A recent article wonderfully summarizes key issues for adoptive parents and birth parents to consider when thinking about open adoption.
April Dinwoodie, CEO of the Donaldson Adoption Institute, wrote a 4/28/15 piece for the Huffington Post entitled, “6 Key Factors to Consider for an Open Adoption.”
As the leader of a nationally respected, adoption-focused organization (not to mention an adult adoptee herself), Dinwoodie’s sage advice and guidance are welcome and appreciated.
You can read the article by clicking here: 6 Key Factors to Consider for an Open Adoption
As an agency that supports openness in adoption, Adoption STAR firmly believes that open adoption benefits the adoptee, the adoptive parents and the birth parents.
Here are a few reasons why:
- Open adoption provides the adoptive parents with the unique opportunity to “get to know” the birth parents of their child, enabling them to answer questions that their child might pose to them as s/he grows. The fear of an unknown birth parent returning to claim a child is gone. Birth parents become real people. Open adoption is not co-parenting; the adoptive parents are irreplaceable as Mom and Dad in the life of their child.
- Open adoption also allows birth parents the peace of mind they can only get by meeting the family who will raise their child into adulthood. They have trust that the child is well. They are given the proper respect for themselves, their decision, and the important role they play in their child’s life.
- Open adoption provides adopted children with the understanding of “why” they were placed for adoption and the ability to be able to contact their birth parents, should they want to. This helps with identity issues – knowing whom s/he looks like and having a sense of connectedness with biological family members. The child has a direct ongoing source of medical and other important information. And most especially, the child knows that an adoption plan was made out of love.