<\/b><\/p>\n

There’s a misconception that abortion is easier for a pregnant woman than adoption. Though both involve trauma, abortion involves the intentional death of the child, which can come with a lifetime of regret and grief. Women who abort their babies are at an increased risk<\/a> of drug use, alcohol abuse, depression<\/a>, and suicide<\/a>. With the advent and increase of open adoption, the trauma of adoption for the birth mother and the baby can be greatly reduced, as they have the opportunity to be a part of one another’s lives. While there can still be regret and grief surrounding adoption, it is not the end of the story.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Women are proud of themselves after they get through this challenging journey. [Adoption is a] difficult journey that they choose but when they get to the other side of the adoption placement, they are so proud of their accomplishment,” explained Marcroft. “They are able to give their child both a mom and a dad with their values who are equipped, ready, and willing to take on that responsibility. That makes a big difference to have two parents who are ready for this challenge and ready for the parenting project. [Birth mothers] look back and say, ‘This was the best possible decision I’ve made. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.'”<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Unplanned Good (@unplanned_good2010)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n