What is an Open Adoption?

Adoption is the process where a person applies in court to be considered as the parent of a child. Children enter the adoption system in various ways. There are numerous types of adoption: foster care, foster-to-adopt, infant adoption, independent adoptions, international adoptions, private adoptions, relative or kinship adoptions, and adult adoptions. The most common type of adoption is a stepchild adoption. Adoptions can either be opened or closed as well. Open adoption is a form of adoption where the biological and adoptive families have access to each other’s personal information and have an option of contact.

What is the Difference Between an Open and Closed Adoption?

A closed adoption means that there is no contact between the birth parents and the adoptive parents and the child after the adoption takes place. Historically most adoptions remained closed, but today’s trends show a movement towards more open adoptions. In a closed adoption, often the adoptive parents do not know where the child came from or who their birth parents are. The name “closed adoption” is derived from the physical sealing of adoption records at the time of finality. While closed adoptions were the norm in previous times, open adoptions have increased in popularity. Open adoption allows the birth parents and the adoptive parents to have a greater degree of control in their process and selection.

What are the Benefits of an Open Adoption?

The open adoption process allows for adoptive parents to better answer questions from their children about who their birth parents were, and why they were adopted. Often children in open adoptions have an easier time accepting their adoption when they can “hear” both sides of the story, so to speak. Open adoptions better allow for things like medical history to be exchanged allowing families to be better informed and prepared.

What are the Downsides of an Open Adoption?

There can be downsides to open adoption. Many adoptive parents are intimidated by the idea of the birthparents remaining in their child’s lives. Some adoptive parents find themselves fearful that a birthparent may try to “take a child back.” And other adoptive parents worry about the confusion their child may face on who their “real parents” are.

Choosing an open or closed adoption is just one facet of the adoption process that you will face. Having the right legal counsel to prepare you and inform you, can make all the difference in the world.