Open Adoption Is More Beneficial Than Closed Adoptions

Open Adoption is More Beneficial than Closed Adoptions

What are the reasons a birthmother and adoptive parents would choose open adoption over closed adoption? This question, and furthermore the topic of open adoption, is a topic that hits home for me. I am surrounded by adoption and am considering a career as an adoption counselor. I have researched and found two articles that have given me insight into this topic. The first article is entitled "Perspectives on Open Adoption" by Annette Baran and Reuben Pannor. The second article I found has somewhat contrasting ideas to the first and is written by Marianne Berry, entitled "Risks and Benefits of Open Adoption."

Baran and Pannor offer their perspective about secrecy in adoption, in that confidentiality and anonymity are harmful and that adoptions should be open. They discuss how anonymity has damaging effects on all three parties, which they call "the adoption triangle" (119). Birthparents struggle with feeling powerless, the adoptees struggle with rejection, and the adoptive parents fear reclamation, and that open adoption allows all parties to meet their continuing responsibilities toward each other. Baran and Pannor also discuss the misconceptions about open adoption, how adoptive parents won't adopt without anonymity, birthparents want the relinquishment put behind them, and that adoptees will be confused by contact with the birth parents. Berry offers her perspective both for and against open adoption however, she has found a substantial amount of evidence that supports the risks of open adoption. She states that "open adoption may exacerbate uncertainty" (128) as a parent for the adoptive parents, that continued contact may risk prolonged uncertainty and grief for the birthparents. "The biggest risk of open adoption postulated by most adoption professionals is that it will interfere with the process of bonding between adoptive parents and child" (129). She explains that continued access between birthparents and their adopted children should be available and supported, but that lack of counseling is what is causing disagreements among all three parties.

Both Baran/Pannor and Berry agree to some extent that open adoption is the best option for all parties involved in adoption, however, Baran and Pannor believe strongly that there should be no other option whereas Berry thinks there should be restrictions placed upon how open -if at all- the adoption should be. Baran and Pannor tend to focus on the sociological aspects of open vs. closed adoption as opposed to the psychological view that Berry takes. Furthermore, they go into detail about the psychological and emotional effects of a closed system on all three parties. They first discuss the effects that it has on the birthparents, explaining that though it was their choice to place their child for adoption, they still may feel a sense of worthlessness after giving the child away. "These birthparents may believe that their offspring will not understand the reasons for relinquishment and that these offspring will blame and hate their birthparents for rejecting and abandoning them" (120). They struggle with not knowing who adopted their child and whether they are alive or dead.

Baran and Pannor then move on to explain the effects that closed adoption has on the adoptee. They state that during the adolescence years the adoptee may begin to experience great identity conflicts. It is complicated for children who are adopted to develop their own identity, as an essential knowledge of their personal history remains hidden. They often form fantasies of their birthparents which could easily escalate into more serious problems, eventually leading to feelings of shame, embarrassment and low self-esteem. "Many adopted children feel that they were given away because there was something wrong with them from the beginning" (120).

They last touch on the effects closed adoption has on the adoptive parents. "With no knowledge of or contact with the birthparents, adoptive parents may find it difficult to think and talk about birthparents as real people."(Baran and Pannor, 120) It is hard for them to answer the inevitable questions from the adoptive child and may later fear that the birthparents may come to reclaim their child.

Baran and Pannor move on to discuss some common misconceptions toward open adoption which include that couples will not adopt unless they can be guaranteed anonymity, "couples, eager to parent children, are willing to adopt under a variety of circumstances."(122) Birthmothers want anonymity to move forward with their lives, "even those birthmothers who had not revealed their past to husband and children indicated that, if it were possible to protect themselves, they would want to know and meet their offspring. Not to know whether their children were alive or dead was a continued source of sadness for some." (ibid) Adoptees will be confused by contact with their birthparents. Their research found that "based on years of work with adoptees of all ages, that some of them are particularly vulnerable because of feelings of loss and abandonment, exacerbated by the secrecy and anonymity of closed adoptions." (Baran/Pannor 122)

They last touch on the benefits of open adoption. They begin with the birthmothers by stating that knowing who their child is being placed with helps them cope with feelings of loss, mourning and grief. Next they talk about the adoptees and their feelings of rejection, which is eliminated upon greater understanding of the placement, and need for search and reunion is eliminated. "The continuing link with the birthparent dispels the notion that the children were abandoned and forgotten" (Baron/Pannor 122). Finally, for adoptive parents, knowing the birthparents will enable them to provide their child with background