Everyone loves a good Lifetime Movie, right?? I know I sure do! Adoption seems to be a popular topic for Lifetime movies. However, they often don’t display adoption in the most positive light.

Recently though, I watched a Lifetime movie that portrayed adoption positively. Mom at Sixteen is the story of a teenaged Mom, Jacey (played by Danielle Panabaker). When Jacey becomes pregnant, her Mom, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl) insists that she make an adoption plan. Jacey agrees and chooses adoptive parents. Right after her son is born; Jacey changes her mind and begs her Mom to let her keep her baby. Her Mom agrees, but only if she (the Mother) raises the baby, Charlie, as her own, essentially raising Jacey’s baby as her brother.

They move to a new town where no one knows that the baby is technically Jacey’s son. Soon though, a power struggles begins between Jacey and her Mother concerning parenting the baby. Jacey wants to make decisions for her baby.

Jacey begins to realize that parenting the baby is very hard and she wants more opportunities for him. Ironically, during all of this, Jacey gets close to a teacher, Mrs. Cooper, at her school who has struggled with infertility and a failed adoption placement.

An open adoption ends up occurring between Mrs. Cooper, her husband, and Jacey’s family. The ending scenes of the movie are touching as it fast forwards to when Jacey’s son Charlie is about 5 and he explains open adoption for a home video.

There are many heartwarming scenes I left out. And in the scope of adoption, this movie wasn’t as far fetched as many I have seen. It actually portrayed open adoption positively. And I guess one of the reasons I like it so much is because the baby’s name is Charlie – which is my birthson’s name.

It is also interesting to note, that one of the “stars” in the movie, Mercedes Rheul, who plays Jacey’s Mother, is a birthmom herself. She placed her son, Christopher, for adoption in the 70’s and they are now reunited.

You can check Lifetime for when Mom at Sixteen might re-air or you can also purchase it on DVD.