My Adoption Story - Claudia

I'd made some very poor decisions in her life. Most of my family members have served time in prison or are currently in and out of jail. I was always the first one they came to when had problems. I tried to make my family life with my children much different that the family I came from. But eventually, I went down the same road they did and faced long-term prison time. A week before I was headed to a women’s prison, I realized that parenting was not an option. Time was running out and options were slim of where my children would go.

The folks at Fast Track Adoptions asked me about the possibility of any distant family members or the children’s fathers caring for my children. Their fathers were out of the children’s lives, and had not seen them since they were born. I hoped to keep the children together, but struggled over the foster care rules. I had heard that the system was over crowded and that the my children probably wouldn't be placed in one home together. I wanted them kept together and wanted control on who would be their parents, what kind of background they had, and wanted letters and photos of them as they grew up.

I spoke on the phone with one adoptive family that lived in the country, in Montana. When they said they would love to adopt all three of my children and would send me updated letters in prison, I chose them the same day. Papers had to be quickly drawn up by the attorneys and all the details completed. The adoption placement was done by the time I was admitted into prison. The decision to place for adoption was most likely the best one of my life. I gave my children an opportunity to experience a life they deserved in a functional happy family. Also, the adoptive family said they respect me for my decision to put my needs aside and think of the children.