Is Making a Closed Adoption Plan the Right Decision for Me?
Now that you’ve decided adoption is the best option for you and your baby, it’s time for you to create an adoption plan. If you are new to the adoption world and aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry. You’re in good hands! Your adoption caseworker will lead you through all the necessary steps and help you build an adoption plan that best fits your needs and wants for your adoption journey.
If privacy and anonymity is important to you when you place your baby up for adoption, making a closed adoption plan may be the best option for you. There are many other reasons why you may feel a closed adoption is the right choice, and that’s okay. Whatever your motivation or circumstances, your choice is valid and Adoption Choices of Missouri will respect your decision. We are here to provide you with unplanned pregnancy help and other assistance you need with your newborn adoption.
How could Making a Closed Adoption Plan be Beneficial?
Having a closed adoption plan can be beneficial for birth mothers for various reasons. For instance, her job may require her to choose a closed adoption plan to ensure not only her safety, but also the safety of her baby. Or, she may not want to be a parent and desires to move forward with her life without any contact with her child or the adoptive parent. These scenarios, along with many others, are valid.
Parenthood is not for everyone, and there is no shame in admitting that. If you are in a position where you are unable to or don’t want communication with your child, or the adoptive parents after the adoption has been finalized, making a closed adoption plan will give you that option.
What Makes a Closed Adoption Plan Work?
Within a closed adoption, neither the birth mother nor the adoptive parents know anything about each other. No identifying information is shared, and the adoption records are sealed after the adoption has been finalized. This means that the birth mother does not have the option of receiving updates or knowing how her child is doing post placement, and the adoptive parents have no access to the adoptee’s health or medical records.
A closed adoption allows birth mothers the freedom to place their child for adoption without any strings attached. It can give her peace of mind that her child will be cared for and the opportunity to healthfully move forward with her life.
What Happens Post Placement with a Closed Adoption Plan?
As a birth mother, finalizing an adoption plan can be scary and an emotional ordeal. Your adoption journey can bring about a mixture of feelings, and could ultimately leave you feeling stuck. This is why our adoption agency offers all our birth mothers free post-placement support.
While you are grieving, you may need extra comfort or assistance. Our adoption counselors are here to help you. All sessions are private, safe and nonjudgmental. Even if you know that closed adoption was the right choice for you and your child, it’s okay and natural to grieve before feeling strong enough to return to everyday life.
Can I Contact My Child with a Closed Adoption Plan?
Yes and no. When you are making your closed adoption plan, you will not have any contact whatsoever with the adoptive parents of your child. However, when your child turns 18 years old, their adoption records can become unsealed. This means that you may have the opportunity to communicate with your child, if he or she agrees to it. There is no guarantee that a meeting can be arranged, just as there is no guarantee that one cannot be scheduled.
Each and every adoption journey is different. Many adoptees are eager to learn about their heritage and origin. If your birth child is in this category, he or she may be willing to begin communication and build a relationship with you.
Should I Choose to Make a Closed Adoption Plan?
It’s important to remember that no one can make this decision but you. Every birth mother is going to be different and have her own reasons for why making a closed adoption plan is the best option for her and her child. You may feel confused about what you should do, but that’s why your adoption caseworker is here to help you.
Planning for the future in general can be a challenge. When you add an unplanned pregnancy and the adoption process into that, it can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed about all your options. But you are not alone.The future of you and your child can be planned accordingly with the help of our adoption agency, Adoption Choices of Missouri. Making a closed adoption plan can bring you some closure to your situation and ease the stress of the adoption process.
Are you ready to begin your adoption journey?
Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800
Meet the Author: Ariel is a graduate from Southern New Hampshire University who has received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in Poetry. Editor of Dear Black Girl by La’Daja Miller, Ariel aspires to be a successful author of her own book of Young Adult poetry. Ariel is currently a member of Sigma Tau Delta and The National Society of Leadership and Success. Both are honors societies that bring on prior or current students that have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the course of their college career. Ariel was also on her school’s Dean’s List during the entirety of her college career and was an active member of her school’s Creative Writing and English Review Club.
As Ariel furthers into her pursuits, she finds time to focus on health and fitness. Being spiritual, Ariel believes that manifesting is the key to living a happy and abundant life.
