Open and Closed Adoptions – Major Differences Revealed

Executive Summary By Abhishek Agarwal

It will be either a closed adoption or an open adoption. Closed adoptions are the way adoptions were traditionally done. There is no contact between the prospective parents and the birth mother. All information, the limited information, is given through the adoption agency. In an open adoption, both parties have an open line of communication. The term open adoption might seem misleading.

Only the birth mother and the prospective parents are allowed to know details. An adoption agent will pair a mother and a potential family and exchange information about the parties. Prospective parents need to be cautious in dealing with this type of adoption. The birth mother uses this as a way to get extra money from the parents. Being honest will go a long way in open adoptions.

Another thing to consider in open adoptions is the future of your child. When the child learns that they were adopted, they might want to meet the birth mother. In this case, it will be easier to find the birth mother.

Some prospective parents might feel uncomfortable in this situation. The parents are desperate for a child; they don’t want to do anything to scare away the birth mother. Closed adoptions offer limited information about the parties. Adoption agencies handle the situations with utmost care.

How To Make A Wise Choice

Closed adoptions have been the norm for quite some time. Closed adoptions are still similar in the respect that no information is given on any parties, but they are handled with more care than history recalls.

Open adoptions are very different. The particulars of an open adoption are confidential except to the parties involved. Open adoptions give the birth mother an active role in decided where her child is going to end up. In this situation instead of an agency finding a match and telling parents there is a baby available without any other information, the birth mother selects candidates. After going through a list of potential parents, the birth mother will pick who she wants her baby to live with. This begins the process of an open adoption.

More information is given to both parties as the adoption progresses further and with each party’s comfort level. In open adoptions, the parties often meet and can exchange contact information. This way the birth mother has a way of meeting the people her child is going to and the prospective parents know about the child from the mother. The terms of the adoption are spelled out for her right from the beginning giving an advantage to the prospective parents.

With open adoptions, there are ways to keep an open line of communication between the two parties once the baby is given to the adoptive parents. Some adoptive parents want to remain as anonymous as possible and not share more information than needed with the birth mother.

These are people who definitely need to consider closed adoptions. Another disadvantage to an open adoption is the actual communication itself. In a closed adoption, usually the only type of information that is given is non-identifying medical information or any background that is pertinent to the child. Once a closed adoption is finalized, the file is sealed and usually never made available again. Deciding on open are closed adoptions is just one of those choices.

You may want to check out another article about miscarriage or baby gifts.