Since 1986, Lifetime Adoption Center has been connecting birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents through open adoption. Lifetime’s caring professionals help pregnant women consider their choices in an open adoption, and provides adoptive couples with a vast array of adoption services.
Lifetime Adoption advocates for some degree of openness among all members of the adoption triad (the birth parents, adoptive families, and children). It is widely believed that open adoption is in the best interest of all involved, and it has proven to result in safer adoptions with fewer reclaims.
Many people believe adoptions happen the way they used to, when closed adoption was the norm. A pregnant woman simply “gave her baby away” with no knowledge of the adoptive parents and no way to stay in touch with her child. But fortunately, society’s views on adoption have evolved over the years. Today, most domestic adoptions have some degree of openness. In fact, according to a study conducted on 100 private adoption agencies by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, just 5% of infant adoptions are closed.
What this means for hopeful adoptive parents is that more than likely, you will have an open adoption with your child’s birth mother. And for birth parents considering adoption, it means that you’ll be able to choose who adopts your child and can remain in contact in the future.
There are degrees of contact in an open adoption, from emails exchanged through an adoption professional to in-person visits. Open adoption comes with many benefits for all in the adoption triad: the adoptee, adoptive parents, and birth parents. A few of the benefits of open adoption include:
- Adoptive parents have access to vital medical information and family health history, in case of emergency
- Birth parents have the power to select their baby’s adoptive parents
- Adoptive parents have answers to difficult questions that their child might ask about his or her adoption
- Adoptees have access to their medical history and genealogy, and grow up knowing their biological family
- Birth parents have peace of mind since they’re able to stay in touch with adoptive parents and see their child thriving
- The child grows up secure in the knowledge that he has two families who love him very much
THEN
TAMMY’S STORY
As a birth mother, adoption advocate, and peer support for pregnant women considering or choosing adoption, Tammy’s insights shed light on what open adoption can be like today, and gives us a unique insight through her relationship with her now grown son and his view of his own adoption story. Click to watch as Tammy shares her adoption story.
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See Waiting Families
Lifetime Adoption has a nationwide listing of adoptive parent profiles. To find out about these adoptive families, please click on the link above.
Adoption: Your step-by-step guide
Mardie Caldwell has successfully helped thousands of families achieve their dream of parenthood. And now she can help you too through her new step-by-step guide to adoption.
