If you’re on an adoption journey, you know how exciting that is. Adding a new baby to your family is one of life’s most rewarding experiences.
Many couples who are new to adoption are leery of open adoption, but open adoptions come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s sure to be an option that works for your family.
An experienced Arizona adoption attorney can help you better understand open adoptions and their varying degrees of openness.
Openness In Adoption
The level of openness in an adoption relates to the amount of contact that the birth parents or parent and the adoptive parents (and thus the adoptive child) maintain. The amount of contact can vary from adoption to adoption and can even vary within the same adoption – over time.
The level of communication between the two parties can range significantly:
• The two families may have little or no contact;
• The two families may engage in contact that’s mediated through a third party;
• The two families may share occasional information through anonymous email accounts, the adoption agency, or a post office box;
• The two families may engage in ongoing open communication (sharing identifying information) via phone calls, texts, and/or social media; or
• The two families may even engage in occasional scheduled meetings, such as birthday or holiday visits (when both parties agree).
Open Adoption
Almost all domestic infant adoptions in the United States are open to some degree. In most such adoptions, the birth mother (or parents) meet with prospective adoptive parents – and can even choose their infant’s adoptive parents.
In many of these adoptions, some degree of openness remains after the adoption is finalized. Determining the level of openness that both parties feel comfortable with is a critical factor in making healthy adoption matches.
Due to the personal experiences of adult adoptees and to emerging mental health research, open adoption has evolved over the past several decades. In fact, research and personal stories suggest that more-open adoptions are better for everyone – the adoptive child, the birth parents, and the adoptive parents.
Adoptive Parent Anxiety
Many couples in the process of adopting are fearful of open adoptions. Better understanding how open adoptions work, however, can help you allay your fears and help you embrace what open adoption has to offer you, your adoptive child, and the birth parents.
If You’re Considering Adoption, Contact Stuart & Blackwell Today
The decision to embark on an adoption journey is one of the most exciting and rewarding decisions you’ll ever make. Many couples, however, fear the unknown element of an open adoption.
At Stuart & Blackwell, we understand your trepidation, and we’re here to help you overcome your fears. Open adoptions come in varying degrees, and once you find the level of openness that you’re comfortable with, you’ll be that much closer to finding your adoption match.
The experienced adoption attorneys at Stuart & Blackwell are here to help, so please contact us to schedule your free consultation by calling (480) 420 2900 today.