Open Adoption

Open adoption is a term that newer to the general public, but is encouraged and celebrated at Hopeful Beginnings. In an open adoption, a birth family and adoptive family have communication and a relationship continuing after the baby is placed with the adoptive family. This can cover a range of frequency and communication and is based on the desires of the birth and adoptive families. Some birth and adoptive families may communicate through email or photo-sharing apps as a way to stay connected and share sweet photos of the little one growing. Others may enjoy meeting up at times throughout the year for visits to share these moments in person. Some birth mothers are uncertain about what they are looking for in terms of open adoption and that is perfectly normal! As a part of options counseling, your maternity counselor would help you reflect on the different ways an adoption can be open and how it may look in your life moving forward. Your maternity counselor will be a source of supportive guidance to ensure you have the information you need when selecting a family and exploring what level of openness you are looking for!

Open adoption is not limited to birth parents and the adoptive family either. Hopeful Beginnings have facilitated many open adoptions where a birth grandparent is involved as well. We understand there may be other birth relatives that the birth mother would like to involve and view any additional positive relationships with birth relatives as a blessing.

Why open adoption? Throughout the years, research has shown that open adoption can be very beneficial for the birth family, adoptive family, but most importantly, the adoptee. Communication and a relationship between the birth and adoptive families can provide an adoptee with a solid understanding of their story and the love that started from the very beginning. Hopeful Beginnings believes in providing this for our adoptees as much as possible while respecting the wishes of our birth mothers. We understand that each birth mother’s story is different, and we do have birth mothers who choose a closed adoption as they feel that is best for them. We 100% respect our birth mothers for their decisions and will stand behind them.

Open adoption is based on the relationship grown between the birth and adoptive families and not a legal agreement. This means there is no “shared custody” of the child and that visitation is not court-ordered. The relationship and communication between the birth and adoptive families is motivated by the benefit for the child and the beauty of the deep shared connection over the love for the child. Many families have shared how special it is to have others in their lives that truly marvel over how amazing and special their little one is!

If you are a  birth mother considering open adoption and would like for your family members to learn more about it, your maternity counselor is available to meet together with you and your family to facilitate a conversation around it. There are many misconceptions about open adoption so it may be helpful to learn more about it together.

Hopeful Beginnings remain as a resource for birth and adoptive families to assist in whatever way is needed to support their relationship for the benefit of the child. This extends past the few months after the placement of the child with the adoptive family. Hopeful Beginnings provides supportive post-adoption services for the birth mother for her lifetime which includes assistance with the development of the relationship between the birth mother and the adoptive family as needed.

We would love to talk to you more about open adoption and what it could look like for you! Please give us a call at 847-870-8181 to speak directly with our maternity counselors,