What is open adoption in Michigan?

The open adoption definition describes an adoptive relationship in which a baby’s birth parents and adoptive parents exchange identifying information and develop a relationship. It’s hard to explain what open adoption is, though, without explaining the benefits. It’s the most recommended type of adoption at American Adoptions, and we hope this article explains why.

Open Adoption Benefits

• You get to know your child’s adoptive parents. Choosing a Michigan open adoption for your child means you’ll be able to trade contact information with his or her adoptive parents. This includes last names, email addresses, and, in many cases, phone numbers. If you’re comfortable with it, you can even meet in person to get to know each other. This allows you to develop a relationship with the people you are choosing to raise your baby. You’ll get to know them and confirm that you’ve made the right choice in placing your baby with them.

• You get to watch your child grow up. Adoptions aren’t the secretive affairs they once were. In an open adoption in Michigan, you’ll never have to wonder how your child is doing or hope that everything in their life is going the way you wanted it to. You’ll get to see them and — if you choose — know them. You’ll get to witness firsthand that they are happy, healthy and at peace with their adoption story.

• You’ll be able to explain to your child, in whichever way you choose, why you placed them for adoption. Some women worry that their children won’t understand why they chose adoption and that they’ll grow up not understanding the love and the pain that went into that decision. With an open adoption, you’ll get to stay involved in the child’s life, and you can tell them in your own words why you put their interests above your own and placed them with their adoptive family.

• Your child will get to know you. This might seem more like a benefit for you than for your child, but that’s not at all the case. Your child will always wonder about you and have questions. In an open adoption, they’ll get to communicate with you and ask those questions. They’ll never have to feel like you simply “gave them up” or wonder why you chose adoption or how you’re doing. They’ll get to know what traits they got from you, and they’ll get to develop a loving relationship with someone who has played a vital role in their lives. This will be especially beneficial as they grow older and begin to form their self-identities. An open adoption in Michigan allows your child to fully understand their story and to be proud of it.

• Open adoption in Michigan allows adoptive parents to have access to their child’s birth parents. This might not seem like an obvious benefit to open adoptions, but this can actually be extremely important. The adoptive parents get to develop a close relationship with you, and some even end up considering their child’s birth parents extended family members. It also gives them access to you and your medical history should any health issues arise with the child. In the event of any illness or condition, it can be extremely beneficial to know about the child’s biological family’s medical histories.

What is a closed adoption in Michigan?

If an open adoption means the chance to develop a relationship with your child and his or her birth parents, a closed adoption is the exact opposite. In a Michigan closed adoption, no identifying information is exchanged, and you’ll part ways with your baby and the adoptive family after placement. For some women who are struggling to find a sense of closure after placement, a closed adoption could be preferable, although it is not generally recommended.

If you aren’t sure that a completely open adoption is the right choice for you but you don’t want a closed adoption either, it’s important to know that adoptions lie on a scale of openness. It’s up to each pregnant woman to decide what type of adoption relationship she wants. In fact, most adoptions lie somewhere between open and closed in a semi-open adoption.

For more information about open adoption in Michigan and what that could look like for your family, contact American Adoptions at 1-800-ADOPTION. 

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