Our Blog
My Journey
Posted on February 11, 2018 by Kim Blajsczak-Blayney
My parents were blessed with four children, all daughters. My sisters and I, commonly referred to as “the girls” by family members and close friends, have always been very closely connected. We have been each other’s greatest supporters and are there for one another. These early ties to my sisters, Stephanie, Carrie Lynn and Joanna, are the foundation of my passion for women’s rights. I believe a woman has a right to choose to parent or choose to place her child for adoption. I believe that a woman has a right to make choices for herself and her children that she believes are in everyone’s best interest.
I first began to explore adoption professionally when I worked for the Franklin County Public Defender’s office in the mid-1990s. As a Lay Guardian Ad Litem I made recommendations to the court to terminate the parental rights of my clients. I felt driven to learn more about adoption and the long term ramifications for adoptees, in order to make the most informed recommendations for my clients. I chose to complete the adoption assessor tier 1 training that was newly being introduced to the social work community. Ohio was the first state to have a specific, required training for social workers that served the adoption community. One of Adoption Circle’s founding members, Nancy Burly, was involved in creating the curriculum for the training, and was a state trainer for over 20 years. I met Nancy at a training and she encouraged me to be a contract worker for Adoption Circle. Little did I know, I had just met the woman who would be my mentor for the remainder of my career.
At Adoption Circle I work with all adoption triad members, but especially love working with birth mothers. I am in awe of the strength and selflessness. Birth mothers possess a resiliency that most people do not. True love is seen when a mother places her child’s needs before her own.
My husband and I have two children, a daughter and a son. Our journey to parenthood had a few twists and turns, but has been so incredibly rewarding. Being able to walk along side birth mothers and adoptive mothers as they build and care for their families is a privilege. I feel incredible lucky to be able to support other women on their journeys.