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.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!