Unplanned Pregnancy, Expectant Parent Blog - Open Adoption

Crisis Pregnancy Blog

09/05/06

Open Adoption - Part 3

Posted by : Coley S. in Crisis Pregnancy Blog at 03:17 am , 430 words, 82 views
Categories: Open Adoption

Continued from yesterday's post.....
open adopt3

Below are a few aspects of the importance of open adoption.

Provides a link to the child’s biological family - At some point in his or her life, your child will probably want to know about their biological family, why they were placed for adoption, who they look like, etc.. In open adoptions, the birth parents are there ready to answer questions when the child is ready to ask them. Adoption shouldn’t be a secret. It’s healthy for the child to explore his biological family history and ask questions pertaining to why he or she was placed for adoption.

Direct access to medical history - Your child and the adoptive family would have direct access to you should medical problems arise. On the flip side, it can be of benefit for any other children you may currently be raising or may in the future. If your birthchild were to come up with some sort of medical problem that is genetic, in an open adoption the adoptive parents could let you know.

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Saving parties from a lengthy search - Open adoption can save the adoptee and birth parent from an exhaustive search process. Searches can be tiring, frustrating, and expensive. Through open adoption, there is no searching.

Lessens the feelings of abandonment – A birthparent staying involved in an adoptee’s life can help the adoptee to feel less abandoned as he/she grows up. He or she will grow up knowing that they are an important part of their birthmother’s life.

Provides a link to siblings – If you already are parenting a child, the child you are carrying is important to his or her older brother or sister and at some point they will want to know each other. Through open adoption, they can and it can provide a little sense of peace to the child you are raising.

Open adoptions can be tricky to maintain. At the beginning of the adoption especially, there can be tension as all parties try to navigate through their feelings, the amount of contact they are comfortable with, etc. It can be helpful to make a written “contract” of what all parties involved expect regarding the amount of contact they are comfortable with.

Just as with extended family members, it’s important to remember that their can be tension and that problems may arise.

Making an open adoption work takes honesty, communication, and compromise from both the adoptive parents and the birth parents.

Sources:
Open adoptions

Adoption Resources and Counseling Services

My Open Adoption Series
Part 1

Part 2