f openadopt
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
A FActSheet For FAmilieS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau
Child Welfare Information GatewayChildren’s Bureau/ACYF1250 Maryland Avenue, SWEighth FloorWashington, DC 20024703.385.7565 or 800.394.3366Email: [email protected]
February 2003
What is open Adoption?
Open, or fully disclosed, adoptions allow adoptive parents, and often the adopted child, to interact directly with birth parents. Family members inter-act in ways that feel most comfortable to them. Communication may include letters, emails, tele-phone calls, or visits. The frequency of contact is
Openness in Adoption
What’s inside:
Is open adoption right for our family?
What questions should our family consider in open adoption?
Pros and cons of each type of adoption for the involved parties
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Openness in Adoption www.childwelfare.gov
�This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm.
negotiated and can range from every few years to several times a month or more. Contact often changes as a child grows and has more questions about his or her adoption or as families’ needs change. It is important to note that even in an open adoption, the legal relationship between a birth parent and child is severed. The adoptive parents are the legal parents of an adopted child.
The goals of open adoption are:
To minimize the child’s loss of relationships.
To maintain and celebrate the adopted child’s connections with all the impor-tant people in his or her life.
To allow the child to resolve losses with truth, rather than the fantasy adopted chil-dren often create when no information or contact with their birth family is available.
is open Adoption right for our Family?
Open adoption is just one of several open-ness options available to families, ranging from confidential, to semi-open (or medi-ated), to fully open adoption. In semi-open or mediated adoptions, contact between birth and adoptive families is made through a mediator (e.g., an agency caseworker or attorney) rather than directly. In confiden-tial adoptions no contact takes place and no identifying information is exchanged.
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Making an open adoption work requires flexibility and a commitment to ongoing relationships, despite their ups and downs. While this type of adoption is not right for every family, open adoption can work well if everyone wants it and if there is good com-munication, flexibility, commitment to the process, respect for all parties involved, and commitment to the child’s needs above all.
There are many resources available to help you determine what level of openness might be best for your family. The chart included with this factsheet may help you consider some pros and cons of open adoptions. You can also:
explore the internetSeveral websites provide research and issues to consider in open adoption:
American Association of Open Adoption Agencies (www.openadoption.org) helps families find agencies practicing open adoption. Adoptees on their mailing list respond to the question, “What do you wish your adoptive parents had known?”
Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project (http://fsos.che.umn.edu/mtarp/ default.html) provides information on a longitudinal study of openness in adop-tion since 1985. The most recent wave included a total of 7�0 individuals: both parents in 190 adoptive families, at least one adopted child in 171 of the families, and 169 birth mothers. This study was
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confidential Adoption
Semi-open/ mediated Adoption
Fully Disclosed/ open Adoption
Openness in Adoption
�This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm.
www.childwelfare.gov
the source of much of the research for this factsheet and the related bulletin for professionals.
Child Welfare Information Gateway—Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families1 (www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/cooperative.cfm) provides laws for each State on open adoption.
Insight: Open Adoption Resources and Support (www.openadoptioninsight.org) offers open adoption resources for pro-fessionals and support for adoptive and birth parents considering open adoption.
readSeveral books about open adoption may be helpful:
Children of Open Adoption by Patricia Martinez Dorner and Kathleen Silber (1997, Independent Adoption Press). The topics in this book include the essential “ingredients” for successful open adoption and communication tips for talking about open adoption with children of all ages.
How to Open an Adoption by Patricia Martinez Dorner (1998, R-Squared Press). This book gives guidance to adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoption pro-fessionals in how to navigate more inclu-sive relationships.
Lifegivers: Framing the Birth Parent Experience in Open Adoption by James L. Gritter (�000, CWLA Press). This book
� “Cooperative adoption” or “adoption with contact” refer to arrangements that allow some kind of contact between adoptive families and members of the adopted child’s birth family after the adoption has been finalized.
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examines the ways birth parents are marginalized. The author makes the point that adopted children are best served when birth parents and adoptive parents work together to ensure that birth parents remain in children’s lives.
The Open Adoption Experience by Lois Ruskai Melina and Sharon Kaplan Roszia (199�, HarperPerennial). This complete guide for adoptive and birth parents touches on almost every aspect of open adoption.
The Spirit of Open Adoption by Jim Gritter (1997, CWLA Press). This book gives a realistic look at the joys and pains of open adoption for birth parents, adopt-ees, and adoptive parents.
What is Open Adoption? by Brenda Romanchik (1999, R-Squared Press). Written from the perspective of a birth mother in an open adoption, this pocket guide provides concise information and resources.
