People who have adopted children are generally very happy about their decision. After they get to know their adopted child, at least 87% of adoptive parents say they would definitely do it again. For at least 81% of parents and children in this situation, the relationship between them can be described as warm and close. At least 42% of these people say their relationships are better than they had expected. When people are adopting, they can opt for closed or open adoptions. Here are some reasons to go with open adoptions.
- The child understands the reasons for their adoption. Kids who have been adopted often have a lot of questions about the reasons they were placed up for adoption. This can lead to a lot of insecurity and curiosity. Parents who go the closed adoption route may not have all of the information about the birth parents or the reasons the child was placed up for adoption. They only have the information that was given to them by the birth mother or parents. This makes it hard to answer the child’s questions. Parents who go with open adoptions are in a better position to address these questions and concerns. In these cases, the birth mother or parents will give a lot more information about the circumstances around the adoption. Maybe the birth parents thought they could provide a much better life for the child or maybe they just did not think they were ready to be parents. Whatever the circumstances were when they made the decision.
- You will have all of the child’s family’s medical history. Getting this important information from the birth parents is not possible when you go with closed adoptions but can be very valuable. When adoption agencies work on closed adoptions, they do make every effort to get information about this from the birth parents but it is not always possible. Even less possible is getting the information about the birth grandparents. Even if the child is healthy when they are adopted, it is hard to tell if they will develop problems later. The medical history that is available to the parents of adopted kids when the adoption that is totally up to date. If more information is needed, the birth parents can be reached easily to help with any questions that come up.
- The genetic information about the chid will be available. We all want to know where we came from. When kids look a lot different from their parents, they like to know where they got their red hair from or where they got their height. With open adoptions, all of that information is available. When they have questions about their genetic heritage, they will be able to get them answered easily when the adoption was an open one. It is hard, if not impossible, for kids to get information about their genetic background when the adoption was a closed one. Again, the birth parents can be contacted if the child has questions about where they came from and what their background is.
- Open adoptions give birth parents more peace of mind. The decision to give a child up for adoption is a very hard one. When closed adoptions are pursued, the birth parents never really get confirmation that they made the right decision. In open adoptions, the birth parents can see that their child is doing well and thriving with their adopted parents. Having some involvement in the child’s life can make a big difference in making them see that they made the right decision.
- The birth parents and adoptive parents can become close. While this is not the goal of the open adoption process, having the birth parents develop a good relationship with the adoptive parents can be a really great thing for everyone involved. When the two families begin communicating, the goal may not be to merge the families but often friendships develop that end up being very beneficial for the child. Often the relationships develop into something that is more like an extended family than anything else.
Children who have been adopted have special needs and will have many questions about the process. Open adoptions allow them to get the answers they want and reassurances they need.