Are you, or someone you know, facing an unintended pregnancy? Catholic Charities offers free pregnancy support for all women regardless of age, income, marital status or religious affiliation. There are no fees for this service.

Our pregnancy support services address three areas:

1. Emotional support to help you work through emotions and feelings.

2. Adequate information so that you know all of your options.

3. Skills to help you make the best decision for you and your baby.

1. Pregnancy Support Means Emotional Support

Finding out that you are pregnant, especially if it's unintended, may evoke many emotions. You may feel afraid, worried, and/or confused. Perhaps you feel like you're all alone. Perhaps you are overwhelmed with feelings about the baby's father, your parents, and/or other family members. Having these feelings is natural, but left unattended, they may result in sleeplessness, pain, stress, and even panic.

This is a critical period in your life, and we are here to help. Visiting with our staff can help reduce fears as you sort through feelings. They can help you engage in positive communication with family members, and secure other avenues of emotional and physical support. We enthusiastically encourage birth fathers and prospective grandparents to take part in developing a strategy to suit your needs. In the end, you are the one who will ultimately make some important decisions. 

2. Knowing All Your Options

Once you have emotional support, the next step for dealing with an unintended pregnancy is to know all of your options. Perhaps you have no idea about what you want to do. Perhaps you don't have much income. Or maybe you already have your hands full trying to juggle life, school and/or work. Regardless of your unique situation, our staff can help you to get adequate information and explore your options. For example, one of the options a woman may consider is whether to parent the child or to create an adoption plan.

Parenting Your Child

As you decide about parenting your child, our staff can help you consider details such as:

• Pregnancy, giving birth, and where to get prenatal care
• Resources for food assistance, housing, and medical costs associated with prenatal care and the cost of delivery
• Ways to balance life with parenting a child while continuing with school and/or employment
• Asking friends and family to help

Our staff can also refer you to other agencies and resources that can prepare you for parenting. We'll also help you with some pregnancy tips, and other related information through recommended readings.

Creating an Adoption Plan

Catholic Charities is licensed by the Kansas Department of Children and Family Services to provide infant foster care and adoption services. That means that if you don't feel prepared to raise your child, our staff will help you create an adoption plan for your baby. 

Adoption is not an easy choice. Many people don't realize it is one of the most selfless decisions a woman can make. Adoption does involve loss. Today, however, you can create the best opportunity for your child and still be a part of his or her life. Click here to view some couples we have vetted, and who are waiting to adopt. Brave Love also has some great resources and testimonials to help you consider the option of adoption.

We also offer post-adoption services for birth moms, adoptive moms, and adoptees. We commit ourselves to supporting all members of the adoption triad once an adoption has taken place. Our job does not end once placement occurs.

3. Helping You to Make Decisions

Our goal at Catholic Charities is to help women and men make the best decision for themselves and their baby. In addition to providing information and emotional support, our staff can help you with:

• Decision Making Skills
• Identifying Personal Values
• Clarifying Personal Needs
• Exploring Relationships
• Meeting the Child’s Best Interests
• Assessing Financial Situations

We want to help you have adequate information to make the best decision for yourself and your baby. Knowing yourself and assessing your unique situation is an important piece of the puzzle. 

Our goal is to provide compassionate and confidential emotional support and guidance. We'll help you connect with resources and have a clear understanding of yourself and your unique situation. We want you to have adequate information. We'll also give you time to absorb information so that you can make the best decision for yourself and your baby.

For more information, or to make an appointment, the next step is to contact our pregnancy counselor, Amy Falcon.

 

blog comments powered by Disqus