Open Adoption Pros and Cons [Insights for Expecting Parents]
In an open adoption, you can maintain contact with your baby and their adoptive family after the process is finalized. This ongoing contact fosters a supportive environment for your child, ensuring they have access to both their adoptive family and their birth parents.
Many pregnant women in Colorado opt for open adoptions because they want to stay connected to their children while also providing them with stable, loving homes.
However, it’s possible that you might be at a place emotionally where you’re not ready to be in contact with the adoptive family. Depending on your circumstances, you may need privacy, distance or time to heal after the adoption. You get to decide when you start contact and whether you want it to be facilitated by your adoption specialist. Evaluating open adoption pros and cons can help you make an informed decision regarding your and your baby’s future.
Our adoption specialists can walk you through your options and provide more insight into the adoption process. You can get in touch with us by calling 1-800-ADOPTION or filling out our online contact form.
Open vs. Closed Adoption: Pros and Cons
Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of each type of adoption is important to understanding what kind of contact you’re comfortable with. Here’s what you should know about open vs. closed adoptions:
Pros of Open Adoption
In the past, adoption was shrouded in social stigma. The closed nature of adoptions during this time meant that many birth mothers and adoptees had no contact, leading to feelings of grief, loss and abandonment.
Today, adoption is considered an act of love, not something shameful. People recognize how important it is to honor the birth parents’ rights and focus on the best interests of the child.
According to research, all parties seem to benefit from open adoptions. The benefits of open adoption for birth parents, adoptees and adoptive families include:
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Connection with the child
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Ongoing contact with the adoptive family
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Access to medical history
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Identity understanding
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Reassurance and peace of mind
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Improved sense of belonging
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Expanded family for the child
If you’re unsure about the level of contact you’re comfortable with, that’s okay. As part of the post-placement agreement, you can decide when contact starts. You can take time to heal or wait to communicate until after your baby is placed with their adoptive family.
Cons of Open Adoption
Like with any choice, there are cons to consider. Here are the disadvantages of open adoption:
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Privacy concerns for birth parents
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Emotionally complex
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May be difficult to manage expectations
Pros of Closed Adoption
If you’re considering closed adoption, you might be feeling scared or uncertain about your situation. For instance, unstable home environments and unsupportive partners can make it hard to maintain contact with your baby and their adoptive family.
In these cases, closed adoptions can:
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Provide emotional distance and a fresh start
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Reduce uncertainty about long-term dynamics
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Maintain focus on the adoptive family’s parenting
Cons of Closed Adoption
Closed adoption greatly limits how much contact you can have with your baby and their adoptive family. This can be difficult if your feelings or situation change in the future.
Here are the cons of choosing a closed adoption:
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No contact with the child
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No opportunity for a relationship with the adoptive family
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Limited understanding of genetic health risks
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Identity questions may arise
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Might be challenging to process grief and loss
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The child may feel unwanted
Understanding Semi-Open Adoption
Because of the benefits of open adoption, American Adoptions of Colorado doesn’t facilitate closed adoptions. But if you’re not ready for post-placement contact, you can wait until you’re ready. There’s no rush. You control the adoption process, and everything happens at your own pace.
In an open adoption, you get to decide when and how you’ll communicate. You could keep in touch via in-person visits, milestone events, video calls, phone calls, texts and more. However, if you prefer to keep your identifying information private, you can move forward with a semi-open adoption.
In a semi-open adoption, we act as the intermediary between you and your baby’s adoptive family. We mediate communication and ensure your wishes are respected. If you decide you want to make direct contact on your own, you can change your contact preferences at any time. We can help communicate any updates to the adoptive parents.
“We chose to have a semi-open adoption, so we get letters every six months. I look forward to those letters and those pictures and that makes me feel really, really special. I know that she is happy and healthy and loved by so many people.” –Erika, birth mother
Moving Forward With an Open or Semi-Open Adoption
If you’re ready to begin your adoption journey, American Adoptions of Colorado can help. Our adoption specialists can explain your options and send you profiles of waiting adoptive families that match your communication preferences.
Our adoption hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call 1-800-ADOPTION to speak with an adoption specialist or fill out our short contact form for more information.
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