Abstracts of these books are available from the Child Welfare Information Gateway database: http://basis.caliber.com/cwig/ws/chdocs/docs/gateway/SearchForm
talk With a counselor or therapist With Knowledge and experience in open Adoption Child Welfare Information Gateway has a tip sheet on selecting an adoption therapist who is informed about issues of adoption (www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/r_tips.cfm).
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Openness in Adoption www.childwelfare.gov
�This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm.
This factsheet describes the types of mental health professionals available and provides guidelines for choosing the best resource for your family.
talk With other Parents The National Adoption Directory (www.childwelfare.gov/nad) has lists of foster and adoptive parent support groups in each State. Because each parent group will have its own focus, you might want to ask how many families attending the group are in open adoptions.
What Questions Should our Family consider in open Adoption?
In open adoptions, families need to consider when and how much to tell a child about his or her birth family, and then if and how to involve him or her in that relationship. An adoption professional can help you address some of these issues. Some of the questions you may want to consider include:
At what age should a child be included in contact with his or her birth family?
What happens if one party decides to break off all contact?
What will the birth parents’ role be in the child’s life?
How will your child explain his or her relationship with birth relatives to his or her peers?
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How will you handle other adopted sib-lings who have different levels of open-ness in their adoptions?
Summary
No one level of openness in adoption is best for everyone, and each adoption changes over time. Adoptees from all kinds of adop-tions, from confidential to fully open, can be emotionally healthy. Using the resources listed on this factsheet, as well as the attached table, you can decide what level of openness is best for your family.
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Openness in Adoption
5This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm.
www.childwelfare.gov
Pr
oS
of
eac
h ty
pe
of
Ad
op
tio
n fo
r th
e in
volv
ed P
arti
es
CO
NFI
DE
NTI
AL
AD
OP
TIO
NS
ME
DIA
TED
(SE
MI-O
PE
N)
OP
EN
AD
OP
TIO
NS
No
con
tact
bet
wee
n b
irth
an
d a
dop
tive
fam
ilie
s.
No
iden
tify
ing
info
rmat
ion
is
pro
vid
ed.
On
ly n
onid
enti
fyin
g in
form
atio
n (
e.g.
, hei
ght,
hai
r co
lor,
med
ical
his
tory
, etc
.) i
s p
rovi
ded
th
rou
gh a
th
ird
par
ty (
e.g.
, age
ncy
or
atto
rney
).
Non
iden
tify
ing
con
tact
is
mad
e (v
ia
card
s, l
ette
rs, p
ictu
res)
th
rou
gh a
th
ird
p
arty
(e.
g., a
gen
cy o
r at
torn
ey).
Dir
ect
inte
ract
ion
bet
wee
n b
irth
an
d a
dop
tive
fam
ilie
s.
Iden
titi
es a
re k
now
n.
Bir
th
Par
ents
Prov
ides
rea
l ch
oice
for
bir
th p
aren
ts w
hen
com
-p
ared
to
open
ad
opti
on.
Priv
acy.
Som
e fe
el t
his
pro
vid
es a
sen
se o
f cl
osu
re a
nd
ab
ilit
y to
mov
e on
wit
h l
ife.
• • •
All
ows
for
som
e in
form
atio
n t
ran
sfer
be
twee
n b
irth
an
d a
dop
tive
par
ents
(a
nd
per
hap
s th
e ch
ild
).
Som
e p
riva
cy.
• •
Incr
ease
d a
bili
ty t
o d
eal
wit
h g
rief
an
d l
oss.
Com
fort
in
kn
owin
g ch
ild
’s w
ell-
bein
g.
Sen
se o
f co
ntr
ol o
ver
dec
isio
n-m
akin
g in
pla
cem
ent.
Pote
nti
al f
or m
ore
full
y d
efin
ed r
ole
in c
hil
d’s
lif
e.
Pote
nti
al t
o d
evel
op a
hea
lth
y re
lati
onsh
ip w
ith
th
e ch
ild
as
he
or s
he
grow
s.
Less
pai
n a
nd
gu
ilt
abou
t th
e d
ecis
ion
.
May
mak
e th
e d
ecis
ion
to
pla
ce f
or a
dop
tion
eas
ier
(com
-p
ared
to
a co
nte
sted
ter
min
atio
n o
f p
aren
tal
righ
ts t
rial
).
• • • • • • •
Ad
op
tive
P
aren
ts
No
nee
d t
o p
hys
ical
ly s
har
e th
e ch
ild
wit
h b
irth
p
aren
ts.
