Adoption Houston

Houston, also known as Space City or The Bayou City, in southwest Texas is home to many individuals and families who are touched by adoption. Houston adoption opens the doors to expectant parents and hopeful adoptive parents to connect and fulfill one another’s needs to place and receive a child into a forever family. If you or someone you know lives in or around Houston or has found a family to place a child for adoption in Houston, you may have questions about the area. What does a family in Houston, Texas look like? What kinds of opportunities are available to children raised in Houston, Texas? How can you know that adoption in Houston is right for you, your child, and your family? 

If you are considering placing your child for adoption Houston, consider what his or her life will look like. You may want to be sure both the adoptive family and the child will be surrounded by a strong adoption-minded community. Positive influences and resources can make a big difference in the adjustment period. You’ll also want to know that the community at large is supportive of strong families by offering family-friendly activities, educational opportunities, and trusted healthcare. All of this and more is available when you choose adoption in Houston. 

Adoption Houston Community

Knowing that your child will be embraced into a strong adoption community may help you feel a little more security in your decision. Whether you are a mother from Houston placing her child, a non-local placing a child in Houston, or considering relocating for adoption reasons, you can feel better knowing that the adoption community is strong. Before, during, and after placement, adoption agencies can support every member of the adoption triad. An adoption agency can help you find the appropriate counselors, support groups, and resources for your personal situation. For your child, this community may help in the adjustment to the adoptive family. A good community may provide love and appropriate support when needed. 

The Houston adoption community in Texas is alive and thriving. Home to one of the nation’s most reliable adoption agency, The Gladney Center for Adoption, there are many individuals and families in the area that have been touched by adoption. The Gladney Center for Adoption has been serving individuals and families for years. One of their primary areas of focus is helping expectant mothers take the next step toward a brighter future—whether that involves adoption or not. You can trust the Gladney Center of Adoption to help you understand your options as a soon-to-be or already-parenting mother. Their counselors are trained to offer unbiased, professional counseling, and can help find resources to those seeking help. 

Some of Gladney’s services for expectant mothers include counseling, rest and respite, medical care, financial support, legal services, home services, the Next Steps program, and other resources for networking and support. The Gladney team understands the pressure and stress that an expectant mother feels as she faces an unplanned pregnancy. Their collection of professionals can explain the process, help you make an adoption and birth plan, and find a family to place your child with. All of this and more is available to any expectant mother considering adoption.

The adoption process may seem daunting to you preplacement, but you do not need to be fearful of the unknown. Houston’s strong adoption community can help you along the way. After finding an adoption professional such as The Gladney Center for Adoption, you should then make a plan for your adoption. This plan may consist of deciding what type of family you wish to place your child, the type of adoption openness you want to have post-placement, and the birth plan. You may then be offered a number of services and resources related to your pregnancy and legal advising before finalization. This may seem unfamiliar at first, but with the help of a trusted professional, Houston adoption can be a positive experience for everybody involved. 

Whether you are a Houston local or not, The Gladney Center of Adoption can get you started with an options counselor, adoption plan, and resources to your next step. Their offices are located in the following cities: Amarillo, Austin,Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston,  Lubbock, Midland, as well as the states of Florida, Oklahoma, and New York. Anyone, including expectant mothers, fathers, and other family members, can call Gladney’s pregnancy hotline at 800-452-3639 to get more information about their services and offerings. Expectant mothers and fathers and their family members can all call for this information. 

Family-Centered

God, family, and football are often the three priorities of your average Texan. The Gladney Center for Adoption supports two of these three values by offering their services to expectant parents, hopeful adoptive parents, and adoptees. The agency, founded upon Christian values, seeks to bring greater light and hope to those they work with. This hope is offered through professional consultations and compassionate service. 

A family-centered community is important to many birth mothers who have placed a child for adoption. Some expectant and birth mothers come from homes, families, and/or communities that weren’t as supportive or nurturing to a young person. Naturally, A parent often wants more and better for their own child—especially a parent who is placing his or her child for adoption. Knowing that a child is being placed in a situation where they can have the opportunity to  be supported by a community of love and loyalty may help to bring peace of mind to a biological parent that the child will be exposed to positivity, opportunity, and support. 

In addition to the many adoption agencies that are ready to serve the adoption community, Texans—in general—are very supportive of building strong families, even those who are built from an untraditional beginning such as adoption. When a child is adopted through a Houston adoption service, his or her family members can be assured that the child may have the opportunity to be surrounded by neighbors, friends, teachers, counselors, coaches, and more who may selflessly step into any position to support that child and family. This is often part of Texas’ culture of hospitality and community love. Houston offers many opportunities for families to come together within the community. These opportunities can support the communal attitude of supporting one another in building strong families. 

