Open Adoption Information

Open Adoption is one of the many options available to you if you are pregnant and looking to placing your baby for adoption, or if you are looking to adopt a child. This type of adoption is a unique relationship that a Birth Parent and Adoptive Family form when a child is placed.   In this page and the following pages we will be discussing the facts about open adoption and the services we can provide to you as an open adoption agency. There are numerous questions to ask yourself when deciding if an this type of adoption is best for you.

• Can you be honest about the adoption?
• Can you put the child's best interest before your own?
• Can you respect all members involved in the open adoption?
• If you are pregnant and giving up your child for adoption, can you respect all decisions made by the adoptive family without interfering?
• If you are an adoptive family, can you respect the birth parents background and decisions that they have made?
• In general, are you able to let go of any jealousy or feelings that you need to be in total control of every situation?
• Are you willing to share the love of a child?

If you can answer each of these questions positively then an open adoption may be right for you. A Child's Waiting believes that this type of adoption is the best option for everyone involved in the adoption triad (adoptive parent, adopted child and birth mother). Through this type of adoption, the child is the center focus of the relationship. The process begins with the birth parents and the adoptive parents having a trusting relationship where information is exchanged and a relationship is developed from the beginning of the placement and continues throughout the life of the child. This is a unique partnership where everyone is connected through respect for one another and love for the child. Each individual has a unique role in the child's life that develops over time. Ongoing contact allows the birth parents to see that the child is doing well, is healthy, and happy. This knowledge offers them peace of mind in their decision for the baby. On-going contact can be through the agency or handled between the families directly.

Our open adoption services help adoptive parents welcome the birth parents into their lives almost as extended family members. Interchanges between the parties allow the child to have direct access to the information they may desire as well as support from the birth family. This allows for healthy development of the child's identity and self-esteem. Research of open adoption information has shown that children raised in open adoptions have better overall adjustment and higher self-esteem than those raised in closed adoptions. Studies also show that children of open adoptions are reported to have fewer behavioral problems than children of closed adoptions. A national study found that a benefit of open adoption verses closed is that the adopted children have access to the information that they may want as they grow especially during adolescence. This is one of the many reasons we have chosen to be an open adoption agency.