Backpacks of every shade, pens and pencils by the dozen, and tax-free shopping all speak loudly to the bittersweet annual event— the kids are going back to school.

Most parents are rejoicing, while children across the country are mourning the loss of their precious summer. Nonetheless, the start of a new school year opens the portal to new opportunities, friendships, experiences, and yes, new family memories. In between parent-teacher conferences, football try-outs, and theatre auditions, family meals and quality time mean more than one could even imagine.

If you’re itching for an excuse to celebrate family at the start of the new school year, August 11th is a day to add to your calendar. No matter where your children or your parents live,adopted son or daughter too.

To compliment the celebration of sons and daughters, August 12th is National Youth Day. Remember, you’re never too old to act a little young. Share a giggle with those young in age or those young at heart in your life. They don’t have to be related to be reminded of how much you cherish them as family.

Legacy values the Biblical family as a core of our agency. The adoptive parents that we work with are all traditional families married for a minimum of two years and identify with the Christian faith. Legacy works diligently to help Birth Mothers find the best option for the Birth Mom herself AND her unborn baby. Our Adoption Counselors explore in-depth the options of both parenting and adoption.

While exploring the parenting option, we use Loving and Caring Curriculum to analyze the Birth Mom’s projected living environment, responsible actions, financial responsibilities, time management, insurance, and several other areas. In their early counseling sessions, we inform them that the cost to raise a child from birth to age of 18, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is $245,340. That number might be overwhelming, but it doesn’t even include college or college applications. The greatest obstacle for young Birth Mothers, or ultimately Birth Mothers of any age, is covering financial costs of raising a child. We help identify resources that Birth Mothers can access if she decides to parent.

We also look at the benefits of adoption and the ability of that Birth Mom to choose a family for her child. We tailor the contact with baby and adoptive parents to the preferences of the Birth Mom. Once we gather the qualities she wants in a family, how and if she wants to meet the adoptive family before baby arrives, and the type of post-placement contact, then we can begin finding families for her to choose from. She is able to look at Shutterfly books created by each adoptive family to share about their story and life and possibly read letters from the adoptive parents to her. Our mission is helping Birth Moms find the best family for her child, whether it is a farmer family in east Texas, a musical family that plays at venues in the city, or the loving Birth Mom herself. We help her see every aspect of choosing a parenting plan or an adoption plan so that she can make a fully informed decision she is happy with.