Church is one of the major ways that communities and families come together in Texas. There are dozens of churches to choose from in Houston. These different congregations are often accepting of newcomers and can be eager to open their arms to individuals and families. Whether you are an expectant parent seeking spiritual support, an adoptive family looking for a church family, or an adoptee who needs a little extra village, Houston may be able to help you find what you are looking for spiritually. 

Recreation 

As an expectant parent, you may also be trying to develop some healthy expectations about your child’s future and lifestyle. Houston can be a great place to raise a family because of all the opportunities for family-centered, wholesome, recreational activities. Houston specifically can be a great place to raise a family because of all the opportunities families may have to gather for sports events, art exhibits, cultural celebrations, and more. 

Houston is home to multiple major league sports teams including football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. Houston’s football team, The Texans, play at the NRG Stadium; it is a 125,000 square foot stadium with a retractable roof located in the heart of Houston. The Houston Astros play baseball at the Minute Maid Park; The Houston Astros won a World Series Title in 2017 against the LA Dodgers. Houston also has two major league soccer teams: the Houston Dynamo (men) and the Houston Dash (women). The BBVA stadium houses the Dynamo and the Dash, as well as other local sport teams, and is also located in downtown Houston. In 2006 and 2007, the Houston Dynamos won the major league soccer (MLS) championships. Finally, playing at the Toyota Center, the Houston Rockets is the city’s basketball team that has won two NBA titles. 

Houston’s art district is also rich with something for the entire family. The Miller Outdoor Theater, Alley Theatre, Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center, and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts are all located in downtown Houston. Other family favorites include the downtown aquariums, the Houston Zoo, and the Bayou Place: a district known for dining and entertainment.

This city is also known for being incredibly diverse—in fact, Houston was named the most diverse city in America. The cuisine and lifestyle of an average Houston person is often influenced by many different cultures. To celebrate the growing population of all cultures, Houston celebrates an entire month of Diversity in April. This celebration brings individuals and groups of people together to make goals and plans for greater education, respect, and inclusivity among the community. Birth parents of any race or culture may find this attractive because they can be reassured that their child will be embraced for their background and exposed to people and practices from all over the world. This exposure may help to teach greater tolerance and respect for all people.

Educational Opportunities 

Education is important at every stage of life. Before a child is born, he or she is learning and becoming familiar with surrounding sounds and feelings. Throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, that individual will be exposed to different opportunities to continue learning and growing as he or she reaches toward a future of happiness and success. Education can be an incredibly important factor in that journey. Before placing a child with a family, you may want to be assured that the child will be living in a place full of opportunities for education. 

Houston offers excellent options for learning everywhere from preschool, primary, and secondary school, to a community college and university level education. Home to one of the largest school districts in the country, Houston offers a wide variety of options for children and families seeking public, charter, or private schooling. 

Some of the best high schools in Houston include DeBakey High School for Health Professionals, Carnegie Vanguard High School, Eastwood Academy, and the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. At the higher trade, college, and university level, Houston has nearly 50 trade, vocational, and business schools, 40 colleges to choose from, and three major universities: Texas A&M University, University of Houston, and the William Marsh Rice University (commonly referred to as Rice University). 

No matter what path your child may take in life, you can have the opportunity to feel confident that as a parent, you pointed him or her in the right direction from the beginning. Of course, different circumstances will present a mosaic of challenges on the path toward an education. Regardless of those trials and challenges, placing a child for adoption in Houston may offer a child many chances to take advantage of upper-level education available in Houston. 

Healthcare

While education, recreation, and community can all contribute to a child’s lifestyle, the health and wellness of your child is on the forefront of your mind from day one. When a woman is faced with an unplanned pregnancy, one of her first calls may be to her doctor. As a parent, before a child is born, every precaution is made to ensure that child is safe and healthy. Those feelings of protection don’t go away after a child is born and placed for adoption. You may still need the calming reassurance that educated health professionals, doctors, and counselors will be easily accessible to that child if need be. Houston is the location for the country’s largest medical complex: The Texas Medical Center.

Located on over two square miles of land, the Texas Medical Center contains 50 medical related institutions. Included are 21 hospitals, two specialty institutions, and schools for nursing, dentistry, general medicine, as well as schools for most health-industry related jobs. 

Adoption Houston Overview

As an expectant parent considering adoption Houston, there may be many reservations to be had. One of the primary reasons a couple places a child for adoption is because they want better for him or her. When you place a child for adoption in Houston, you can feel good knowing that there are plenty of options for positive growth, safety, and nurturing for your child. From the family-centered culture and options for recreational activities, to the education and healthcare safeguards, all your bases are covered for a positive upbringing. 

One of the best resources you can turn to learn more about Houston adoption is the Gladney Center for Adoption. The Gladney Center for Adoption has an office at 16903 Red Oak Dr, Suite 203, Houston, TX 77090 and can be reached at 713-665-1212. Any individual who is wishing to inquire about Houston adoption can call Gladney at 1-888-544-6539 to speak to a counselor.