Advantages to Open Adoption

Advantages will differ from individual to individual and even from adoption to adoption. Read through the most common advantages, and try to decide which ones you feel will benefit you and your child and which ones won't really impact you as you decide.

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You will have total control over the selection of a family for your child, including reviewing paperwork and interviewing the potential parents as you decide. This can be very empowering and gives you a sense of control over the situation.

There can be continued interaction with the family that you choose (depending on your desires), and this can ease concerns that you might have regarding the happiness and well-being of your child. It can be very comforting to watch your child flourish in an adoptive home.

You will be able to visit with your child and the adoptive family if you agree to this in your adoption agreement. This can help you work through some of the negative emotions (loss, sadness, grief, etc.) that can follow an adoption placement.

Every birthparent wants to be sure that their child is safe in his or her new home. With open adoption, you are able to stay in touch with your child, and this can make you feel less unsure of your decision to place and less worried about your child's safety.

Having an ongoing relationship with your child as s/he grows is beneficial for many women in and of itself.

Building a relationship with the adoptive family can be a wonderful thing. Many birthparents feel as though they are a part of an extended family this way. This also, in turn, can help the child to bond to his or her adoptive parents, since the child understands that he or she does not need to feel that you were betrayed by the adoption.

You will be able to provide medical information and a family history on an as-needed basis should a health concern come up in your child's life.

Your child will be able to benefit from a sense of identity. He or she will be able to know of the family tree, the racial heritage, and the ethnic culture that belongs to him or her. As a child grows older, these things often are important to a child's self-confidence and self-esteem.

Being able to share with your child the reasons for placing him/her for adoption as he or she grows older will help him or her know that this decision was made out of love - not rejection, as many children have a tendancy to feel.

There will be no need to do a reunion search, on the part of you or your child, and this can save you both an emotionally stressful time later, should either want to make contact.

You will also be an added support system for your child. Not only will s/he have his adoptive parents, but he will also have you to look out for and listen to him or her when needed. You will have the potential for a fully defined role in your child's life.