A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Open Adoption Articles

If finding the best informative open adoption articles feels like looking for a needle in a haystack, then we’ve got you covered. Here is our guide to some of the best open adoption articles for everyone in the adoption triad — along with what makes each of them so helpful when preparing for an open adoption.

Open Adoption Articles for Prospective Birth Mothers

Choosing adoption for your baby doesn’t mean that you won’t play an important role in your child’s life. If you’re curious about the lifelong benefits of an open adoption, here are some great articles for women considering adoption:

• “Open Adoption — A Brief History of Open vs. Closed Adoption”: What better place to start than with the history of open adoption? In today’s adoptions, it’s easier than ever for a birth mother to maintain a relationship with her child and his or her adoptive parents —but it certainly hasn’t always been this way. Before you dive into the world of open adoptions, it’s helpful to learn about the origins of this preferred type of post‐placement contact.
• “Why 90 Percent of Birth Parents Request Open Adoptions”: When you imagine how many adoptions are finalized every year, the fact that over 9 out of 10 women request an open adoption is incredible. But just why is that? In this article, read about some of the most popular reasons that women choose an open adoption to maintain a relationship with their baby and their child’s adoptive family.
• “Will I See My Baby After Giving Up for Adoption?”: This is a common question from women considering adoption — and it’s not hard to understand why. While we can assure you that the answer will always be yes, you might be curious as to what it looks like to have contact with your child after the adoption. Find out what you can expect from a semi‐open adoption and a fully open adoption in this article.
•  “Open or Closed Adoption, Pros and Cons”: If you’ve already thought about what you want your post‐adoption contact to look like, it’s likely that you’ve considered open and closed adoption. If you’re trying to weigh the benefits of open and closed adoptions, here is a great place to start as you prepare for your adoption relationship.
• “Establishing an Open Adoption with the Adoptive Family”: An open adoption is different for every prospective birth mother. If you’re thinking about what your open adoption agreement can include, check out this in‐depth article from a birth mother who knows exactly what you’re going through.

Birth Mother Open Adoption Testimonials

Your adoption professional can tell you everything you need to know about an open adoption. But what about the personal experiences from women just like you? Adoption testimonials from birth mothers describe the feelings that you might be going through right now, along with how their lives have changed since they placed their children for adoption.

• “Michelle’s Adoption Story”: A birth mother herself, Michelle is now an adoption specialist at American Adoptions, making her one of the best resources for women considering an open adoption. If you’re ready to get in contact, you can call 1-800-ADOPTION and ask for Michelle, or you can always email her if you have any questions.
• “A Brighter Future – Why One Birth Mom Chose Adoption After Parenting”: For Casey, choosing adoption meant choosing a better life for her twin boys. While she knew this was the best decision for her children, it definitely wasn’t an easy one. But, after making this difficult decision, Casey is still able to have an ongoing relationship with her twins. For her, their relationship keeps getting better and better every year. If you’re considering adoption after parenting, Casey’s story will absolutely resonate with you.
• “Making the Right Decision – One Birth Mother Looks Back on Her Open Adoption Process”: In Angelica’s adoption story, she looks back on everything that led her to her decision. While she had always wanted a little girl, she knew deep in her heart that adoption was the right decision. Today, Angelica looks forward to yearly visits with her daughter, as well as being able to talk with her whenever she’d like.  If you’re imagining what the future of your open adoption could look like, take a look at Angelica’s story.
• “The Most Important Day of My Life: A Birth Mom’s Story”: In Terri’s semi‐open adoption, she shares her story of placing her daughter, McKenna, for adoption. In her semi‐open adoption relationship, Terri has been able to send her daughter, letters, videos, pictures, cards, emails, gifts, and she receives the same. If you’re thinking of doing the same, you should read Terri’s story for what to expect.
• “How I Interact with My Son through Open Adoption ‐Thoughts from a Birth Mother”: If you’ve thought about open adoption, you may have woried about how you’ll interact with your child after placement. Communication is important for every relationship, and your relationship with your child is no exception. If you’d like to learn more about how open adoption has changed Lindsay’s relationship with her son, read here.

Open Adoption Articles for Adoptive Families

There are unbelievable benefits to choosing open adoption as a birth mother. But what about open adoption when you’re an adoptive family? If you’re worried about choosing this type of post‐placement contact, we hope that these articles will help clarify some things.

• “The Benefits of Contact with the Birth Parents”: In many cases, having a close relationship with the birth parents is the key to having a successful adoption. If you’re looking for some in‐depth benefits for open adoptions, this article discusses many of the invaluable benefits of an open adoption.
• “Picture and Letter Correspondence with Birth Parents”: As an adoptive family, one of the most important promises that you’ll make to the birth family is continuing to follow through on your pictures and letters agreement. If you’re curious about what your pictures and letters agreement entails, here is a great article on one of the biggest aspects of your open adoption agreement.

Adoptive Family Open Adoption Testimonials

Does the idea of an open adoption make you feel just a tad bit wary? If so, the best way to understand the open adoption process is to read about it from adoptive families who’ve lived through it. Here are some of the best testimonials to help put your mind at ease that we recommend for adoptive families new to adoption.

• “A Natural Connection ‐ How One Family Created a Lifelong Open Adoption Bond”: Adoption had always been a possibility for Jenna and AJ. For them, it was simply a matter of when they were ready to create their beautiful family. If you’re ready to create a lifelong relationship, check out their story for inspiration.
• “Fostering Relationships ‐ Why One Family Opened Up to Birth Mother Contact”: It’s normal for hopeful adoptive families to be nervous about having an open relationship with the birth parents. If you’re apprehensive about your own open adoption relationship, Katelyn and Matt’s story should give you all the reassurance you need.
• “Keeping in Touch ‐ How an Open Adoption Enriches one Family’s Connection”: If you’re new to open adoption, you might be unsure of how exactly this type of post‐adoption contact can benefit your relationship. Here are some surprising ways in which an open adoption enriched Matthew and Katheryn’s lives.

Open Adoption Stories for Adoptees

Every open adoption is different — especially for adoptees. If you’re an adult who’s looking for informational resources and stories you can relate to, below are some of our favorite open adoption articles.

• “Connecting With Your Birth Family on Social Media”: In the era of social media, it’s easier now than ever before to connect with your birth family. But what kind of challenges will social media bring to your adoption relationship? Find out more in this article covering the unique relationship that adoptees and birth parents have with social media.
• “Relationships with Your Birth Siblings”: Not all adoptees are comfortable exploring a relationship with the birth siblings, but if you are ready to build a stronger relationship with your birth family, check out this article for more information.
• “Relationships with Your Birth Parents”: Your relationship with your birth family can be the most rewarding, and challenging, relationship to navigate. If you’re connecting with your birth family as an adult, you’re likely trying to determine how much contact you want to have, how open you want to be about your life, and what exactly you want your relationship to look like. This decision is entirely up to you, but here is an article that describes what to expect.

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Your open adoption story will be as unique as you are. While this list might not have every open adoption article on it, we hope that it gave you some great ideas and inspiration for what your open adoption can look like.