Open Adoption
Open adoption is an on-going trusting relationship between all members of the adoption circle: adoptive parents, birth parents and the child.  The term can mean different things for different people.  At Nebraska Children’s Home Society, open adoption means disclosing identifying information and creating an ongoing relationship with members of the adoption circle.

At one time, adoption had been a very secretive process. Children were placed for adoption with no information about their birth parents, and birth parents never knew where their child was placed. This is seldom true today.  Most often times, birth parents choose to meet the adopting parents. In the majority of our current placements, adoptive families and birth families share visits, pictures and letters.

An important part of our educational efforts at Nebraska Children's Home Society includes educating all members of the adoption circle on openness. Most of our adoptive couples feel more comfortable as they learn more about openness.

In recent years, openness has allowed birth parents to come out of the shadows and be recognized for the courageous gift they've given to both the adoptive parents and the child.  Openness allows the child to have his or her questions answered and to let them know that they are loved by their birth parents.  Openness has also allowed birth parents to feel better about their decision because they get the chance to show the love they feel for that child in a physical and material way through visits, letters, photographs and gifts.

Is open adoption similar to co-parenting?
Open adoption is nothing like co-parenting.  A co-parenting situation means that all parent figures have equal authority, roles and access.  Once relinquishments are signed, birth parents have no authority over the adopted child.  All birth parent involvement with the child is based on cooperation and respect, not authority.  Healthy open adoption relationships have reasonable and mutually respected boundaries.

What are the benefits of open adoption?
Open adoption has been embraced by many adoptive families because of the benefits it offers. 

For the Child:  Studies show that children of open adoptions grow up with:

• A better sense of identity
• Access to their medical and biological history
• Understanding of why birth parents chose adoption

For Adoptive Parents:  Studies show that adoptive parents experience several benefits with open adoption:

• Access to the birth parents’ medical histories and personalities
• Eliminates the fear of the unknown birth parent “coming back”
• Knowledge of information, such as names and addresses

For Birth Parents:  The benefits of open adoption for birth parents include:

• Reassurance of knowing their birth child is safe and thriving.
• Allows them to answer their birth child’s questions about his or her adoption and origin

Another point of view
It is important for adoptive couples to look at open adoption from their child’s and birth parents’ point of view.  Imagine not knowing where you came from and why you were adopted.  The birth parents made a difficult and loving decision to make an adoption plan and are entrusting you to parent their child.  Please visit our Unplanned Pregnancy website to learn more about birth parents.

It is normal to have questions
Open adoption may be difficult to understand until it becomes a part of your life.  That is why Nebraska Children’s Home Society provides education, resources and real life testimonials for you to see and hear how other adoptive couples have made open adoption a part of their lives.  Please call us with your questions regarding open adoption.  We are here to help you make this the best situation for everyone involved.

A story on open adoption
Click here to read how all members of an adoption circle benefited from open adoption.  This story also reflects the difference of an open adoption compared to a closed adoption from over 33 years ago.