Based on the last 10 year’s worth of statistics, 750,000 teenage girls will become pregnant in the United States this year, yet less than 1 percent will choose to place their children for adoption. While studies show the child and the birth parent actually will fare better when the teenage parent chooses adoption, unfortunately this option rarely is considered.
Adopt: The Option is looking to change those statistics for the better. Adopt: The Option is a multi-media curriculum event kit that teaches students in church youth groups how to be advocates for the important idea of adoption.
In today’s “16 and Pregnant” generation, high school students would not need to look far to find someone they know who has become pregnant. The two responses most popular for girls in this situation are to choose to parent the child (59 percent) or choose abortion (almost 30 percent). For friends of these students, discussing adoption with their pregnant friend is probably the most daunting due to so much misinformation and misunderstanding of the subject.
Adopt: The Option‘s objective is to break down the misconceptions of adoption, teach students the biblical perspective of the subject and challenge them to approach their pregnant friends with grace and gentleness in discussing the idea of adoption.
Adopt: The Option utilizes icebreaker games, two lesson plans, interview videos, PowerPoint slides, small-group questions and a student guide to draw students into an understanding of what the different components of adoption are and why they should consider advocating on behalf of this biblical idea. The Adopt: The Option material is not designed to discount or criticize the other two choices a pregnant teen might make, although it does discuss the pros and cons of each choice and uses statistics to show youth group students why adoption might be the most suitable choice for a teen mom despite it being the least understood.
Adopt: The Option completes the two-event program with a commitment card that students choose to sign if they feel compelled to become an advocate for adoption when the need presents itself. The card is returned to the youth pastor or director of which the students then receive a card to keep in their wallets to offer a pregnant friend if the need arises. The wallet card has some encouraging words on it to let the pregnant teen know she is not alone in this situation and that there are those who will give honest answers to them and stand by them as they decide what course to choose with their present situation. The card has a toll-free number they can call to speak to a licensed social worker who will not judge them and will do his or her best to offer comfort, sensitivity and honesty to help the teen mom understand all her options.
The writer of Adopt: The Option‘s goal in the first year of production is to see 25,000 youth group students sign the commitment card and for that number to grow exponentially in the next five years. Although many churches have started adoption ministries catering to adults interested in adoption, Adopt: The Option is the first curriculum written to share with youth group students about the concept of advocating on adoption’s behalf. Through ministry conferences, speaking engagements, magazine advertisements and Adopt: The Option Website (AdoptTheOption.com), the writer hopes to reach as many youth groups as possible to challenge them to host an event and share this material. Although the event kit provides everything to make the event a complete success, the cost is being kept low ($25) to make it appealing to churches and Christian schools with small budgets. Scholarships are available, as well, to churches with no budget—the goal being to get the resource out to as many churches and schools as possible.
Adopt: the Option was written by Jeff Slack, Director of Connect The Family (ConnectTheFamily.net) in partnership with Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Connect the Family is a recently formed nonprofit in Southern California with the goal of providing ideas, resources and opportunities to families to help them grow closer together. Jeff Slack also works with churches to help them create programs to reach families more effectively. Jeff has a 20-year history of working with youth group students and their families as a youth and family pastor.
