For many couples in North Dakota, nothing is quite as exciting as anticipating the adoption of a child. If you’re in the midst of this process, you may have heard about open adoptions. Every adoption is unique, but the goal of any good parent is to protect his or her new child’s best interests. Although openness in adoption isn’t right for every person, the following are a few benefits of open adoptions to consider.
What is open adoption?
In this type of adoption, the birth parents and adoptive families agree to share important information about the child or have contact with each other either before, after or throughout the adoption process. Parties involved may agree to share identifying information such as:
- First and last names
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
No two adoptions look the same, and the level of interaction the birth and adoptive parents choose to share will differ from family to family.
What are the benefits of open adoptions?
In an open adoption, a birth mother or father may be able to maintain some contact with his or her child. There may be several advantages to open adoption, such as:
- Less confusion for the child later on about the identity of his or her birth parent
- The ability for the child to ask about why his or her birth mother gave him or her up for adoption
- The ability of the birth parents to know how their child is doing with his or her adoptive family
Open adoption may be beneficial for everyone from the child who’s being adopted to both the adoptive parents and the birth parents.
If you’re thinking about adoption, consider speaking to an experienced family law attorney. A lawyer may be able to guide you through your options as you lay the groundwork for welcoming a new addition to your family.