What Is An Open Adoption?

Open adoption is a popular alternative to closed adoptions. What is open adoption?

Adoption is a beautiful thing. When you adopt, you bring a new baby home and help that baby to become a part of your family. But open adoption means that your child can always know his or her biological parents. This gives them a chance to have a relationship with them, if they wish. And this gives the adoptive parents the chance to have a relationship with their child. Open adoption is just another way to make adoption work.

It's also a big change for you, the adoptive parent, and your family. You're no longer the only person who knows about your child. Your child can always know about his or her biological parents. And you can always know that your child knows about his or her birth family.

Adoptive families who use open adoption report many benefits. They say that they feel closer to their children and that they get to know the birth parents better. They also report feeling closer to their biological parents and that they have more freedom to decide where they live.

Some adoptive parents prefer the idea of open adoption. Others find it very stressful. There's no right or wrong answer. You'll need to think carefully about whether you want to try it, and if so, how.

You'll need to make a decision about which type of adoption will work best for you. Closed adoption is a good option if you don't plan to tell your child about his or her birth family. But if you do plan to tell your child about his or her birth family, you'll need to choose between closed and open. If you choose open, your child will be able to learn more about his or her birth parents.

But there are also risks to choosing open adoption. You'll have to consider the possibility that your child will be confused by this new information, that he or she will feel left out, or that he or she will feel that he or she doesn't belong. And if you choose to let your child know about his or her birth family, he or she may ask questions that you may not be able to answer.

So, is open adoption right for you? Talk with your child and with your adoptive parents. Together, you can decide.