What is an “open adoption”?
There is a trend towards open adoption – adoption in which there is some form of contact between birth parents and adoptive parents. It ranges from a preplacement meeting, to letters or pictures after placement, or even personal visitations after placement. Each person needs to assess what, if any, degree of openness is acceptable or desirable for them.
Open adoption is an agreement to allow some form of contact between birth parents and adoptive parents. It ranges from a pre-placement meeting, to letters or pictures after placement, or even personal visitations after placement. Each person needs to assess what, if any, degree of openness is acceptable or desirable for them in an open adoption.
An open adoption is one in which the adoptive parents agree to let the biological mother (and biological father) have some continued contact with the child after the adoption. This contact might be periodic visits or an exchange of pictures and other information between the adoptive family and the biological parent or parents. The nature of the contact is often specified in the adoption agreement. Open adoptions have become more common as more birth mothers have become involved with choosing which adoptive family will receive their child. But open adoptions are a relatively new phenomenon, and in many states it is not certain whether an open adoption agreement is enforceable by the birth mother.
An open adoption can mean many different things. You can choose a family to raise your child. You can meet that family and get to know them before placement. You also have the option to continue to get pictures and letters through the agency throughout your child’s lifetime. Some birthparents decide to have a completely open adoption that allows for ongoing visits with their child and the adoptive family. Whatever you decide, you are making this decision based on what you feel is best for you and for your baby.
An open adoption is one where the adoptive parents and birth parents continue to have some type of contact with each other. Some open adoptions consist of only an exchange of names, others include provisions for on-going contact. In private adoptions it is up to the adoptive parents and the birth parents to determine the amount and type of contact that they desire to have in the future. In an agency adoption the agency will continue to act as an intermediary to facilitate future contact. Texas law does not recognize these contracts, except in limited circumstances.