No
dan
ger
of b
irth
par
ent
inte
rfer
ence
or
co-p
aren
tin
g.
• •
Gre
ater
sen
se o
f co
ntr
ol o
ver
pro
cess
.
Rol
es m
ay b
e m
ore
clea
rly
defi
ned
th
an i
n e
ith
er c
onfi
den
tial
or
open
op
tion
s.
Incr
ease
d s
ense
of
enti
tlem
ent
com
par
ed t
o co
nfi
den
tial
ad
opti
ons.
Enh
ance
d a
bili
ty t
o an
swer
ch
ild
’s
qu
esti
ons
abou
t h
is o
r h
er h
isto
ry.
• • • •
Incr
ease
d s
ense
of
hav
ing
the
“rig
ht”
to
par
ent
and
in
crea
sed
abi
lity
for
con
fid
ent
par
enti
ng.
Pote
nti
al f
or a
uth
enti
c re
lati
onsh
ip w
ith
th
e bi
rth
fam
ily.
Mor
e u
nd
erst
and
ing
of c
hil
dre
n’s
his
tory
.
Incr
ease
d e
mp
ath
y fo
r bi
rth
par
ents
.
Less
fea
r of
bir
th p
aren
ts r
ecla
imin
g ch
ild
bec
ause
th
ey
know
th
e p
aren
t an
d t
hei
r w
ish
es.
Del
igh
t of
bei
ng
“ch
osen
” as
a p
aren
t.
• • • • • •
Ad
op
ted
P
erso
ns
Prot
ecti
on f
rom
un
stab
le o
r em
otio
nal
ly d
is-
turb
ed b
irth
par
ents
.•
Onl
y tr
ue w
hen
rela
tio
nshi
p is
“sh
ared
” w
ith
the
ado
pte
d c
hild
Gen
etic
an
d b
irth
his
tory
kn
own
.
Bir
thp
aren
ts a
re “
real
” n
ot “
fan
tasy
.”
Posi
tive
ad
just
men
t is
pro
mot
ed i
n
adop
tee.
• • •
Dir
ect
acce
ss t
o bi
rth
par
ents
an
d h
isto
ry.
Nee
d t
o se
arch
is
elim
inat
ed.
Iden
tity
qu
esti
ons
are
answ
ered
(W
ho
do
I lo
ok l
ike?
Wh
y w
as I
pla
ced
?).
Ease
s fe
elin
gs o
f ab
and
onm
ent.
Less
enin
g of
fan
tasi
es: b
irth
par
ents
are
“re
al.”
Incr
ease
d c
ircl
e of
su
pp
orti
ve a
du
lts.
Incr
ease
d a
ttac
hm
ent
to a
dop
tive
fam
ily
(esp
ecia
lly
if t
he
birt
h p
aren
ts s
up
por
t th
e p
lace
men
t).
Pres
erva
tion
of
con
nec
tion
s (e
.g.,
wit
h s
ibli
ngs
, rel
ativ
es).
Less
ens
loya
lty
con
flic
ts (
acco
rdin
g to
rec
ent
rese
arch
).
Exp
osu
re t
o ra
cial
an
d e
thn
ic h
erit
age.
Abi
lity
for
evo
lvin
g, d
ynam
ic, a
nd
dev
elop
men
tall
y ap
pro
-p
riat
e ac
cou
nt
of t
he
adop
tion
.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Openness in Adoption www.childwelfare.gov
6This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm.
co
NS
of
eac
h ty
pe
of
Ad
op
tio
n fo
r th
e in
volv
ed P
arti
es
CO
NFI
DE
NTI
AL
AD
OP
TIO
NS
ME
DIA
TED
(SE
MI-O
PE
N)
OP
EN
AD
OP
TIO
NS
No
con
tact
bet
wee
n b
irth
an
d a
dop
tive
fa
mil
ies.
No
iden
tify
ing
info
rmat
ion
is
pro
vid
ed.
On
ly n
onid
enti
fyin
g in
form
atio
n (
e.g.
, h
eigh
t, h
air
colo
r, m
edic
al h
isto
ry, e
tc.)
is
pro
vid
ed t
hro
ugh
a t
hir
d p
arty
(e.
g., a
gen
cy
or a
ttor
ney
).
Non
iden
tify
ing
con
tact
is
mad
e (v
ia
card
s, l
ette
rs, p
ictu
res)
th
rou
gh a
th
ird
par
ty (
e.g.
, age
ncy
or
atto
rney
).
Dir
ect
inte
ract
ion
bet
wee
n b
irth
an
d a
dop
tive
fam
ilie
s. I
den
titi
es
are
know
n.
