By Berta Mexidor
JACKSON – During the month of November institutions educate the public about the importance of adopting children of any age to offer them a better future. Catholic Charities of Jackson was not an exception; with much experience in programs to foster and adopt children, they took this month to highlight the awareness of their mission that continues for the rest of the year.
For Catholic Charities of Jackson every child “has a right to a lasting, loving home.” Their efforts are directed toward finding a family for any child in need, regardless of the special circumstances that may be involved.
The primary goal of the adoption program is to place each child in the best possible home for a permanent adoption. All persons who are part of the adoption triad are valued components, but the most important person is the child in need of a home. “In selecting homes we seek to find those which can most adequately meet the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of each child for whom we are responsible,” says Amy Turner, Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Director at Catholic Charities Jackson.
The Adoption program of Catholic Charities of Jackson is structured, for easy access to any person who wants to be involved, in four components: maternity services, infant foster care, adoption and post adoption services.
The maternity services provide support to anyone distressed by an unplanned pregnancy, including counseling, coordination of medical services and adoption counseling assistance. Catholic Charities may provide infant foster care for pending their placement for adoption or return to a birth parent.

The adoption program offers counseling services on alternatives to abortion and has several types of adoption services available, including open adoption, semi-open adoption or confidential adoption. While open adoption offers the ability to choose and meet the adopting family and the option to see the child in the future, semi-open uses ongoing contact between the parties through the agency. Confidential adoption offers the ability to choose the adopting family but has to option of having no contact after the child’s placement with a family.
The post-adoption services at Catholic Charities works with adoptees who desire background information and possible contact with birthparents.
For more information on adoption or foster care at Catholic Charities Jackson, visit www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org or contact director Amy Turner at (601) 960-8649.