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Adopting parents have the right to choose whether or not they want an open or closed adoption. However, openness surrounding adoption can be quite beneficial to all if done well and when it’s in the child’s best interest. In today’s blog post, we’ll dive into the benefits of open adoptions as well as the reasons some families choose closed adoptions.
The benefits of having an open adoption include:
- The child’s ability to self-identify. When an adopted child has information about their birth family, they are able to grow and develop their identity.
- Bonding both families together. Open adoptions allow for both families to bond around and for the benefit of the child. Many families have built beautiful friendships with each other because their lines of communication were never closed.
Unfortunately, a lot of decisions that are made around the openness of adoption are made through the adopting family’s fears and insecurities. While this issue is becoming less prominent, a large number of families come with fears of openness and really no interest in having an open adoption and sharing their child with the birth family. I’ve found that educating families on the benefits of open adoption and what it looks like can alleviate these fears. In fact, a majority of the families that go through our course are actually excited about openness and become disappointed if the birth parents decide they don’t desire the same.
Whether an adoption is open or closed primarily hinges on what the birth parents want. As stated before, educating both families makes all the difference. Thankfully, very few birth parents we’ve worked with over the years actually want closed adoptions.
One main reason an adoption might be closed is if a child is adopted internationally. Oftentimes, it’s very difficult to have any form of openness in international placements because the child may have been abandoned. However, international adoptions are becoming more open thanks to DNA testing. Once the child is older, they are able to find and connect with their birth families. This is important to keep in mind in case you were thinking a closed international adoption might be a forever thing.
Whether you decide to have a closed or open adoption is certainly your choice, but before you make any decisions, take the first step by learning about adoption and all that comes with it by taking the All About Adoption 101 course: https://adoption-beyond.thrivecart.com/all-about-adoption/
This blog post is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Our services are not financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content. Adoption & Beyond, Inc. owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted.