What is an Open vs. Closed Adoption?
Open adoption and closed adoption, sometimes referred to as a confidential adoption, describe the extent to which birth parents (most often birth mothers) and adoptive parents share information both before and after the birth of the child. However, these words do not have universal meanings. Open adoption means different things to different people. For example, some would say that if an adoption does not involve post-placement visitation between the birth mother and child, the adoption is closed. Others believe that the exchange of ANY information before placement or providing written and/or photographic updates after placement makes an adoption open. Therefore, a pregnant woman or woman who has already given birth and considering giving up their baby for adoption, or more correctly, making an adoption plan for their baby, should ask the adoption professional whom they have chosen what those words mean in that adoption program.
In nearly all of the adoptions Adoption Attorneys Kirsh & Kirsh, PC (“Kirsh & Kirsh”) arranges, the adoptive parents and expectant mother share lots of information about each other before the birth parents sign consent to the adoption. In addition, the adopting parents provide letters and photographs to the birth mother and birth father, if he is involved, after placement. In some adoptions, the birth mother and adoptive parents desire a more open adoption involving post-placement visits between the birth parents and the child. Of course, the degree of openness depends upon the wishes and comfort level of BOTH the birth parents and the adoptive parents. In our years of experience, we have found that some birth mothers want a very closed or confidential adoption, and others prefer a more open arrangement. For that reason, we at Kirsh & Kirsh tailor each adoption to the wants and needs of the birth parents and adoptive parents. We do NOT advocate a ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach when we handle adoptions, nor do we have to consult with a board of directors, as an adoption agency might, if the parties want to try something unique.
If you would like to explore adoption, we at Kirsh & Kirsh — or the “Kirsh Boys,” as the adoption attorneys at Kirsh & Kirsh are sometimes called – Steve, and his brothers, Joel and Rob, and his son, Grant, pride themselves on answering questions about adoption and explaining the process without pressure or judgment.
The four adoption attorneys at Kirsh & Kirsh have over 100 years of combined legal experience arranging adoptions. Kirsh & Kirsh has been in existence since 1981. As attorneys, we at Kirsh & Kirsh have very high standards for the prospective adoptive parents we choose to represent. All of our waiting families are carefully screened and thoroughly investigated. We will arrange for you to have contact with the family you choose on your terms, without families trying to reach you at all hours of the day or night.
Our contact information is below. We will answer your questions and provide the information you seek without cost or obligation on your part. In other words, talking to us is FREE and does NOT mean you ever have to talk or text with us, again. We can help you in finding an AMAZING, WONDERFUL adoptive home for your precious baby, whether you live in Kokomo or Indianapolis, Columbus or Bloomington, Huntingburg or Evansville, Michigan City or South Bend, Angola or Ft. Wayne, or any Indiana county or city in between, or ANYWHERE in Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Michigan, or Illinois.
There is always a family waiting to love your child. We have lots of family options from which you can choose, all of whom are wonderful, carefully screened, loving families FROM INDIANA AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY (married, single, Lesbian, and Gay) who cannot wait to welcome a baby into their hearts and homes and are happy to assist with living expenses to the fullest extent allowed by law. You make all the choices about which family adopts your baby and the extent of contact you want after the child’s birth.
You can call, text, and or email us anytime — call: 317-575-5555, text: 800-333-5736, contact us, or Facebook message. We answer our office phone 24 hours a day, every single day. We try to respond to emails and text messages within minutes of receipt.
POSITIVE ADOPTION LANGUAGE DISCLAIMER: Please understand that these blog posts are written in a way to use language that people use when searching for help with their adoption plans. Unfortunately, while all of us understand what positive adoption language means, most expectant moms that come to us at first do not understand what that means. The most common search term on the Internet for expectant moms is “how do I give up my baby for adoption”. If we do not include those words in our blog posts, and instead put “how do I create an adoption plan for my baby” then our website will not show up in most expectant mom’s search results in Google.