By Kathy L. Collins
If you are pregnant and have a question about adoption or are a couple looking to adopt, contact the Gladney Center For Adoption (Gladney). While relatively new to the Brandon area, the Gladney has been assisting birth parents and adoptive parents for over 125 years.Gladney opened a regional office in Florida in 2008 and opened the Brandon office, located at 1210 Millenium Parkway, Suite 1001 in Brandon, in 2010.
According Erica Andres, BSW, the Florida Office Coordinator, “Gladney is a unique adoption agency because for over 125 years we have been committed to our mission of being a place where hope is born. We are a full service adoption agency and maternity home. That means that Gladney offers adoptive parents and birth parents comprehensive services before, during and after the adoption process.
“Gladney is celebrating National Adoption Month this November by honoring birth mothers. “We take this time to honor birth mothers who have made the selfless decision to place their children for adoption, celebrate the miracle of adoption and educate communities about the true meaning of adoption,” said Andres.Reinforcing the positive nature of adoption is a key goal for Gladney during National Adoption Month.
“Adoption is a process that offers a deep, unfailing love from both the birth mother and the adoptive parents. When a woman chooses to entrust her child’s life to another family she has specifically chosen for her baby, she chooses to put herself last and puts all the needs and dreams she has for her baby first. Through this selfless act, a family is created and hope is born,” said Andres.In Florida, Gladney offers birth mothers a maternity home or live at home program, counseling, medical care, educational opportunities, lifelong post adoption care and a Next Step program to help prepare for life after Gladney.For adoptive parents, Gladney offers personalized counseling, parenting education programs and lifelong post adoption service.In the Brandon area, Gladney works closely with Life Care of Brandon to help educate women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy on what the options are.
“Gladney has had the privilege of working with Life Care of Brandon for five years now and helping support the initiatives of Life Care of Brandon to educate the Brandon community on the option of adoption,” said Andres.For more information on the Gladney Center For Adoption, please visit www.gladney.org or call Andres at 685-9137.
