Open Adoption Vs Closed Adoption Essay

Even though adoption as a process has negative results for adopting children, some people still takes this act to be a good act where children who are deprived of parents still have a

Although memories don’t exist for me prior to my adoption as I was only nine months old –there are recordings of this consequential event. These videos were recorded by a family friend; however, at the time of the recordings my mother and grandmother had only just met our soon-to-be lifelong friends on the plane to China. In the video, the moment when my mother meets me for the first time is when I consider my life starting. My mother was calm through the chaotic event. The video shows my mom taking me from the caretaker’s arms and holding me. The one part of the video that surprises me is that I begin to cry the moment I’m in her arms; almost as if I were a newborn being held for the first time. Depending on the person, there are many different reactions to a baby crying – some panic, while others are composed and collected. My mother was able to soothe me to sleep despite the noisy disorder around us, almost as if we were the only two people in the room. I guess that’s the effect of a mother’s gentle touch. My

When a couple or individual decides to adopt a child, they know they are going to take on the responsibility of taking care of someone else’s child. Due to the biological parent(s) who can’t take care of that child anymore, because of either drug abuse, alcohol abuse, abuse to the child or if the parent(s) had died and there is no other care for the child. So that’s why this gives other couples who cannot have kids, the opportunity to promise themselves to be a great parent to a child in need. Though there are some bad things about adoption as well. Like adopting a child from another country of another race, because once that child is adopted into an American family, he or she will be cut off from their culture and never know about their

Closed adoptions allow birth parents privacy and to remain unidentified. Closed adoptions can also help birth parents with the grieving process because closed adoptions provide a sense of closure and the ability to move on with their lives. They get a new beginning (“Open”). In an open adoption, the birth parents are involved in the child’s life, which can act as a constant reminder that the child is no longer legally theirs, which can cause more grieving and sadness for the birth parents (Byrd).

Open Adoption or closed adoption; what would you choose for the child's benefit? Open Adoptions has many benefits; "95% of adoptions have been open adoptions in the United States" stated by Kinship Center (Open Adoption Study). When the birth parent decides to have an open adoption the child learns to deal with their emotions better, it's easier for the child to understand the situation rather than with a closed adoption. In an open adoption the birth parents can be involved in the child's life. This will help them maintain a good psychological health and the adoptive parent may know the child's health history.

One of the most important reasons why open adoption is a better choice than closed adoption is that the adoptive child will already know the truth. The child will know why he or she was put up for adoption. They will also know who their real parents are. Lastly the adoptive child wouldn’t really feel the need to wonder the truth. One of the reasons open adoption is about it’s openness and honesty.

Many factors are given weight in the decision to allow a child to be adopted such as socio-economic status, marital status, age, health and the ability for a child to integrate in to the perspective parent’s life (The Free Dictionary, n.d.). Within the adoption process there are two primary types: closed adoptions and open adoptions (Family Education, 2016). A closed adoption is where there is no contact between the adopters and the birth parents putting the child up for adoption. Also known as a confidential adoption it is performed through an intermediary who is responsible for all communication such as an attorney (Family Education, 2016). There is also no contact between the adopted child and his or her biological parents later in life without court intervention. The other avenue of adoption perused more commonly now is an open adoption where the adopters and birth parents are in full communication through out the process (Family Education, 2016). Adoption has gone through an evolution where previously closed adoptions were heavily favored; open adoptions are now becoming more common practice. In the United States on five states currently give adoptees uninhibited access to their adoption records (Fair, 2008:

‘People are realizing that closed adoptions do more harm than good, because adoptees tend to imagine one of two extremes about their birth parents — they’re either famous, exotic royalty or celebrities, or they’re villains with loose morals’.

Adoption in America been ruled by a stigma. For much too long, those who could not have children, unwed mothers, and the children born out of wedlock have been shamed and humiliated. I believe it is time for these supposedly disgraceful ideas to go by the wayside, and we begin hold onto the idea that all families are beautiful things, no matter how they are composed or how they came about. There is no shame in being an infertile couple, an unwed mother, or a child with unwed parents.

Children who are pulled out of their normal environment and inserted into different surroundings face an identity crisis due to the importance of identity in determining who one truly is. In a study, Trolly, Wallin, and Hansen discovered that fewer than fifty percent of the parents of foreign children felt that their children were only somewhat aware of their birth culture (Hollingsworth 48:209). These children lack a sense of who they really are and later in life will become confused on why they differ from their new families. Though it is often a painful topic that parents choose not to bring up, it is important that children understand their background because it results in a better quality of life. However, the prevalence of “cultural socializations” was low amongst Caucasian families who adopted Asian children (Deater-Deckard, Johnston, Petrill, Saltsman, and Swim 56:390). It is made clear that Westerners lack the cultural knowledge necessary to properly educate their internationally adopted children about the culture the children come from. This can result in a variety of psychological implications due to the significant effect of identity on the health of people of color (Deater-Deckard, Johnston, Petrill, Saltsman, and Swim 56:390). These implications tend to be internalized rather than externalized. In the same study, Chinese adoptees displayed the possibility of behavior such as hyperactivity, aggression,

Open adoption actively involves the three affected parties ¨C birthparents, child, and adoptive parents. The adoptive parents want a child of their own to care for and to love as their own but on the other hand the birthparents are feeling guilt and sadness at the loss of their child and might want to see their child on a regular basis. There are a lot of things to consider during the process of adoption.

When the average American citizen today thinks about the concept of adoption, what images are typically the first that come to mind? Although different people are sure to have equally as different experiences in this field, one picture continues to remain the most commonly-accepted. This image consists of a man and a woman who cannot have children of their own, a newborn baby, and a single mother who will certainly be unable to provide for the infant due to her young age, lack of financial support, or another variety of unfortunate circumstances. Making the decision to adopt a child is without a doubt one of the best options available for couples who are unable to conceive, but by thinking of adoption as nothing more than the fallback

There are common ordeals and situations that can trouble a family emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Adoption is one situation a family must encounter when a child is born without a proper system of support to sustain life after birth. The causes for a family to make a heartfelt decision to place a child for adoption can have dramatic effects on the birth parents, adoptive parents, and child (Adoptee), even if the decision is meant for the best.

     Adoption is metamorphosing into a radical new process that is both sweeping the nation and changing it. But this process is not an easy one, there are many steps to go through. Through research it is made a lot easier. Adoption is a also a highly visible example of a social institution that has benefits from and been reshaped by both the Internet and the exponential growth of alternative lifestyles, from single to transracial to gay. It is accelerating our transformation into a more multicultural society; even as it helps redefine out understanding of “family.” The process includes three main steps including a type of adoption, the techniques for location a baby for adoption, arranging

Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead.