An open adoption in Oklahoma is an option for any woman considering adoption for her baby.

An open adoption is when the birth mother has a direct relationship with her child during his or her upbringing, after she has placed him or her for adoption. While adoption professionals highly recommend open adoption as the most beneficial post-placement relationship, a prospective birth mother may also choose to have a semi-open or closed adoption.

The type of post-placement relationship that a prospective birth mother chooses to have with her child will be determined prior to choosing the adoptive family — when she is still creating her adoption plan.  That way, an adoption professional will only match a prospective birth mother with waiting families that share her desires.

What is Open Adoption in Oklahoma?

The Oklahoma open adoption definition is very broad and includes all post-placement relationships in which a birth mother has direct contact with her child. No open adoption is the same as another.

There are so many different preferences for and dynamics to an open adoption in Oklahoma. Some birth mothers exchange letters and pictures with their children. Some birth mothers speak with their children on the phone. Some birth mothers have physical visits with their birth children.

Direct contact between a birth mother and her child and his or her parents can come in any frequency, whether it’s weekly, monthly, or annually. It’s always determined by the comfort level of all parties involved.

More than anything, remember this: Any woman considering adoption always has the option of choosing an Oklahoma open adoption.

What is Closed Adoption in Oklahoma?

On the opposite end of the post-placement relationship spectrum from an Oklahoma open adoption is a closed adoption. In a closed adoption, the birth mother and the child have no contact during the child’s upbringing.

There are many reasons in which a closed adoption may be preferable for a prospective birth mother. She may be in a situation which requires a level of privacy and separation from the baby she is placing for adoption. Or, maybe she has decided that being in her child’s life is not best for her child. There may be issues with her immediate family, child’s birth father, or other members of her support system. For the prospective birth mother who wants to choose adoption without being a part of her child’s upbringing for one reason or another, a closed adoption may be the perfect option.

Closed adoptions were once considered the “societal norm” in the U.S. It wasn’t up until the last few decades that open adoptions became more acceptable. Today, adoption professionals highly recommend Oklahoma open adoption over closed adoption because of its benefits for all members of the adoption triad (the child who was placed for adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive parents.)

If you are considering a closed adoption in Oklahoma, you should know that a child in an open adoption may access certain closed adoption records in Oklahoma at the time they turn 18 years old. In fact, there are closed and open adoption records in Oklahoma available to every adopted child to learn if his or her birth parents have left identifying information for contact purposes.

What is Semi-Open Adoption in Oklahoma?

A semi-open adoption in Oklahoma is a post-placement relationship in which the adoption agency who handled the adoption process mediates the relationship between birth mother, adoptive parents and baby. Semi-open adoptions are a great post-placement relationship option for a prospective birth mother who wants to be a part of her child’s upbringing without being present in his or her life in a physical capacity.

Letters and pictures are exchanged through the medium of the adoption agency, with all identifying contact information kept private from both the adoptive family and the birth mother. This way, a birth mother and adoptive parents can keep in touch without a birth mother having direct contact with her child.

The Benefits of Open Adoption in Oklahoma

There are many benefits to choosing an Oklahoma open adoption for every member of the adoption triad.

The member of the triad who is benefited most by the open adoption post-placement relationship is the child who was placed for adoption. Children who are raised in open adoptions versus closed adoptions are typically found to be more satisfied with their sense of identity as they grow up.

Adoptive parents benefit because they are blessed with the opportunity to have a happy and healthy relationship with their child’s birth mother. Open adoptions usually involve transparency and communication between the birth mother and adoptive parents for the benefit of the child who was placed for adoption.

Birth mothers benefit from open adoption, as well. After all, what could be more fulfilling than a birth mother watching the child she placed for open adoption in Oklahoma grow up with the parents she chose for him or her?

It’s no secret: Many post-placement studies have proven open adoption to be a happy and healthy adoption option for all parties involved.

If you are a prospective birth mother who is considering an open adoption in Oklahoma, please fill out this contact form. An adoption professional will reach out to you as soon as possible, share more Oklahoma adoption facts with you, and can start you on your very own open adoption journey!