There are many decisions to be made during the adoption process, but one of the most important is the type of contact that will be maintained by the birth parents, the adoptive family and the adoptee. Choosing the right type of contact is a personal decision and largely depends on the birth parent’s level of comfort with either an open, closed or semi-open adoption.

For Birth Mothers

Many expectant mothers still view adoption as a process where they will not be able to make decisions regarding the family or the type of contact that is maintained. It is no longer true that once a woman places a child for adoption they will never hear about the child again nor will they have a choice in the matter. Today, adoption is a much more open process, with most adoptive families choosing to tell their children from a young age that they are adopted, and even openly talking about the adoptee’s birth parents.

A closed adoption is chosen by some birth mothers who do need a strong sense of closure after the adoption. There is no contact either before or after the adoption process is completed, and many women feel that by completing a closed adoption, it will be easier to move forward with their lives. Other birth mothers will choose a closed adoption because they want a greater level of privacy. They feel that it could be confusing for a child to know their birth mother through an open or semi-open adoption, and they do not want the child to be confused about who their parents are. American Adoptions gives expectant mothers the opportunity to choose the family even if they wish to complete a closed adoption. Also, American Adoptions keeps updated contact information for the birth parents and the adoptive family if either party decides they would like to make contact in the future.

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Things to Consider
Different Types of Adoption

For Adoptive Families

American Adoptions asks that all adoptive families who join the agency be open to at least a semi-open adoption, which requires that the family send pictures and letters periodically. Closed adoptions used to be how the majority of adoptions were completed. Today, very few closed adoptions are completed because most birth parents choose to receive some information about the child throughout the years. Closed adoptions can be hard for birth mothers because they are not able to experience seeing their child happy and well-cared for, or they may feel that they have been completely cut off from the child by the adoptive family. In some instances though, a birth parent will feel that a closed adoption is the right decision for them. Adoptive families should follow a birth mother’s wishes, which will most likely include more contact than is agreed to in a closed adoption.

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