Session will guide people through adoption process

People considering adopting children face some pitfalls and many opportunities.

And most potential parents have lots of questions about what path they should take if they want to adopt children.

That’s why Mike Zook and Charlie Klimas and other members of the informal Havre adoption community will hold a meeting at 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Jude Parish Center.

For about 10 years, members of the adoption community in Havre have been meeting from time to time to discuss issues and challenges they face, Zook said.

Now they want to help people by telling of their experiences.

That’s what Sunday’s meeting will be about, Zook said.

“Charlie and I will tell our stories and encourage others to do the same,” he said.

Catholic Social Services and Lutheran Social Services are places many people go to when they are looking to adopt, he said, but others choose private social services.

The advantages of each option will be discussed, he said.

People will be able to chat about international adoption, he said.

Also, some people have adopted Native American children with great success, he said. But laws concerning such adoptions are very different than other forms of adoption, he said.

In some cases, he said, the adoption is made with the stipulation that birth parents retain some rights. People may be interested in discussing those issues, he said.

Zook said the meeting, which is being held in conjunction with Saturday's National Adoption Day, will be totally informal, he said.

There are no right and wrong ways to go about adoption, he said. People have to figure out what is best for them.

Zook said he and Klimas are “just two Montana farm boys.”

“We just want to point people in the right direction.