Open vs. Closed Adoption in Texas: What’s Right for You?

Open adoption has become the norm in the modern adoption process. If you are just beginning to consider adoption, this may come as a surprise. Most cultural depictions of adoption involve a birth mother leaving her baby at an orphanage or fire station, never to be seen again. However, this is not the case for the majority of prospective birth parents today.

If you are a woman in Texas considering adoption for your baby, there’s a good chance you’ll have an open adoption in Texas. This might sound confusing or intimidating at first, which is why we’ve created this guide.

Here, we’ll go over how open adoption in Texas works, all of the Texas open adoption pros and cons, and your other options, like a closed adoption in Texas. When you’re done reading, you’ll have a better understanding of open vs. closed adoption in Texas.

Above all, know this: When you’re a prospective birth mother, you always get to choose the level of openness you want for your adoption.

What Is Open Adoption in Texas?

Open adoption in Texas is an opportunity to maintain a lasting relationship with your child, even after placing them for adoption. This is accomplished in a number of ways, depending on your preferences.

How does open adoption work in Texas? When you’re a prospective birth mother, you set the level of contact when you create your adoption plan. Working with a professional, you will choose some variation of one of these three options:

• Open adoption
• Semi-open adoption
• Closed adoption

We’ll discuss closed adoption in Texas in greater detail below. If you would like to have a long-lasting relationship with your child and the adoptive family, then your adoption plan will involve either open or semi-open adoption in Texas.

How does a Texas open adoption work in comparison to semi-open adoption? The key difference is that semi-open adoption involves some sort of mediation so that identifying details (like last names, addresses, direct phone numbers, etc.) are kept private. Open adoption in Texas, on the other hand, is a direct relationship.

Domestic open adoption in Texas can look like multiple yearly in-person visits, frequent video calls, occasional letters or less-frequent in-person visits. It all depends on the type of contact you’d like as a prospective birth mother, which you decide in your adoption plan.

Benefits of Open Adoption in Texas

Why choose open adoption? Are there benefits of Texas open adoption that make this an appealing choice?

You may not know that there are many personal, emotional and psychological open adoption benefits in Texas. Some may be obvious, but others could come as a surprise.

A lasting connection to your child as they grow and thrive in the safe, loving care of adoptive parents is one clear benefit. Choosing adoption is not easy. But, knowing — and witnessing — that your choice has led to a great life for your child can bring a sense of confidence.

There are also benefits of open adoption in Texas for the child. Questions about identity — Where did I come from? What is my biological family like? Why do I have this hair or these eyes? — are much easier to answer when there’s a connection to the biological family through open adoption. Additionally, this connection provides clear and accurate access to family medical history, which can be very important.

An unexpected benefit of open adoption in Texas is the opportunity to get to know the adoptive parents pre-placement. Building a relationship before placement can increase everyone’s commitment to the adoption. Through texts, emails, phone calls and in-person visits, the personal connection between birth and adoptive parents can help everyone feel confident about this decision.

What Is Closed Adoption in Texas?

So far, we’ve been focusing on open adoption in Texas. But, what about closed adoption in Texas? How does it work, and are there any benefits to considering open vs. closed adoption in Texas?

Closed adoption is rare, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. When you’re a prospective birth mother, you could decide that complete closure would be best. For one reason or another, a connection to your child after placement may be too painful, or awkward, or complicated. If you feel that way, then it is totally your call to choose a closed adoption in Texas.

This is a big choice. Once that door is shut, it’s difficult to re-open. We recommend speaking with your adoption professional before deciding on a Texas closed adoption.

Open Adoption Agencies

One of the most important players in your process will be your adoption agency. If open adoption is a priority for you, then you may want to find an agency that supports open adoption and educates hopeful adoptive parents about the benefits. Most private agencies are open adoption agencies in Texas.

If you’re asking, “Where can I find open adoption agencies near me?” we’d recommend beginning your research with these organizations:

• American Adoptions
• American Adoptions of Texas
• Adoption Answers, Inc.
• Adoption Choices of Texas

Would you like to speak with a professional about open adoption in Texas? Contact us today to be connected with an adoption specialist for a free consultation.