Our Staff
Executive Director
Leslie Howard, LMSW, MSSW
Leslie graduated from University of Texas at Arlington in 1990 with her Masters of Science in Social Work. She has worked in various roles with Inheritance Adoptions since 1996. Her primary role other than Executive Director is conducting home studies and approving couples as adoptive couples through Inheritance Adoptions. In addition, she completes the post placement supervision of the child for the six months after placement until finalization of the adoption. She attends seminars annually to improve her knowledge and skill as an adoption social worker. Her favorite aspect of her job is "watching God orchestrate placements to give children a stable, two-parent, Christian home in which to be raised.
Birth Parent Counselor
Mauri Reed, BSW
Mauri graduated from Midwestern State University in 2002 with her Bachelors of Art in Social Work. She completed her internship with Inheritance Adoptions in September 2004. Her primary role with the agency is to help birth mothers obtain prenatal care and find resources that will help them during the pregnancy. She is an advocate for the birth mother to help make sure their needs are met. She attends seminars annually to improve her knowledge regarding birth parent issues in adoption. Her favorite aspect of her job is "witnessing the love for a child from all different people involved in the adoption process."
Administrative Assistant/Social Worker
Amanda Barker, BSW
Amanda graduated with her Bachelor of Social Work in May 2007 from Midwestern State University. She has been employed with Inheritance Adoptions since May, 2005. Her primary role with the agency is completing all administrative duties. Her favorite aspect of her job is "respecting the birth mother's in their sacrificial decision to do what is best for their child."
Board Members
- Mary Brasher - President
- Drew Carnes - Vice President
- Jim Beyers - Treasurer
- Renee Luig - Secretary
- Linda Boyd - Officer
- Tony Fidelie - Officer
- Lori Payton - Officer
- Mary Royal - Officer
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History & Description of Agency
Vicky Payne created the agency in 1993 after watching the documentary "The Silent Scream" which depicts an actual abortion. She wanted to help pregnant women consider a life sanctifying choice. We began in 1993 placing 3-4 babies a year and have grown to 10-15 a year. We place no pressure for mothers to place with us. We encourage "open adoption". Because our goal is to provide babies with the best possible care and loving home, we strive to keep our adoption cost as low as possible, so that families are not prevented from being brought together, due to unnecessary high placement fees. We operate more as a ministry and have more client contact than the larger adoption agencies in the metro-plex. We keep a small overhead with four part-time employees. We have three professional social workers, two of which are licensed Master level, on staff. We are a 501(3)(C) nonprofit agency and are licensed in Texas to place children age 0-7. The majority of our placements have been infants. We are a Christian Agency and only place with Christian couples. Needs Assessment
We are the only private agency in the Wichita Falls area, and we serve the surrounding communities; Bellevue, Bowie, Henrietta, Burkburnett, Montague, etc. However, lately we have been receiving calls from Wise County, Sherman and Gainsville. Although there are clinics in the larger communities, none provide on-going and hands on case work with the birth mothers. Our clients often are isolated in rural areas without transportation, and basic necessities such as, running water, heat, electricity, clothing, etc. The majority of our mothers are single mothers raising additional children without a supportive network of healthy friends or family members. These women get caught in the cycle of poverty without guidance or encouragement from others. Often, they have received no pre-natal care or counseling before they contact us. The extreme stress that the mother is in hinders the baby's health and delivery. The babies do not get off to a good start or "Healthy Beginning". Because we place no pressure on the birth mother to choose parenting over placing her child for adoption, she has the choice and the right to raise her child. In these circumstances, we are not reimbursed for our services, and the agency must absorb the cost. We do not want to raise our adoption fees to counter the cost of assisting these girls, and we do not want to neglect these girls either. |
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Cost of Adoption
Inheritance Adoptions believes in the importance of making adoption available to anyone with adoption on their hearts. Our placement fee of $11,000.00 is one of the lowest of other agencies. The total cost of an average adoption through Inheritance is between $12,000 and $14,000. We also have a Special Needs Assistance Program for those couples willing to adopt harder to place children. |
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Objectives
- To assist each client in her decision to raise or place her child.
- To ensure that each child gets a healthy beginning or positive start in life.
- To provide emotional support and care in the cases where the birth mother decides to choose a life sanctioning choice over abortion.
- To assist clients in breaking the cycle of poverty and work towards independence.
Methods
- We assign each client an individual caseworker who assesses needs and level of functioning.
- We develop a service plan that addresses client needs and goals.
- We provide clients transprotation to medical appointments.
- Discuss with clients proper nutrition, exercise; danger of exposing the fetus to alcohol, drugs and smoke.
- We work with the mothers to place their children with loving and stable families.
- We go with the birth moms to the hospital to provide emotional support and make referrals for post adoption services, such as greif counseling.
- We also work with the mothers to obtain their individual goals towards independence; for example, serching for a job, taking the GED, and enrolling in community college.
Evaluation
- We use TDPR's guidlines for keeping up with appropiate client care and child placing safety.
- We are monitored by a state agent and follow her technical advice.
- We have a "Child- Placing Director" on staff that monitors our clients' files.
- We attend conferences and network with other agencies to evaluate how we are doing and where the industry is headed.
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