An adoption is a great option for Michigan couples who are unable to conceive or carry a child to term. However, if you’re considering adoption, you’ll need to decide whether open or closed adoption is right for your family.
Open Adoption
This refers to an adoption process where both the birth family and adoptive family have some level of ongoing contact. This could be anything from exchanging letters and photos to regular visits. For many families, open adoption provides a sense of security and closure that closed adoptions lack. Another benefit of open adoption is that it allows the birth mother to remain involved in her child’s life and feel like she still has some level of control over the situation.
However, open adoptions tend to be more expensive, and there is always the potential for contact with the birth family to be a source of conflict.
Closed Adoption
This is the traditional model of adoption, where contact between the birth family and adoptive family is cut off completely. In a closed adoption, both sides usually have very little information about each other.
The main advantage of closed adoptions is that they tend to be less expensive and more expedient than open adoptions. Additionally, they provide more certainty for the adoptive family that they will not be contacted by the birth family in the future. However, closed adoptions can be very difficult for everyone involved. The birth mother may feel like she has no control over what happens to her child and she may never know how he or she is doing.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to choose an open or closed adoption is a personal one that depends on the needs and wishes of both the birth family and adoptive family. Consider what is most important to you and what you feel would be best for everyone involved.