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Options Counseling Standards

Standards and other helpful resources for programs that provide education for medical professionals and social workers.

Although professional organizations vary in the amount of detail they provide in their standards and code of ethics statements regarding options counseling and adoption, they all share three important principles:

- Information is provided on an equal basis.
- Counseling is provided in a non-directive manner.
- Patients are provided the opportunity to freely choose the service or procedures they want.

Disclaimer: Inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement by these organizations of the Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care initiative or any of the ASCC project partners, nor does our inclusion of them imply endorsement of their broader policies or practices.

Counseling Standards and Statements

Medical and Health Association Standards

American Medical Association Policy Statement on Adoption (2024): “It is the policy of the AMA to (1) support the provision of adoption information as an option to unintended pregnancies; and (2) support and encourage the counseling of women with unintended pregnancies as to the option of adoption.”

American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Options Counseling for the Pregnant Adolescent Patient (2022): “The AAP reaffirms its position that pregnant adolescents have the right to be informed and counseled on their pregnancy options. Pediatricians should:

Inform the pregnant adolescent of all their options, which include continuing the pregnancy and raising the child; continuing the pregnancy and making an adoption, kinship care, or foster care plan; or terminating the pregnancy.
Be prepared to provide a pregnant adolescent with accurate information about each of these options in a developmentally appropriate manner involving a trusted adult, when possible; support the decision-making process; and assist in making connections with community resources that will provide quality services during and after the pregnancy…”

American College of Nurse-Midwives Position Statement on Access to Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Service (2023): “The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) affirms the following:

Everyone has the right to make choices regarding sexual and reproductive health (SRH) that meet their individual needs.
Everyone has the right to access factual, evidence-based, unbiased information about available SRH care services to make informed decisions.
Access to SRH care services should be available and affordable for those with limited means.
Parenting, adoption, and abortion should all be legal and are appropriate SRH options within the ethical context of self-determination…”

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Position Statement on Adoption (2024): “The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) advocates for high-quality, nonbiased support for families involved in adoptions that are free of coercion. AWHONN encourages all health care professionals to obtain education on adoption to ensure the provision of respectful care for birth parents and adoptive parents.”

Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Position Paper on Sexual and Reproductive Health Care (2014): “The vast majority of adolescent pregnancies are unintended… While contraception is highly effective in reducing unintended pregnancy, providers must have the knowledge and skills to care for teens who do become pregnant. At a minimum, this includes offering on-site pregnancy detection and pregnancy-options counseling about all options—including continuing a pregnancy, adoption, and elective termination. If the health care provider does not feel comfortable providing unbiased, accurate information regarding pregnancy options, he or she should promptly refer that patient to such services. While it is helpful for a young woman to have the support of a parent, other trusted adult, or peer when considering her options, the ultimate decisions about social support and pregnancy outcome rest with the pregnant adolescent.”

Social Work and Human Service Organization Standards

Child Welfare League of America Standards of Excellence: Services for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Pregnant Adolescents, and Young Parents: “Pregnant adolescents and young parents should be fully informed about all possible options—paternity establishment, adoption, assumption of child-rearing responsibilities, termination of pregnancy, family foster care for mother and/or child, legal guardianship by family member, and any other alternatives allowed by federal, state, provincial, and local law.”

“Pregnant adolescents and young fathers facing the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy need the opportunity to carefully consider the full range of long-range options available to them: abortion, marriage, parenting the child alone or with family support, or adoption.”

“The pregnant adolescent should be provided with individual and group counseling: (1) to help her cope with the ramifications of the pregnancy and to become aware of the options in relation to pregnancy resolution (termination of the pregnancy or carrying the pregnancy to term) (2) to help her recognize her options if she decides to carry to term, including parenting the child (alone or with the father of the child), planning for the adoption of the child, or allowing guardianship to be taken by a family member; and (3) to provide guidance, encouragement, and services that will promote healthy development by facilitating her choice of resolution, school completion, satisfactory employment, positive peer and family relationships, financial stability, good physical health, and heightened self-esteem.”

Social Current / COA Accreditation Pregnancy Support Services Standard 5.02 [Pregnancy Options Counseling/Birth Options Counseling]: “The organization empowers individuals to make the best decisions for their particular circumstances by a. providing accurate information; b. ensuring counseling is nondirective and nonjudgmental; c. allowing individuals to examine their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about their pregnancy and their options; d. helping individuals explore the pros and cons of different options; and enabling individuals to envision how different options might impact their lives in the short- and long-term.”

“Interpretation: Although organizations that offer only Birth Options Counseling will not provide counseling on termination, they should still implement all elements of the standard when they provide counseling regarding parenting, adoption, and kinship care.”

National Association of Social Workers Statement on Reproductive Justice (Social Work Speaks, 12th Edition, 2021): “NASW supports efforts to objectively educate individuals on the range of options available to them when facing an unplanned pregnancy, including abortion and adoption services, based on evidence and the beliefs of the client.”

Options Counseling Standards

Counseling Standards and Statements

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