Birth Mother Blog

What’s The Difference Between Open Adoption and Closed Adoption In Missouri?

What’s The Difference Between Open Adoption and Closed Adoption In Missouri?

You can’t believe that you’ve gotten pregnant, and it’s the worst time ever. You simply can’t be a mother right now. But it happened, and you have no clue what to do next. It’s scary, lonely, and you’re wondering:

Where can I get unplanned pregnancy help?

Who can I talk to? 

Can I be a parent right now?

Do I even want to be a parent? 

These questions are ok and necessary. Only you can answer them. But we can help empower you with knowledge so that you can make the best possible decision for yourself and your baby. 

There are so many reasons that you may not be excited about parenthood. Perhaps you are experiencing a teen pregnancy, you may have a rigorous school schedule, you could be struggling financially, or you may even be chronically ill and don’t have the energy to give your baby the life that would benefit them the most. Literally, any reason that you have for questioning parenthood right now is valid. You are entitled to find help and go with the best choice for you and your future. Here at Adoption Choices of Kansas, Missouri, we want to help you discover the best path for you.

Are You Considering Adoption?

Becoming pregnant, planned or unplanned, can be terrifying, and we are here to help you conquer this season. You are not the first mother who felt scared and lost after becoming pregnant, and you won’t be the last. There are three options that you have to choose from at this time, and they are:

  • Terminating the pregnancy
  • Parenting your child
  • Placing your baby for adoption

Any choice you make is the right choice, and no one has the right to pressure you into one or the other. We want to give you options and help you discover the best plan of action according to your needs. Whatever you decide, we will help you walk that path. If you do not wish to terminate the pregnancy or parent right now, adoption is an option. If you’re pregnant considering adoption, we can help provide an adoption plan. We can also help you if you are with your infant. Our licensed local adoption agency is ready to counsel you, provide financial assistance, get you housing. We will also help you choose an adoptive family, provide medical coverage, create a hospital plan, and get you back on your feet. 

What’s an Open Adoption, a Semi-Open Adoption, and a Closed Adoption?

You don’t have any answers yet for what you should do, and that’s ok. We want to help you find answers and make the best decision for you both. There are three types of adoptions:

  • Open
  • Semi-Open
  • Closed

Nowadays, most adoptions are open adoptions, but your’s does not have to be. An open adoption entails you and the adoptive family meeting one another (virtually or in-person), exchanging contact information, attending the first doctor’s appointment and delivery together, and you all staying in contact. This contact can also be with their siblings, grandparents, etc. (if you wish). Adoptive families who desire open adoption will be matched with you for you to vet. They are eager to keep the birth mother stay involved in their child’s life so that the child knows that they are adopted, can get medical records, and not run into missing information that they can’t supply in their future. 

A closed adoption is when you choose the adoptive family for your child, and there is no further contact between yourself, the adoptive parents, or your child after being adopted. No contact or locality information is exchanged between you and the adoptive family. This does not necessarily mean that records are sealed. You still have the option to seal records of the adoption or leave them open, meaning your baby may or may not have the ability to know your contact information in the future. Many adoptive families that choose this option do so and may possibly never tell the child that they have been adopted. 

A semi-open adoption is halfway between the open and the closed adoption. The adoptive parents may or may not be in the delivery room. You may or may not meet. But there is a minimum contact standard throughout your baby’s life in which the adoptive family will send letters and pictures.

We are here to counsel you throughout this entire process. You have the ability to make your decision, and if it’s not right for you, you can call it all off. There is no pressure. We want to empower you with unplanned pregnancy options that benefit you and your child’s future. 

Giving Up Your Baby Up For Adoption

We have helped hundreds of women just like you transition through the adoption process and get their lives back on track. Let us help you too. Parenthood is not a mandatory predicament. You don’t have to lose the hopes and dreams that you had before you got pregnant. There are more options, and if you do not want to terminate your pregnancy or with an infant now, contact us at

Adoption in MO so that we can help you create an adoption plan that will give your baby a great future and put you back into the driver’s seat of your own life. 

 

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 816-527-9800

JaQueenMeet the Author: JaQueen loves learning because it helps her educate and give people choices. She is the youngest girl in a family of 8 adopted siblings who found a loving forever home. Like most marketers, she wears many hats: Certified Project Management Professional, Jr. Web Developer, SEO certified, Grant Proposal Writer, Consultant, Wellness Influencer, Content Creator, and Motivational Speaker with a Bachelor’s in Communication Arts. She created a wellness blog to motivate, write, and inspire in her spare time to teach about mental health, plant-based vegan nutrition, and fitness to help others find peace on their healing journey. Her hobbies include natural bodybuilding, mindfulness, trailblazing through nature, and creating content that resonates with people. She aspires to be a lifelong professional writer and speaker who saves lives through the power of knowledge. She states, “I think that when you find your way out of the darkness it becomes your responsibility to bring others to the light. So, I focus on healing. The rest will align.”