Open vs. Closed Adoption in Georgia [Open Adoption Pros and Cons]

Once you decide that adoption is right for you and your child, you’ll need to determine the type of adoption you’d like to have.

It’s common for prospective birth mothers to weigh the differences of open vs. closed adoption in Georgia.

There’s no wrong type of adoption. What you choose should reflect what’s right for you.

When considering open vs. closed adoption in Georgia, it helps to consider open adoption pros and cons. The secret is that there truly are no cons when it comes to open adoption. That’s because you and you alone get to choose how open your adoption is.

The pros of open adoption include:

• You can choose how “open” your open adoption is.
• You can build a relationship with your child.
• You can build a relationship with the adoptive family.
• You can choose the type of contact you want to have with your child and the adoptive family.

If you already know what type of adoption you want to have, you can reach out to an adoption specialist today for free.

Let’s continue to explore the benefits of open adoption and how this choice positively impacts you and your child’s future relationship.

What is Open Adoption in Georgia?

In general, when you choose an open adoption in Georgia, you’re choosing to have some type of relationship with your child and your child’s adoptive family.

All adoption agencies are “open adoption agencies.” Your agency will provide you with an adoption specialist who will help you decide what type of adoption is right for you. If you decide to have an open adoption in Georgia, you’ll start to determine the following aspects of your adoption.

How “Open” is Your Open Adoption?

When you choose an open adoption in Georgia, you control how open your adoption is.

Your adoption specialist will help you decide the type of communication you want with your child and your child’s adoptive family.

Pre-Placement Communication

If you choose to have an open adoption, your adoption specialist will start to show you adoptive family profiles who also want an open adoption. Before an adoptive family and a prospective birth mom match, they each have to express they want the same type of adoption.

When you match with an adoptive family, you, your adoption specialist, and the adoptive family will start to plan pre-placement communication. Common types of pre-placement communication include:

• A conference call: This call typically takes place a week or two after you and the adoptive family match.
• Email correspondence: After the conference call, you and the adoptive family can communicate via email.
• Pre-placement visit: Often, the adoptive family will take time to travel to your location so everyone can meet in person before the baby’s birth.

Getting to know the adoptive family “pre-placement” can help you feel more comfortable with your decision to place your baby for adoption. Pre-placement conversations can:

• Give you peace of mind
• Reassure you of your decision to place your child for adoption
• Give you multiple opportunities to ask the adoptive family questions

Hospital Stay

When you work with an adoption specialist, you get the opportunity to create an adoption plan that will lay out how “open” your open adoption is. For example, your adoption plan will include a detailed hospital stay and birth plan. In this part of the plan, you can include:

• Where you want to give birth
• How you’d like your labor and delivery to go
• If you’d like to have contact with the adoptive family at the hospital
• If you’re comfortable with the adoptive family being present during the baby’s birth

Post-Placement Communication

Your birth plan also will detail how you’d like to stay in contact with the adoptive family. This part of the plan is known as the post-adoption contact agreement.

Your post-placement agreement will include the type of contact everyone agrees to and how often everyone plans to stay in contact.

Typical types of post-placement communication include:

• Phone calls
• Text messages
• Messaging (via apps)
• Emails
• Video calls (via apps)
• In-person visits
• Photo-sharing apps
• And more

One of the most important things to remember about open adoption in Georgia is that your adoption’s openness can change based on your needs.

It’s normal to have times in your life where you may not feel like communicating as much with the adoptive family. Then, time may pass, and you decide you’d like more communication. The key to having a successful open adoption is to know that you’re in control of the openness.

Can Semi-Open Adoption Work for You?

When you choose an open adoption in Georgia, you and the adoptive family will exchange information and have regular access to each other.

When you choose a semi-open adoption in Georgia, you and the adoptive family can exchange information that first goes through an adoption specialist. You’ll stay up-to-date with your child and their adoptive family’s life, but neither you nor they will have each other’s personal information.

You can control how open your semi-open adoption is. If you ever want to change the level of openness of your adoption, reach out to your adoption specialist.

Is Closed Adoption Right For You?

After reading about open and semi-open adoption, you may feel that these options aren’t right for you. If so, you may want to consider closed adoption.

What is a Closed Adoption in Georgia?

When you choose a closed adoption, it means you, your baby, and the adoptive family will have no contact with each other. After the child turns 18, you or the child may seek each other out.

Closed adoption used to be the most common type of adoption. However, over the years, adoption professionals have discovered that open adoption – even semi-open adoption – benefits you, the adoptive family, and your child.

But if you think a closed adoption is best for you and your needs, that’s OK. It’s important to do what’s right for you.

Final Thoughts on Open Adoption Pros and Cons in Georgia

There aren’t any cons when you choose open adoption in Georgia. Because when you choose an open adoption, you are choosing to continue to build your relationship with your child and the adoptive family.

The benefits of open adoption impact you, your child, and your child’s family. You are in control of how open your adoption is. You can rely on your adoption specialist to help you craft your ideal adoption plan so you can maintain the level of openness you are most comfortable with.