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If you are a parent with an unplanned pregnancy, CFA has good news for you. You don't have to go through the pregnancy alone. CFA provides free counseling and services customized to the needs of all birth parents faced with the question of what is best for the future of themselves and their unborn child. While it isn't an easy decision, sometimes the loving choice is to place their child into an established home with the resources to meet the child's financial and balanced parenting needs.
CFA's trained counselors have extensive experience confidentially working with all the phases and special needs of an unplanned pregnancy. During the pregnancy birth parents are encouraged to be involved in the selection of the adoptive family, while maintaining an appropriate level of confidentiality.
Once the adoption is complete, post-placement counseling is offered to the birth parents.
CFA provides services to birth parents regardless of their financial situation. Whenever possible, CFA attempts to help birth mothers find resources which will enable them to meet their added living expenses during the pregnancy.
ADOPTION: The Best Option!
Consider these facts:
The Problem:
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Out-of-wedlock births now account for one-third of all births in the U.S.
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Over seventy percent of juveniles in state reform institutions are from fatherless homes
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The lack of a father is the greatest factor in predicting criminal behavior.
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Children raised in single parent families when compared to married, two parent families
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are more likely to abuse drugs, and be in trouble with the law, become pregnant as teenagers, or drop out of high school
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are up to three times more likely to have emotional problems
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are eleven times more likely to live in poverty
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Only 20% of unmarried mothers receive child support from the child's father.
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Seventy percent of all teen marriages end in divorce.
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When couples get married because of pregnancy, the failure rate increases to ninety percent within the first six years.
ADOPTION: The Best Option!
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30% of Americans feel that adoption is the most appropriate action for unmarried teens faced with an unexpected pregnancy compared to 8% for abortion.
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79% of adults reported that they would consider adopting a child
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There are between one and two million infertile and fertile couples and individuals who would like to adopt
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Adopted children: when compared to the general population, have parents who are older, better educated, better off economically, and less likely to divorce.
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have the same security as those children raised by both biological parents
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have superior home environments than children born out-of-wedlock being raised by single mother households, grandparents, or even biological parents
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excel in school at much higher levels than children born out-of-wedlock being raised by single mother households, grandparents, or even biological parents
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Adopted adolescent children:
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have high self-esteem; as high or higher than their peers
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are as deeply attached to their adoptive parents as their siblings who are not adopted
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have adoptive parents who are strongly attached to them (95% of adoptive parents of adolescent children reported strong bond and attachment)
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through their adolescent years have adoptive parents who are 2.5X more likely to stay married than married couples with children who have not adopted.
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Teen Birth mothers who decide to place their out-of-wedlock children for adoption, when compared to those who choose to teen parent their child, are:
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more likely to to finish vocational training
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more likely to be employed six and twelve months after giving birth
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more likely to have a higher household income
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less likely to have another out of wedlock pregnancy
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less likely to be dependent on welfare
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less likely to suffer from depression
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Pregnant teens:
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are six times more likely to choose adoption when parents of teens are included in counseling services
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are six times more likely to choose adoption when asked to compare their life if they parented with their life if they choose adoption
Sources: (2001, National Vital Statistics) (2001, Times CNN poll) (2000, Wirthlin) (1999, Adoption Factbook III) (1997, Marriage and Family Review) (1994, Search Institute) (1993, Whitehead, The Atlantic Monthly) (1991, National Center for Health Statistics) (1988, National Interview Survey on Child Health) (1988, Family Planning Perspectives) (1988, NCHS, A Case for Adoption) (1985, Bethany Christian Fellowship, A Case for Adoption)
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