What are Your Adoption Options

What are the different types of adoption?

Open Arms Adoption = Child-Centered Adoption
A child-centered adoption plan is built on what the birth parents (a teen or woman who "gives baby up for adoption")  think is best for their baby. This includes, the type of relationship they would like to maintain with the adoptive parents and their child over the years. There are three basic types of relationships to explore:

-  Open Adoption
-  Semi-Open Adoption
-  Confidential Adoption

Child-centered Open Adoption is when birth parents and adoptive parents spend time together and work out a method of on-going contact that is in the best interest of the child. It can be the joining of two families based on love and trust for the benefit of a child. Developing an open adoption takes time, thought and effort and is a unique process for each birth and adoptive parent match; no two open adoptions look the same. The adopted child and his/her family have the opportunity to develop a relationship with his or her birth family. It is not about the adoptive parents merely offering birth parents the "privilege" of contact, nor is it about birth parents merely being "available" to provide medical information over the years. A goal of child-centered open adoption is to help the child to sustain a positive, whole self-identity by receiving love and validation from both the birth family, who gave him/her life and from the adoptive family who are the sole parents raising the child.  Open Adoption is a  healthy approach to adoption, as it refocuses the process and relationships around what is best for the child's development over the years.

Open Adoption Is NOT:

• Co-parenting
• Temporary
• Confusing for the child

The Benefits of Maintaining a Connection

For the child:

• A more complete sense of identity
• A complete history to help him/her understand and know their adoption story
• Knowledge that they are loved by birth family
• Medical and social information
• Honesty, truth, compassion

For the birth parents:

• Empowered to make decisions you will feel good about
• Ability to grieve in a productive, healthy way
• The chance to form a connection (via letters, phone calls, and/or visits) with the child reaffirms love of the child, reducing feelings of anxiety

For the adoptive parents:

• Ability to answer the child's questions
• Share love of the child with his/her birth parents who gave them life and chose you to be the parents

Semi-Open Adoption
Semi-Open Adoption, like Open Adoption, provides the opportunity for the birth and adoptive families to stay connected after the baby is adopted.  In semi-open adoption, contact is mediated by Open Arms and does not include the exchange of identifying information between the birth family and adoptive family.

Confidential Adoption
Open Arms acknowledges that many birth parents may not want to "stay in touch". This is a decision that will be respected and honored by Open Arms. However, the opportunity to reconnect with the adoptive family over the years is available to you. Open Arms will mediate this process for you so that you feel supported.

We look forward to helping you consider child-centered adoption. To arrange a meeting to learn more about our program please call us at 1.888.OPENARMS (1.888.673.6276) or contact us.