Adoption is one option that people sometimes use to grow their families. There are several decisions that adoptive parents and birth parents have to make before the adoption can occur. One of these is whether they’re going to use a closed adoption or an open adoption.
In the past, closed adoptions were much more common than open adoptions. In recent years, there’s been a shift trending more toward open adoptions. It’s critical that anyone in this position understands exactly what each of these means.
Information exchange
One of the primary differences between open and closed adoptions is that both sets of parents get information about each other. Typically, this includes detailed information, including names and possibly contact information. In a closed adoption, all personal information is redacted, so the parents never know each other.
Contact during pregnancy and after birth
In an open adoption, both sets of parents may have communication throughout the pregnancy and after the baby is born. There are typically very clear boundaries for this. An open adoption may allow the birth parents to remain in the child’s life while the adoptive parents raise the child. There isn’t any contact at all between adoptive and birth parents in a closed adoption.
Learning more about these options can help you make the right choice if you are considering adoption.