About Adoption
Are you pregnant and considering adoption? No doubt you have many questions and conflicting emotions. The truth is you have some tough choices ahead of you, but we'd like to offer some information to help you make an informed decision.
We are Dave, Trish and Morgan, an adoptive family from Minneapolis, Minnesota hoping to welcome another child into our family through the precious gift we call adoption. If at any time you'd like to learn more about our family, please read our letter of introduction or click the link on the left.
Overview of Adoption
Adoption is defined as the legal placement and complete transfer of parental rights and obligations from one family to another. All obligations and rights to the child are surrendered by the birthparent(s) and assumed by the adoptive parents.
There are three types of adoption you can choose from:
- Open Adoption
- Semi-Open Adoption
- Closed Adoption
Open adoption allows you to select a family for your child. Open adoption is the disclosure of identifying information between the two families. An agreement is often reached between the birth and adoptive parents, in terms of ongoing contact.
Semi-open adoption can have different interpretations. It could be meeting with the adoptive parents prior to or after the adoption, having the adoptive parents present at the birth for your baby, and some form of ongoing contact with the adoptive family after the adoption is complete.
Closed adoption is a situation where you and adoptive parents have no knowledge of each other, in terms of identification. The adoption usually occurs with the help of a social worker and an adoption agency or facilitator who work together to select the adoptive parents and complete the adoption process.
The “Open” in Adoption
The majority of adoptions in the United States are referred to as open adoptions. The "open" in adoption can mean many things. In the case of our daughter's adoption, it means we met her birth mom and her parents and were able to be at her birth, but currently don't have an on-going relationship. It could also mean that we meet before the birth and then we send or exchange letters and pictures. Or it could be very open and we could continue our relationship after the baby is born, and you can be a part of your child's life.
Just as each individual is unique, so is each adoption situation. Together we can work together to plan a loving, secure future for your baby, finding a level of contact that is comfortable for everyone.
Either way, we feel very strongly that adopted children should know about their birth families and the reason(s) they were placed with an adoptive family. There is no shame, and therefore, no secrets. We have the utmost respect for our daughter's biological mother for choosing life for her and for acknowledging that she couldn't provide the life for her that she felt she deserved.