Open and Closed Adoption

In today’s world, nothing is simple any more. Even in adoption, things become more and more difficult as new options become available. Adoption has become more difficult in order to better learn about the adoptive parents. This keeps children from being put into dangerous situations.

Just because things are getting more complicated, does not mean that things are getting worse. The knowledge that these children are being put in loving homes is a great trade for easy adoption. However, this is not the only thing that has changed about adoption.

There is now an option to have either an open or a closed adoption. This was not always the case, and it now adds some confusion to the adoption process.

Open adoptions allow for information about the children to be passed between the adoptive parents and the biological parents. This ranges depending on the situation. Some open adoptions involve the adoptive parents sending updates to the biological parents. That may be the extent of the communication.

In other cases, however, the biological parents are a large part of the children’s lives. While this is not the usual case, open adoptions can range anywhere in between these situations.

In closed adoptions, the biological parents do not have any kind of interaction with the children. This can be by choice or by necessity because of safe haven laws. These laws allow parents to abandon their children at police stations, fire departments, or hospitals within the first 10 days of the baby’s life.

An Austin Family Law Attorney Can Help

If you would like more information about adoption, contact the Austin adoption lawyers of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP at 512-472-2431.