To define open adoption in Minnesota, you must first understand one thing — there are many different types of open adoption relationships for birth mothers and their birth children. To say there is a single open adoption “definition” is incorrect. Instead, an open adoption definition in Minnesota includes any relationship in which a birth mother has some form and frequency of direct communication with her birth child throughout his or her upbringing.
This can mean that a birth mother visits her child every month or writes to her child once per year. Of course, there are also other options for a prospective birth mother when it comes to choosing a post-placement relationship with the child she places for adoption, including a semi-open adoption or a closed adoption.
This article will offer insight into the post-placement options for prospective birth mothers and why experts in the adoption field encourage open adoption as the most beneficial form of post-placement relationships. To learn more, keep reading, or contact an adoption professional today.
What is Open Adoption in Minnesota?
What is an open adoption in Minnesota? Well, it’s a situation that occurs when a woman who chooses adoption for her baby has some type and frequency of direct contact with that child after he or she has been placed for adoption.
Open adoption stories in Minnesota include birth mothers who may have some of the following forms of direct contact with their children:
- Writing letters,
- Exchanging gifts,
- Speaking over the phone,
- Having physical visits,
- Taking their children to do activities,
- Enjoying holidays,
- And more.
If a birth mother has some form of direct contact with her child, she is taking part in an open adoption in Minnesota with her child. The frequency of direct contact could be daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, but it will take place while the child is being raised by his or her adoptive parents.
What is Closed Adoption in Minnesota?
Closed adoption is an option for every prospective birth mother and may be the best option if a woman choosing adoption does not want any contact with her child after placement. After the child who was placed for adoption turns 18, he or she may choose to seek out his or her birth mother to start engaging in a relationship and vice versa.
Closed adoptions were the norm for U.S. society for a long time — and not even that long ago. In our very recent history, birth mothers were shamed. Many were forced into placing their children for adoption. In fact, there are woman still living today who can speak of such stories.
In modern society, there has been great change in the way we view adoption, and open adoption stories from Minnesota and across the country are becoming much more accepted and celebrated. In fact, experts in the field of adoption research believe that open adoption is the most beneficial post-placement relationship option for those involved —birth mothers, children placed for adoption and their adoptive parents.
What is Semi-Open Adoption in Minnesota?
Semi-open adoption in Minnesota is an option for any prospective birth mother who wants to have a mediated and private relationship with the child she placed for adoption. In a semi-open adoption in Minnesota, the adoption agency chosen to complete the adoption is used as a mediator. Letters, gifts, and any other communication is sent directly to that adoption agency who forwards it on to the appropriate party. In this way, a birth mother and the adoptive family keep their personal information confidential but can still communicate with the other party.
The Benefits of Open Adoption in Minnesota
Open adoption in Minnesota is considered highly beneficial for all members of the adoption triad: the birth mother, the adoptive parents, and the child who was placed for adoption.
Many birth mothers must process grief after placement. Typically, this stems from the loss of holding the role of custodial and legal mother for the baby that a woman carried to term and may have even raised for a period of time. But, those birth mothers who have chosen open adoption in Minnesota “report less grief, regret and worry, as well as more peace of mind” than those who have chosen a closed adoption.
The benefits extend to adoptive parents, too. According to one study, “greater openness is linked with reduced fear of and greater empathy toward birth parents, more open communication with their children about adoption, and other benefits in their relationships with their adopted children.”
Perhaps the biggest benefit of open adoption is an adoptee’s access to birth family. They can understand their adoption story from the source and find answers to the questions they have as a child, whether they are medical queries or simple questions like ”Who do I look like?” or “Do I have other brothers or sisters?”
As you can see, open adoption is beneficial in many ways — and it can be a good option for you and your child, too. The benefits of choosing open adoption for your baby can go so much further than what studies can tell you, as you have the privilege of walking through the future with your child and their adoptive family. Adoption is a gift, and if you let it, an open adoption in Minnesota will keep on giving.
If you are wondering, “What can my open adoption in Minnesota look like?” please fill out this contact form. An adoption professional will reach out to you and help you make your open adoption dream become a reality.
