What is open adoption, and how are the courts responding?
For years, one of the biggest barriers to overcome in adoption was the fact that birth parents could never see their child after he or she was placed. This is no longer the case. When a child is placed for adoption today, their birth parents and adoptive parents often make an agreement that they will share information, pictures, and visits with each other. This is called openness. Openness happens in varying degrees depending on each situation, but some level of openness is almost always involved in today’s adoption plans. In recent years, openness has allowed birth parents to come out of the shadows and to be recognized for the courageous gift they’ve given to both the adoptive parents and the child. Openness has also allowed birth parents to feel better about their decision because they get the chance to show the love they feel for that child in a physical and material way through letters, photographs, gifts, and visits. There are laws protecting the rights of adoptive parents from t
