The definition of the word “open,” as defined by Merriam Webster, is “having no enclosing or confining barrier;” “not closed or locked.” This applies to general spaces and objects, however, when applied to adoption, this definition still fits.
What is an open adoption?
Open adoption is a type of adoption that allows birth parents to know and have contact with the adoptive parents and the adopted child. In many cases, there is contact between the parties of the adoption, including between the birth mother and the adopted baby as they grow older. Regardless of how much contact there is, open adoptions give the ability to birth mother, adoptive parents, and child to remain accessible to each other. Of course, this needs to be within reason and boundary-friendly.
What is an open adoption for adoptive parents?
This is an opportunity to stay in touch with the birth mother. Before the adoption takes place, the adoptive parent(s) and the birth mother share information, mainly of birth family, any history of disease or hereditary issues, so the adoptive parent should know ahead of time. However, what happens if the place baby starts to show signs of an allergy, or something related, that didn’t come up before? This could perhaps not have been something the parties discussed prior, and the adoptive parent could freely contact the birth mother to inquire about any family history with this pattern. On the other hand, this contact could also be not health-related. A quick update regarding what the place baby likes to eat, a certain movie they like to watch, or other interest-related information could be a nice moment to share between the adoptive and birth parents.
What is an open adoption for the birth mother?
An open adoption for a birth mother could mean she can keep in touch with the new family to check in on how the place baby is progressing throughout their life. Like stated before, the level of connectedness all depends on the individual comfort level, and the birth mother can be as active or inactive in the child’s life as she decides. However, this can be a way for the place baby (as well as the adoptive parents) and the birth mother to stay in contact after the adoption takes place.
What is an open adoption for the adopted child?
It can be very difficult to grow up not knowing who your birth mother is. However, although so many adopted people don’t, some have the opportunity to know their birth mother as they grow. Despite the fact that their biological parents are not raising them, this can still be a life-changing opportunity for a person who was adopted. There are a lot of questions revolving around adoption, especially for an adopted child, and having the chance to know their birth mother can mitigate a lot of those questions and concerns.
Still not sure if your adoption should be open or closed? Give Adoption Choices of Arizona a call and we’d be happy to discuss it further with you and read more about open adoption on our blog:
