Question: What Are the Pros of Having an Open Adoption?
Answer: Open Adoptions Answers the Big Questions
Since the adoptee will have some contact with birth family, he will not have the feeling of a "missing piece" in his life like some adoptees describe. He will also have the opportunity to ask the big question, "why was I placed for adoption?". The need to fantasize or romanticize birth family circumstances is then removed from the equation and the adopted child can grow up with truth.
Open Adoptions Add a Link to Heritage and Ancestry
The adoptee within an open adoption will also have access to background on her heritage and ancestry. She will be able to claim that information as a piece of her identity. This will also be able to add positive feelings to her self-worth and self-concept.
Open Adoptions Widen the Circle of Family and Support
The adoptee within an open adoption may have more family to provide love and support. The smart and self-assured adoptive family may be grateful for the extra support provided by others that love their child.
Open Adoptions Add Needed Medical History
Many adoptees lack access to basic medical background information. This information can be vital to helping medical personnel make informed decisions on behalf of their patients. This invaluable information also pertains to mental and emotional health.
Open Adoptions Mean No Need for an Adoption Search
Many adoptees do not know the details of their adoption story, the story of their beginning in life. An adoptee in an open adoption will have this information and will not have to suffer through an adoption search. Adoption searches can exhaust a person in many ways including emotionally and financially.
