Closed vs. Open Adoption

Many people look into adoption each year. Some of the people looking into it are looking to become parents, while the others are looking for parents to place their unborn child with. With adoption comes education. It is important for both parties to look into and understand different aspects of adoption. To educate oneself on all aspects of adoption may give each person involved the understanding of the emotions they may go through and the professional help they may want to seek. Psychologists are looking into the benefits and draw backs to open adoption as well as closed adoption, something everyone should be educated on if pursuing an adoption journey. Perspective adoptive parents should educate themselves or get legal definitions of both closed and open adoption. It is important to know and understand the choices one may have as an adoptive parent. Adoptive or perspective adoptive parents need to understand the types of adoptions and understand how it may affect their family as a whole including the adoptee. “In closed adoption, the birth mother, birth father and you (the adopting family) are anonymous. (Adopting Family Resource, n.d.) It is also explained by Adopting Family Resource, (n.d.) that in an open adoption all parties involved exchange identifying information and after the placement you may or may not have ongoing contact with each other. Perspective birth parents should also educate themselves on both closed and open adoptions. It is important for birth parents to know their options and explore what emotions may come along with each option they have. Lawyers of Gillespie, Shields & associates, (2008), state that since the purpose of an adoption is to terminate the parental rights of the birth parents and sever their ties with the child, most states do not have laws addressing open adoptions. It is important to know these things. Birth parents should know that even if they choose an open adoption it does not always guarantee

References: Adopting Family Resources [no author]. (not listed). Adopting- Open versus Closed. Retrieved June 20, 2008, Web site: http://www.adoptingfamilyresources.com Axness, Marcy (1994). What Is The Primal Wound? Understanding The Trauma of Infant- Maternal Separation. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Birth Psychology Web site: http://www.birthpsychology.com/birthscene/adoption.html Axness, Marcy (1996). Painful Lessons: What We Must Learn About Open Adoption, For Our Children’s Sake. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Birth Psychology Web site: http://birthpsychology.com/birthscene/adoption10.html Gillespie, Shields & Associates. (2007). Open vs. Closed Adoption. Retrieved June 23, 2008 http://www.gillaw.com