What is open adoption?
In an open adoption, the adopted child and their adoptive family maintain an ongoing connection to the child’s biological family – often with regular updates, visits and a relationship that evolves over time like any relationship. This ongoing connection is recognized to be beneficial to everyone involved, especially the child. Our agency was founded in 1985 with a focus on openness, which was not very common at the time. Most adoptions today have some level of openness.
How open adoption works
How open adoption works
Our counseling staff supports biological and adoptive families as they get to know each other and build their relationship, and we provide ongoing relationship guidance, counseling and community. Each open adoption relationship is incredibly unique, and the look, feel and frequency of contact varies as widely as the circumstances and personalities of the individuals involved. Contact may also vary within the lifespan of one adoption. Adoptive and biological families may see each other very frequently or only occasionally – and there may be limited or no ongoing contact with birth parents even in cases where the adoptive family desires it. In those instances, the adoptive family can create a culture of openness by honoring the importance of their child’s birth parents in their day-to-day lives. This can be done by displaying photos, talking about birth parents, referencing the child’s genetic traits, and by having relationships with other birth family members, such as siblings or grandparents.
By retaining a connection to biological family, the hope is that the child feels unconditional acceptance of their full identity and has access to all the people who love them. Witnessing their adoptive parents show care for their biological family can also help them feel more fully seen and accepted. Just as a parent can love more than one child, a child can love more than one set of parents. Adoptive and biological family play unique roles, and all are needed and valued. In our experience as an agency, we have seen hundreds of families benefit from meaningful relationships that started with their commitment to openness and centering the needs of the adopted child. Learn more about our open adoption program.
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Open adoption benefits both biological and adoptive families and, most importantly, the adopted child.
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Testimonials - What is open adoption
What is open adoption FAQs
Frequently asked questions
- What is open adoption?
In an open adoption, the adopted child and their adoptive family maintain an ongoing connection to the child’s biological family – often with regular updates, visits, and a relationship that evolves over time like any relationship. This ongoing connection is recognized to be beneficial to everyone involved, especially the child. Most adoptions today have some level of openness, and our program has always had a focus on openness. Although openness in adoption is now considered a best practice compared with historically closed adoptions, it does not resolve the trauma and grief inherent in adoption.
- Is open adoption confusing for the child?
No, it is actually less confusing for a child to have access to information about all parts of who they are and be able to build relationships with their biological and adoptive families. Knowing about their adoption and the people who are a part of it can help adoptees to process and better understand their adoption story.
- Who names the baby in an open adoption?
In an open adoption, birth and adoptive parents often collaboratively name their child. There are two birth certificates in adoption, an original birth certificate that is completed by the birth parents when a child is born and a second, amended, birth certificate that is completed by the adoptive parents when the adoption is finalized. In some cases, these names are different and in others they are the same. When biological and adoptive families are thinking about naming a child, they are encouraged to think about how the child may someday feel about the story of their name. Many adult adoptees have expressed feeling confused or hurt in learning that their name was changed.
- How are you different from other agencies?
We are a nonprofit, full-service agency that provides no-cost all-options pregnancy counseling. We’re pro-choice, promote reproductive justice, and are not religiously affiliated. When the choice is adoption, we provide pre- and post-placement counseling and support for adoptee-centered open adoptions. We have an active adoption community and host events to encourage ongoing education, build relationships, and provide lifelong support. Our board of directors is led by a birth parent and comprised of adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents who all help inform our services.
- How do I plan an open adoption for my child?
Expectant parents or parents considering placing their child for adoption first receive all-options pregnancy counseling. If their choice is adoption, they review prospective adoptive family profiles that include an introductory letter, photo book with autobiographical information, video, and homestudy while they are also considering what is important to them in an adoptive family. Once an adoptive family has been chosen, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.
Prospective adoptive parents attend our Pre-Adoption Seminar, then meet one on one with an agency counselor for an Application & Intake meeting to assess whether we are mutually a good fit. If they are approved to proceed, they move through the homestudy process, which consists of a home visit and a series of interviews with their counselor whose goal is to get to know them and write their homestudy report. Once they have an approved homestudy, they are able to enter our waiting families pool. If a prospective adoptive family is chosen by expectant parents, introductory and adoption planning meetings are coordinated by an OA&FS counselor who provides ongoing support to all parties in relationship building and adoption planning.