Open and Closed Adoption – What’s the Difference? – Adoption may be something you’ve been considering for quite some time. Either you are a childless parent, or you have a healthy and growing home and feel a calling to open your doors to another child. Whatever the reason, adoption is an amazing gift – both for the adult and child – as it provides stability, a loving environment, and a new sense of identity.
As you embark on this new journey, you will likely find yourself facing intricate decisions you never thought you’d need to make. This includes choosing between an open or closed adoption process.
Open Adoption – Defined
Open adoption is a term that refers to when the birth parents and adoptive parents of the child meet and get to know each other. Their identification and history are not kept a secret, and the adoptive parents have the choice to allow the birth parents to keep visiting their child after the adoption is complete. This can include phone calls, visits, e-mails, etc.
The benefits of open adoption for the child and adults involved include:
- Giving the child a sense of identity and self-confidence
- The birth parents can have increased certainty of the child’s well-being
- The birth parents can still maintain a relationship with the child
- A larger support network
- The adopting parents have less fear and more of a relationship with birth parents
Closed Adoption – Defined
Conversely, closed adoption does exactly that – it closes the door on any previous relationship between the child and its birth parents and any potential relationship between the birth parents and the adoptive parents. In closed adoption, the identities of everyone involved are not disclosed. Thus, there is no contact between them.
The benefits of closed adoption for the child and adults involved include:
- Providing the birth parents and adoptive parents a sense of closure
- Protection for the child, who may have been in an abusive or otherwise dangerous situation
- No complications
Your legal advisor will assist you in carrying on the legal formalities when you’re adopting a child. An honest attorney will make sure there is no chance of fraud and betrayal in this pure and nice step. At the Nelson Law Group, PC, we listen to you and then provide a straightforward evaluation of your case.
Give our knowledgeable staff here at Nelson Law Group, PC a call if you have any further questions regarding this – or any other – issue. Our staff is always available.
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