Benefits of Putting a Child Up for an Open Adoption in CO
You may be at the start of putting together your adoption plan and starting to see your adoption options and figuring out the best type of adoption for you, and your child. There are many benefits of all three types of adoption, but you may be leaning toward one over the others. There are many benefits of open adoption that the other types of adoption don’t have.
Open adoption is just like the name states— it’s the most open adoption available. It allows lots of ongoing contact between you, the adoptive parents, and your child. Identifying information is also allowed to be exchanged, meaning that your relationship with the adoptive parents could become very strong. With how open an open adoption is, contact may mean the occasional visit, or it could just be simple phone calls, written letters, and pictures.
Here at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we want to help you figure out the best type of adoption for you and your child, whether that be one with lots of communication like an open adoption or another.
Keep in Contact
Open adoption allows you to stay in your child’s life without having to be the parent. You may not be able to be a parent right now, and that’s okay. Open adoption will still allow you to be in your child’s life without the responsibility of raising them. You will be able to bond with your child even though you aren’t parenting them and know so much about them. This is a great benefit of open adoption if you are looking to stay in your child’s life.
Communication is a huge benefit of open adoption because there are so many different ways you can keep in contact with your child and his or her adoptive family. Communication between you, the adoptive family, and your child can be through pictures, videos, phone calls, or letters. Handwritten letters or emails may be the main way of communicating between you and your child when they learns how to read and write. This communication is supervised by and through the adoption agency.
Less Worry and Regret
When you’re unexpectedly pregnant and place your baby up for adoption, you often have many worrying questions starting with “what if”. What if I kept my baby and raised them myself? What if my baby’s not happy with the adoptive family? What if I made the wrong decision?
There are so many what if’s that you may be feeling, but open adoption allows you to have less of these. Less worry and regret are benefits of open adoption because you will be right there in your child’s life from a distance. You will get to see your child grow up from afar and see them in a happy and healthy environment. You don’t have to worry about how your child is doing or what’s happening in heir lives. You may even be able to have occasional visits with the adoptive parents and your child and see with your own eyes, face-to-face.
You may feel regret, and it is okay to have this feeling. It’s natural. You are the only one who knows what’s best for you and your child. Every decision is up to you, but it’s okay if you worry afterward. Placing your baby up for adoption is a huge decision and may lead to regret, but remember that it was the best decision you made for yourself and your child.
Sense of control
Since open adoption allows identifying information to be shared, you can see who the adoptive family is before your child finds a home with them. You can review the select adoptive families with your adoption caseworker and even select the parents for your child. This is a big benefit of open adoption because it allows you to know exactly who you are giving your child to. This may even help you have less worry and even feel a sense of control.
You will have a sense of security when you have the power to choose who will raise your child. You will feel a sense of control, and you won’t feel like you aren’t doing enough for your child. You want what is best for your child, and even though you can’t raise him or her, you will be able to choose who does. You will be able to pick everything you want for them, choosing as specific as the adoptive parents’ personalities.
You also won’t have any unwanted communication with the adoptive parents and your child through open adoption. This way, you can feel even more like you are in control. Everything will be negotiated between you and the adoptive parents while being facilitated through the adoption agency.
Do the Benefits of Open Adoption Interest You?
Not every birth mother has the same desires of what they want in their adoption. You may be looking for these benefits for yourself and your child, and you may not be. Your decision is completely valid no matter what type of adoption you choose for whatever reason.
Open adoption gives you so many communication options, having less worry and regret, and feeling a sense of control. There are so many benefits of open adoption that could be something you are interested in. There is no rush to making your decision, and you have so much support here at Adoption Choices of Colorado. You are not alone. Whenever you are ready to start your adoption process, connect with one of our adoption caseworkers, and they will help you through everything.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Molly Allington is an aspiring author born and raised in Syracuse, New York. When she’s not watching her latest Netflix obsession, you can find her nose deep in a book or in her writing. She has been writing books since she was twelve and is in the process of trying to get her finished books published. Molly has a BA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. With her writing, she is hoping to share supportive information and help as many people as possible. Once she starts her own family, she is wanting to adopt.