Clifton Park, NY, November 1, 2013 – Reproductive rights have once again become a political issue in the news, and Friends in Adoption (FIA), a licensed non-profit agency, serving the northeast with domestic adoption services for more than 30 years, wishes to weigh in. Since its inception, FIA has been a non-profit, pro-choice agency that focuses on helping people make an informed decision without judgment or pressure. FIA‘s trained professionals understand that pregnancy decisions are personal, unique to each person or couples’ circumstances, and a private matter.

FIA believes it is important for women and couples facing a pregnancy decision to learn about all their legal options – knowing that they may be considering parenting, adoption, or abortion – and its ethical approach is to listen and provide information and support to those individuals, without telling them which decision they should make. “To truly celebrate November as Adoption Awareness Month, we ask people to respect women’s reproductive rights and view adoption as a legitimate reproductive choice without maligning either of her other two legal choices or aligning adoption with the anti-choice position,” said Dawn Smith-Pliner, founding director of the agency.

FIA is proud of the relationships it has formed with women’s health services across the U.S. It has received referrals from reproductive health centers including Planned Parenthoods for many years. FIAalso receives and appreciates referrals from Crisis Pregnancy Centers. One of the reasons that health centers and professionals refer to FIA is because of its stance against reproductive coercion and inclusion of open adoption.

FIA is passionate about adoption, cares about the women and couples who call them, and they want each person to make a decision that works best for them. Best practice adoption services provide women and couples with the opportunity to talk with licensed, independent counselors and with specializing adoption attorneys while they make their decision, without being asked to make any commitment to adoption until they are sure.