What is Semi-Open Adoption in Colorado?
By David Seamonson
Adoption is a difficult choice to make as is, but when you have never heard the language experts use or any of the weird jargon that comes with it, it becomes difficult to wrap your head around. The goal of adoption agencies is to make the adoption process easy for you, which may mean helping you understand what types of adoption are available. When considering adoption, you are taking a big step in the life of another person and your own. Therefore, it is best to know what impact this will have on their future and your own. Step in the adoption plan can increase a connection with your child or decrease interaction with your birth child. There are three main choices in determining the contact you would have with a child in the future in a private adoption in Colorado: open, semi-open, and closed adoption.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Semi-Open Adoption
Semi-open adoptions are a combination of the open adoption and the closed adoption styles. What this means is that you can have contact with your child through an independent source through an adoption agency. If you choose this option, you are limiting the amount of future contact you will have with your child. You will not be able to see them face to face, but you can still see them grow up. An adoption agency will give you a secure link to a file so that you can see pictures of your child with their new family. This choice helps many birth mothers because you are giving up a large portion of yourself, so it offers a gateway to see the child you created and what kind of life they are living.
Open Adoption
Of the options, open adoptions allow for a lot of input into how you can interact with your birth child as they grow up. This can allow a relationship to form and leave less up to fate. This is an interactive form of adoption where you directly meet the parents adopting the child and contact them on how to proceed in the future. Open adoption allows you to still be a part of your child’s life as they grow up, and they can still have some contact with you as long as that was agreed upon with the adopting parents.
Closed Adoption
On the other hand, closed adoptions are a bit different because they eliminate all of the interaction between you and an adopting family. An adopting family will be selected for you, and you will not have to do anything more for the family or your child. Instead, the adoption agency will select a home for your child, organize the adoption transfers, and work further with you to make sure that you can return to your normal life after the adoption is completed.
Of these three options, open adoption allows for the most flexibility to have contact in the future. Since you have contact with the adopting family, you can have the possibility to change your contract and future contact with them if you wish. This is why incorporating some of these features into semi-adoption helps mothers when placing your baby for adoption since you might not wish to have full contact with your child, but you want the assurance that they are in a great place.
The Benefits of Choosing a Semi-Open Adoption with Adoption Choices of Colorado
Semi-open adoption benefits you because you do not have to worry about the adopting family. You are slightly involved in the selection process where you can select from a pool of adopting families to adopt your child if you wish to do so. You are not required to see your child over the channel provided to you by the adoption agency, but it is always there if you want to check-in. It allows for flexibility and assurance that you made the right choice for you and your child.
Many mothers face this dilemma, and semi-open adoption might be the right choice for you as the birth mother. Of the three options, it offers comfort in your decision and no further obligations for you. Hopefully, if an adoption agency asks you about these choices, you will know what they mean and will help you move through the adoption process.
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.
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!