Open Adoptions
An open adoption refers to the predetermined amount of contact which birth mothers and adoptive parents have before and after the adoption. The agreement is based on whatever the birth mothers and adoptive parents are most comfortable with. In most cases, an open adoption involves regular correspondence with the birth mom, including visits, pictures, phone calls, etc.
At our law firm, we do semi-open adoptions in the majority of cases – which means that letters and pictures are regularly exchanged between you and the birth parents. You need to be open to the prospect of having continual, limited contact with the birth family.
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in the field, attorney Raymond W. Godwin is adept at working with adoptive parents and birth mothers to facilitate mutually beneficial adoption arrangements. Based in Greenville, Ray serves clients throughout South Carolina.
The Advantages Of Open And Semi-Open Adoption
We encourage openness throughout the adoption process for several reasons. First, open adoption allows communication between the adoptive parents and your child’s birth family. Following the child’s birth, a birth mother may want to periodically see tangible proof of how the child is faring. We have found that many adoptive parents among our clients are very glad to meet the biological mother and are willing to directly exchange letters and pictures even after their adoption has been finalized in court. This kind of arrangement often serves to ease the fears or insecurities adoptive parents might have about the birth mother.
Second, open adoption allows a birth mother to have a sense of peace that she made the right decision while allowing her to know the status of the baby’s health.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, open adoption allows the adopted child to eventually realize the importance of biological roots and that his or her life isn’t a “secret” to be kept. He or she will hopefully grow to appreciate a realistic picture of the birth parents and will benefit from having knowledge of their medical history.
Various levels of openness can exist in any adoption plan, from regular phone conversations to letter exchanges once a year. Most of our adoptions are what is called a semi-open adoption plan, meaning that the adoptive couple and birth parent have contact before the baby is born and placed. After placement, contact is usually by way of letters and pictures sent by the adoptive couple to the birth parent. When either party prefers not to exchange contact information, our office often serves as an intermediary by forwarding letters from birth mothers to adoptive couples and vice versa.
Building Families Through Open Adoption
Our office is genuinely concerned with the interests of all parties and works hard to form independent adoption arrangements suited to each family’s specific needs. If you’re considering an open adoption, come to the law office that shares your goals and dreams. You can call our firm at 864-241-2883 or make arrangements online to speak with us.