COVID-19 Adoption: My Hospital Experience
COVID-19 Adoption: My Hospital Experience
By Katherine McManus, LCSW
As a pregnancy & adoption social worker, one of the best and also hardest parts of my job is supporting a new parent at the hospital who is making an adoption plan. Recently, I learned a lot about navigating this highly sensitive and emotional experience in the midst of a pandemic. Already intense emotions were heightened. As to be expected, my client entered the process with the anxiety of birth and anticipatory grief surrounding adoption which was now compounded with the precautions of delivering at the hospital during a pandemic. While I was also concerned about being at the hospital and being exposed to the COVID-19 virus, I found myself most frustrated by limitations put in place that made it harder for me to care for my client. Fortunately, I had very helpful individuals along the way to help alleviate my client’s stress and allow me to provide her comfort.
Our agency had quickly developed a protocol on working from home and limiting client contact as best we were able to. This was a hard reality for many of the staff across majority of departments who are accustomed to being physically present with our clients and quickly assisting with needs as they arose. I typically go out to the hospital and basically live there until my client’s discharge and with these new protocols arising right around her due date, I found myself wondering “How am I going to be there for my client during one of the most vulnerable and emotional times of her life?”
Thank goodness for the maternal case managers at NOVANT Health Prince William County Medical Center who maintained consistent communications leading up to and after the baby was born and worked with us to navigate the logistics amidst the COVID-19 hospital protocols. Even with shift changes, they didn’t miss a beat and did a great job keeping one another in the loop. On days I was not able to be at the hospital in person, they helped facilitate tele-therapy calls so I could continue to provide support to my client from a distance. What I most appreciated was that even though I know I was asking a lot of them, in my efforts to advocate for my client, the response was consistently “let’s look into it” instead of an immediate “no”. Not many of us can say we’ve navigated national pandemics before, and we were all working together and learning as we went, always with the shared value and respect for our clients/patients. Even something as simple as getting into the hospital involved multiple screenings, clarifying my role (many times to many people), navigating multiple hospital entrances and passing checkpoints guarded by various security guards or hospital staff. Though frustrating at times, I understood and respected the requirements to keep patients and staff as safe as possible. It really reinforced for me how much respect I have for hospital staff who, despite national guidelines to quarantine, remained on the front lines ready to help and heal. Staff were so helpful in getting the many things we need for adoption placements such as medical reports and discharge paperwork. Even the hospital notary waited patiently outside of my client’s room while we reviewed the legal documentation relinquishing her rights to her child, which is always such an emotional experience. I was thankful that amidst the chaos and busy schedules, the staff was there to help so that I could maintain my focus on the birth mother’s care and focus on her grief and loss process.
The adoptive family were absolute rock stars throughout the process. Typically, their own worker would have been there to support them in the process as my focus remained on the birth mother but because of COVID-19 precautions, we were limited to one staff person in and out of the hospital. Their worker continued to support them from a distance and I was able to help on site. The family was very respectful of my role as a primary support to the birth mother; they consistently asked how my client was doing, even though they were navigating an uncertain and sensitive time in adoption (legal risk) as well. Even preparations to bring baby home had an added layer of stress since diapers, wipes and formula were increasingly limited as the store shelves rapidly emptied. They did a great job stocking up on supplies and preparing to hunker down at home and focus on bonding and attaching with their little one.
This experience showed me that in times of need, people do they best they can, those who can go “above and beyond,” will. I was fortunate in this process to work with people who were open to creatively problem solving and not giving up when faced when challenges. There will always be women, families, and children in need, and it is up to us to navigate difficult circumstances (such as pandemics!) to ensure we continue to serve those in our care. Despite the extenuating challenges and restrictions, we were still able to support our client(s) and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months. Though social circumstances have continued to change and evolve since placement, our desire to be as present as safely possible has not. Creative solutions such as tele-therapy platforms ensure that we are able to continue to care for and be present for our clients amidst the current challenges we are facing with COVID-19. As in all of our adoptions, we will continue to care for the birth parents, adoptee and adoptive family for a lifetime.