“There are no unwanted children, just unfound families”

-National Adoption Center

Louisiana Right to Life has been dedicated to the adoption option as an alternative for abortion since our inception in the 1970’s.  Unfortunately, however, in our country there are only two adoptions for every 100 abortions performed, and this statistic shows we need to do more to support adoption initiatives and families looking to adopt. In presentations to young people and through our materials, we promote the adoption option to hundreds as a pro-life alternative to abortion. 

Adoption and Foster Care Facts

• There are more than 2 million couples waiting to adopt a child in the United States.
• A small percentage of unmarried, pregnant women choose adoption for their children, and for every newborn released for adoption, there are 30 to 40 couples waiting.
• Studies show adopted children feel just as loved as birth children.
• More than 90 percent of adopted children ages 5 and older have positive feelings about their adoptions.
• More than 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States, ranging from infants to 21 years old. Of these, more than 100,000 are waiting to be adopted.

Our production of the film I Lived on Parker Avenue (2017) is one way we have shared the beauty of adoption. The film is about David Scotton, a young man who traveled to Indiana to meet his birth parents after his mom choose life. His birth mother, Melissa Coles, was seconds away from having an abortion but got up from the abortion clinic’s examination table and placed David for infant adoption. You can view our clip on Fox and Friends here.

Louisiana Right to Life toured the country screening the film to thousands and brought national attention to adoption as an abortion alternative. Then, in 2018, we spearheaded the Louisiana Adoption Act  (HB 449), which guarantees that Louisiana’s Department of Health website contains proactive information for birth parents about the benefits of adoption and guarantee that materials distributed to women in abortion facilities will also contain information on adoption.

Adoption Choices in Louisiana

Confidential Adoption – In a confidential adoption, birth parents do not have a relationship with the adoptive family and no contact information is exchanged between the two parties.

Semi-Open Adoption (Mediated adoption): A semi-open adoption allows the birth mother to be in contact with the adoptive family with the guidance of an adoption professional.

Open Adoption – In an open adoption, adoptive families share information with birth parents and birth parents can have an ongoing relationship with their child.

Below are resources for families interested in adoption, including attorneys who handle adoption cases. 

New Orleans/Baton Rouge Adoption Services and Attorneys 

• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
• A Bond of Life
• Beacon House Adoption
• Crossroads NOLA
• St. Elizabeth Foundation 
• Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
• Louisiana Foster and Adoptive Parent Association
• Raintree Children and Family Services
• Widmer & Schroeder
• Meneray Family Law
• Lacy M. Smith
• Amber L. Cain

Metairie Adoption Services and Attorneys 

• Acorn Adoptions
• Amber L. Cain
• Widmer & Schroeder
• Salley & Salley
• Crossroads NOLA
• Louisiana Foster and Parent Association
• Raintree Children and Family Services
• Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services

Lafayette Adoption Services and Attorneys: 

• Catholic Social Services
• St. Elizabeth Foundation
• A Bond of Life Adoptions
• Joshua S. Guillory

Citations: 

https://www.adoptuskids.org/meet-the-children/children-in-foster-care/about-the-children

http://www.adoptioncouncil.org/publications/2017/02/adoption-by-the-numbers

https://www.americanadoptions.com/pregnant/adoption_stats