What Is An Open Adoption?

An open adoption means there is some level of communication between the birth parents and the adoptive parents in an adoption, whether it is directly or indirectly. Openness is an increasingly popular practice among the adoption community.  Medical data, social history, and other possible information can help the adoptive family, the adopted child in particular, cope with and understand more about the reasons for adoption and the birth parents in general.

Birth parents can feel greater confidence in their decision to plan adoption when they know who will be caring for their child. There are varying degrees of openness in adoption. In most cases, the birth parent will choose the adoptive family and disclose medical and social history. The birth parents and the adoptive parents may choose to have pictures sent back and forth through the use of the adoption agency. In other cases the birth parents and the adoptive parents may meet face-to-face and the birth parents may stay involved throughout the child's life. The level of openness is different for each situation depending upon what both the birth parents and the adoptive parents are comfortable with.