Bir
th
Par
ents
Less
gri
ef r
esol
uti
on d
ue
to l
ack
of
info
rmat
ion
abo
ut
the
chil
d’s
wel
l-be
ing.
May
en
cou
rage
den
ial
of f
act
that
ch
ild
was
bo
rn a
nd
pla
ced
wit
h a
not
her
fam
ily.
• •
Loss
of
pot
enti
al f
or d
irec
t re
lati
onsh
ip w
ith
ad
opti
ve f
amil
y (a
nd
/or
chil
d).
Incr
ease
d g
rief
in
th
e in
itia
l ye
ars,
le
ss l
ater
.
Loss
of
con
tact
if
inte
rmed
iary
ch
ange
s or
lea
ves
(i.e
., st
aff
turn
over
, pol
icy
chan
ges,
or
agen
cy c
losi
ngs
).
Bir
th m
oth
er m
ay f
eel
obli
gate
d t
o p
lace
ch
ild
du
e to
th
e em
otio
nal
or
fin
anci
al s
up
por
t gi
ven
by
the
pro
spec
tive
ad
opti
ve p
aren
ts.
• • • •
Full
res
pon
sibi
lity
for
set
tin
g re
lati
onsh
ip l
imit
s an
d b
oun
dar
ies.
Pote
nti
al a
buse
of
tru
st (
few
er s
afeg
uar
ds)
.
Pote
nti
al d
isap
poi
ntm
ent
if a
dop
tive
fam
ily
can
not
mee
t al
l ex
pec
tati
ons
or n
eed
s.
Bir
th m
oth
er m
ay f
eel
obli
gate
d t
o p
lace
ch
ild
du
e to
th
e em
o-ti
onal
or
fin
anci
al s
up
por
t gi
ven
by
the
pro
spec
tive
ad
opti
ve
par
ents
.
• • • •
Ad
op
tive
P
aren
ts
All
ows
for
den
ial
of “
adop
ted
fam
ily”
or
fert
ilit
y st
atu
s.
Incr
ease
d f
ear,
les
s em
pat
hy
for
birt
h
par
ents
.
No
acce
ss t
o ad
dit
ion
al m
edic
al
info
rmat
ion
abo
ut
birt
h f
amil
y.
Less
con
trol
: age
ncy
con
trol
s in
form
atio
n.
• • • •
Loss
of
the
full
rel
atio
nsh
ip w
ith
th
e bi
rth
par
ents
.
Lack
of
abil
ity
to h
ave
qu
esti
ons
answ
ered
im
med
iate
ly.
Pote
nti
ally
tro
ubl
ing
card
s, l
ette
rs,
or p
ictu
res.
• • •
Full
res
pon
sibi
lity
for
set
tin
g re
lati
onsh
ip l
imit
s an
d b
oun
dar
ies.
Pote
nti
al p
ress
ure
: acc
ept
open
nes
s or
no
chil
d.
Pote
nti
al d
iffi
cult
y w
ith
em
otio
nal
ly d
istu
rbed
bir
th p
aren
ts.
Pote
nti
al f
or s
up
por
tin
g bo
th c
hil
d a
nd
bir
th p
aren
ts
(em
otio
nal
ly).
• • • •
Ad
op
ted
P
erso
ns
Poss
ible
ad
oles
cen
t id
enti
ty c
onfu
sion
(u
nab
le t
o co
mp
are
ph
ysic
al a
nd
em
otio
nal
tr
aits
to
thei
r bi
rth
fam
ilie
s).
Lim
ited
acc
ess
to i
nfo
rmat
ion
th
at o
ther
s ta
ke f
or g
ran
ted
.
Pote
nti
al p
reoc
cup
atio
n w
ith
ad
opti
on
issu
es.
• • •
Sim
ilar
to
con
fid
enti
al a
dop
tion
s,
if i
nfo
rmat
ion
not
sh
ared
wit
h t
he
adop
tee.
Pote
nti
al p
erce
pti
on t
hat
it
is
un
safe
to
inte
ract
wit
h b
irth
fam
ily
dir
ectl
y.
• •
No
clea
n b
reak
for
ass
imil
atio
n i
nto
fam
ily,
wh
ich
som
e fe
el i
s n
eces
sary
.
Pote
nti
al f
eeli
ngs
of
reje
ctio
n i
f co
nta
ct s
top
s.
Dif
ficu
lty
exp
lain
ing
the
rela
tion
ship
to
pee
rs.
Pote
nti
al f
or p
layi
ng
fam
ilie
s ag
ain
st e
ach
oth
er.
• • • •