As we will be sharing stories of past clients and hopeful clients in the series, we find it is only fitting to first share the story of why and when Cradle of Life was founded.
Cradle of Life was founded in 1987 in Beaumont, TX after a local attorney and his wife saw a need for it in the Southeast Texas Community. The reason they recognized this need is that they themselves were adoptive parents of three beautiful children. They found out early in their marriage that biological children would not be an option for them and immediately turned to adoption. Their adoptions we are all completed through attorney’s and doctors and they just knew there had to be a more ethical and comprehensive way for expectant, birth families and adoptive families to get the services they needed. At this point in their lives after they brought (what they thought was) their last child home they decided it was time they helped other adoptive families and birth families find each other. Ethical adoptions that lead to beautiful relationships with all three parts of the adoption triad were the entire hope of this blossoming agency.
After researching and jumping through all the hoops Texas Licensing places in front of adoption agencies, Cradle of Life was formed. For 35 years Cradle of Life has served expectant and birth parents all over Texas and has worked with Adoptive Families in almost all of the 50 states. Of course policies have changed over time, openness has become a priority, and a beautiful relationship between first and forever family has become the main goal. The adoption landscape is ever changing. It is imperative that for an adoption agency to thrive, they ensure they are following best practice guidelines and always prioritizing placement quality over placement quantity. Cradle of Life prides themselves on using this practice as the basis for their matches and policies.
Of course three beautiful children was not the end of the story for this family that started it all. Adoption is about love first and 5 years after they formed this agency they fell in love all over again with a couple who was considering adoption for their twin girls. And yet again 13 years later the most precious soul of them all was born with very little time to live and a family of 5 to love her every day of that short life. 17 years later the small family that started that agency now has 6 children, 2 bonus children, and 4 grandchildren. This agency is built on the love adoption brings and it is also the reason we continue to serve the adoption community during all of the inevitable ups and down this community brings. The reason this agency started 35 years ago is the reason we continue on today: ethical adoptions that lead to beautiful relationships with all three parts of the adoption triad.
*The sentiments expressed in this blog represent Cradle of Life Staff and/or Clients and do not necessarily reflect the sentiments or policies of all adoption agencies.