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Open Versus Closed Adoptions

There are many unknowns surrounding adoptions that both birth parents and adoptive parents face. One of the common fears that both biological and adoptive parents face is the relationship that will form between the child and the biological parents. This forms the essence of open versus closed adoptions.

AIM Adoptions is a caring, compassionate adoption agency in Houston, Texas. Christian-based, we believe in helping all women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy make the right decision for them and their baby when they choose life and adoption. For over 30 years, we’ve placed hundreds of babies with caring families and helped facilitate the entire process from start to finish. Our mission is to ensure the best life possible for the baby, while taking care of the birth mother as well. Below, we’ll explain open versus closed adoptions. Contact us today if you have questions on how to adopt a child!

OPEN VERSUS CLOSED ADOPTIONS

What is Open Adoption?

Open adoption is where the birth parents and the adoptive parents agree to share personal information with each other and where the birth parents have the option of seeing their child. This is a very general definition as each and every open adoption is different. Some open adoptions are more open than others, with the birth parents frequently seeing the child. However, other open adoptions can be just the exchange of letters, or even giving the child the ability to contact the birth parents when they are older.

What is Closed Adoption?

Up until the 1980s, most adoptions were closed. A closed adoption is where there is very little contact between the birth parents, their biological child, and the adoptive parents. This was mainly due to the stigma at the time of unwanted pregnancies. Frequently, a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy would have her baby with no fanfare. The adoptive agency would then take over placing the child. The result was children who would grow up with many questions about their biological parents, but with very little answers.

Which is Best?

Thankfully, in recent years, the adoption process has evolved to the point that now most adoptions are open, which studies have shown is best for the child as they age. In fact, the birth mother now makes most of the decisions regarding contact with her baby, and then it’s up to the adoption agency to find a family willing to accommodate the birth mother’s requests.

That being said, every adoption situation is different, and what works in one case may not work in another. There are pros and cons to every decision. Truthfully, it’s hard to predict what will work for all the parties involved until the time arrives. Thus, open adoption can be an ever-evolving process as both the biological parents and the adoptive parents navigate these unchartered waters.

Another option is semi-open adoption, which is a hybrid between open adoption and closed adoption. Semi-open adoption is where more privacy is maintained for the biological parents and the adoption agency mediates contact between the two. Again, what may start out as one type of adoption can change over time as people change over time. Thus, it’s important for the adoptive parents to maintain flexibility when it comes to the wishes of the biological parents.

For foster parents, open adoption may not be a good idea, depending on what home the child came from. If there was abuse or neglect involved, it’s probably not a good idea to have an open adoption while the child is still young and trying to heal.

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CHOOSE AIM ADOPTIONS AS YOUR ADOPTION AGENCY OF CHOICE

For over 30 years, AIM Adoptions has been successfully placing unplanned babies given up for adoption with new homes. Our compassionate team comes alongside the birth mother throughout the entire process, supporting her in every way we can, from help with medical care and finances to housing help and transportation. We carefully screen all of our families hoping to adopt by having a fairly rigorous qualification process. Since we are a non-profit, Christian adoption agency in the Houston area, we require a stable home with a married couple of a man and a wife. Once approved, you will move to our waiting families list. While we can’t say exactly how long the wait for your new baby will be, we can tell you that you are one step closer.

AIM Adoptions believes every baby deserves a loving home, and we do our best to provide that. We answer our phones 24 hours a day, knowing that if it’s important to you, it’s important to us. We understand that the adoption process can be complicated and at times overwhelming. We invite you to check out our adoption page for more details and to reach out to our staff for any questions you may have. If you are in Texas and ready to take the next step towards parenthood and adopting a newborn baby, contact us today to learn more!