Open or Closed Adoption?
Many birth parents and adopting families are unclear about what an open adoption and closed child adoption are really about.
Generally, in an open adoption identifying information is shared and a closed adoption identifying information is not exchanged. Below are detailed explanations.
Adoption Services is a not-for-profit adoption agency that completes open adoptions, closed adoptions and any combination of these. Over the past 45+ we have helped over 6000 birth parents and families.
Feel free to contact us or call (toll-free 1(800)943-0400) if you have any questions or if you want our guidance or support. All calls are confidential and there is no obligation or cost to you for our help. Please visit the link “Ways we can help you”.
We make sure your child is placed with the perfect family, your rights are protected, and that you receive all the financial assistance and medical help as well as other types of help that the law allows. There is never any fee to you as a birth parent.
Open or Closed Adoption
In a closed adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive family do not share personal details like last names, addresses, or phone numbers. You may still meet the family, see photos, and get updates, but all contact goes through the adoption agency.
In an open adoption, both sides share identifying information. This means you may know each other’s names, addresses, and phone numbers, and you can choose to stay in direct contact.
Put simply, the main difference is this:
- Open adoption: You know who the family is and how to contact them.
- Closed adoption: You do not share identifying information.
It’s important to understand that “open” or “closed” does not decide how much contact you have. Even in a closed adoption, you might still meet the family and receive updates and pictures. And in an open adoption, you can choose how much or how little contact you want.
The real question is not just open or closed—it is what kind of relationship and contact feels right for you and your child.
Your choice may depend on what you want, what your state allows, and the adoption agency you work with. Some agencies set strict rules, but others, like Adoption Services, give you the freedom to choose what works best for you.
No matter what you decide, you can usually share as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with. The agency can help manage this. Adoption Services has many years of experience with both open and closed adoptions and will work with you to create a plan that fits your wishes.
There is no one “best” choice. Both open and closed adoptions can be healthy and positive when they are set up in a way that supports everyone involved—especially you and your child.
If you have questions or want help deciding, support is available. Adoption Services can guide you through your options and help you make the choice that feels right for you.
More About Closed Adoption and Open Adoption
Some of the pros and cons of open and closed adoption are listed in the Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG) fact-sheet entitled Openness in Adoption.
There are many resources available to help you determine what level of openness might be best for you and you can contact us and we will be glad to assist you. The following websites will help as resources:
Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project provides information on a longitudinal study of openness in child adoption since 1985.
Cooperative (Open) Adoption Laws provides laws for each State on open (sometimes called “cooperative”) child adoption.
Insight: Open Adoption Resources and Support offers resources for professionals and support for child adoptive and birth parents considering open adoption.
Closed and Open Adoption: Summary
There is no one “best” choice. Both open and closed adoptions can be healthy and positive when they are set up in a way that supports everyone involved—especially the child. Your adoption agency and adoption counselor should be able to help you structure the adoption is the way that is best for you and your child.
We Can Help a Birth Mother Living in Any State
If you have questions or want help deciding, support is available. Adoption Services can guide you through your options and help you make the choice that feels right for you. Feel free to contact us or call (toll-free 1(800)943-0400) if you have any questions or if you want our guidance or support. All calls are confidential and there is never any obligation or cost to you.