Semi-Open Adoption : Advantages
A semi-open adoption occurs when the potential birthmother or birth
families experience non-identifying interaction with the adoptive
families. In most cases, the interaction is facilitated by a third
party, usually the adoption agency or adoption attorney. Through
this type of adoption, the identity of all parties is usually kept
from one another. In most cases, the interaction includes letters
or cards; however, in some cases, there may be non-identifying e-mails
or visits hosted by the adoption professional. There are several potential
advantages to a semi-open adoption for the birth parents, the adoptive
parents, and the adopted child.
Semi-Open Adoption: Advantages for Birth Parents
The semi-open adoption experience is different for each person; however here is a list of potential advantages that you might encounter with a semi-open adoption:
- Sense of control - Having the ability to review, interview and select the parents you place your baby with usually provides birthmothers with a sense of empowerment and control.
- Privacy - Interaction between you and the adoptive family that is facilitated through the adoption professional provides a sense of privacy.
- Reduced uncertainties - Most birthmothers experience a sense of comfort knowing the child’s well-being through the interactions and updates provided through the adoption agency or adoption attorney.
- Improved mourning - Receiving updates on the child’s well-being, and letters from the adoptive family often provide an increased ability to deal with the grief and loss.
- Reduced fear - When the adoption professional facilitates on-going communication between the adoptive and birth families before the birth and following the adoption, it usually helps reduce the fears you might have about what is going to happen to the child.
- Reduced guilt - Through the updates and letters from the adoptive family provided through the adoption agency, you may experience less guilt about making a decision about placing for adoption.
Semi-Open Adoption: Advantages for Adoptive Family
The semi-open adoption experience is different for every family, however these are potential advantages that you might encounter with a semi-open adoption:
- Reduced fear - When the adoption professional facilitates on-going communication between you and the birthmother or birth families before the birth and following the adoption, it usually helps you reduce the fears you might have about the birthmother’s intentions.
- Medically informed - A medical history is provided prior to the adoption; however, with a semi-open adoption there is the potential to go through the adoption agency or attorney to seek additional medical information as things may change as the child develops.
- Affirmation - As an adoptive family, you may experience a sense of empowerment or encouragement knowing that you were ‘chosen’ as the adoptive family.
- Roles clearly defined - With a semi-open adoption it is easier to manage the roles of each party involved than it would be with an open adoption.
- Understanding and confidence - Even though there is less access to birthparents than in open adoption, adoptive parents may address questions about the child's history through the adoption professional.
Semi-Open Adoption: Advantages for the Adopted Child
The open adoption experience is different for every child; however here is a list of potential advantages that an adopted child might encounter with an open adoption:
- Identity and self-confidence - Semi-open adoption provides adopted children access to birth families through the adoption professional, enabling them to acquire information about family history and family trees. This often makes it easier to answer the questions: “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?”
- Protection against a sense of abandonment - Having the opportunity to receive communication from the birth families and receive the reasons behind the adoption can help prevent the child from experience a sense of abandonment.
- Absence for need to search - The potential need to search to find the birth families is removed and is not necessary.
- Medically informed - A medical history is provided prior to the adoption; however with an open adoption there is an ability to seek additional medical information that may become necessary with the onset of medical symptoms in adulthood or questions about genetics with future family planning.
The semi-open adoption experience is a different experience for each adoption. The most important thing for all parties involved in the adoption process is communication. The more communication about wishes, desires, expectations, etc., the more comfortable each party will be in the adoption process.
Advantage lists adapted from the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
