If you’re considering adoption, you might be worried about saying goodbye forever. But with an open adoption, you can play an active role in your child’s life.
Open adoption lets you establish a relationship with your child and their adoptive family. Before placing your child for adoption, you get to decide how much contact you’d like and how involved you want to be.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about open adoption — what it means, how it works and what benefits it has. If you have questions about open adoption, feel free to contact us online or call or text 608-821-8221.
What Is Open Adoption?
Open adoption allows you to stay connected with your child and their adoptive family. In an open adoption, both you and the adoptive parents agree to share personal information and keep a certain level of contact. This gives you a chance to be part of your child’s life while maintaining a positive relationship with their adoptive parents.
Unlike closed adoptions, where you don’t share any information with the adoptive parents, open adoption is built around ongoing communication. This type of arrangement gives you the option to stay involved in a way that suits everyone’s comfort levels and needs. It allows both families to play important roles in the child’s life.
What Does Open Adoption Mean?
In an open adoption, you get to decide how much contact you share and what methods you use to communicate. For instance, you could keep in touch through:
Social media updates
Letters
Text messages
Phone calls
Video calls
In-person visits
And more
It’s important to note that there are varying levels of openness. In a fully open adoption, you’ll have direct contact with the adoptive family. However, in a semi-open adoption, an adoption agency or another third party helps facilitate communication.
If you prefer a semi-open adoption, your social worker at Adoptions of Wisconsin Inc. can mediate conversations or pass along letters and photos.
How Does Open Adoption Work?
Here’s how to move forward with an open adoption in Wisconsin:
Step 1: Determine Your Preferred Level of Communication
To start, decide what level of contact you feel comfortable with. For instance, do you prefer regular updates? Would you like to visit for milestone events like birthdays? If you’re not sure, our social workers can provide guidance and support.
Step 2: Choose an Adoptive Family That Shares Your Preferences
If you know what type of family you’re looking for, you can browse adoptive families online. Your social worker can also share additional profiles of adoptive parents who have similar communication preferences.
Step 3: Get to Know the Adoptive Family
Once you’ve chosen a family, you can build a relationship with them before placement. This connection can help both sides feel more comfortable and confident.
Step 4: Maintain Contact After Placement
After placement, you can continue your relationship with your child and their adoptive family according to the agreed-upon contact level.
What Are the Benefits of Open Adoption?
For many years, closed adoptions were common due to societal stigma. However, research from the 1980s and on began to highlight the unique benefits open adoption provides birth parents and adopted children.
Benefits for the Birth Parents
Sense of control: You get to choose your child’s adoptive family, allowing you to have a positive impact on their future.
Peace of mind: Open adoption allows you to stay updated on your child’s life, giving you comfort and assurance.
Closure: Maintaining a connection can help you process the adoption experience and find healing.
Ongoing connection: You can build a relationship with the adoptive parents and your child once they’re old enough to communicate on their own.
Benefits for the Adopted Child
Strong identity: Your child can understand their family background and heritage firsthand.
Sense of belonging: Open adoption helps alleviate feelings of abandonment by allowing birth parents to answer questions about the adoption.
Medical history access: Your child can access up-to-date health information, which can be essential as they grow.
Expanded family: Your child can receive love and support from both their adoptive family and birth parents.
Are Open Adoptions Legally Enforceable in Wisconsin?
As of 2024, Wisconsin does not legally enforce open adoptions. The state considers communication agreements between birth and adoptive parents to be private arrangements. As a result, open adoptions are often based on trust and mutual respect.
Adoptive families view their child as a precious gift and understand how beneficial it can be for their child to keep in touch with you as their birth parent. We’ll help you find a family that values ongoing contact, allowing for a smooth, positive post-placement relationship.
How Do You Move Forward With Open Adoption?
Open adoption allows you to choose a brighter future for your child while staying involved in their life. If you’re ready to explore this path, don’t hesitate to reach out. Fill out our online contact form or call or text 608-821-8221 to start building the future you envision for you and your child.
