In my last post, I shared the story of another birthmother, Jamie and how Jamie’s adoption agreement with her daughter’s family has gone from semi open to fully open. I learned a few things in my talk with Jamie that could be of help to other families who are currently in semi open situations but hoping to increase the agreement to something more open.

1. As always be honest with everyone involved. Birth families and adoptive parents should truthfully share why they might be hesitant towards... more

Sometimes adoptions can may not start off very open but as the adults involved get to know one another better and develop a sense of trust in one another, they may begin to open up the adoption more.

This is what happened with fellow birthmother, Jamie. Jamie placed her daughter, L., in what originally started out as a semi open adoption. Jamie did choose and meet the adoptive parents of her daughter but they did not share any identifying contact with one another. Originally pictures and packages would go through the adoption agency and Jamie and her daughter’s... more

Out scouting around for interesting topics I came across this interesting PDF written by Karen Lundbland, LCSW concerning mediation in open adoption arrangements.

Lundbland has been in private practice as a full time mediator since 1998 in Eugene, at both the University of Oregon and Portland State University. While I personally cannot vouch for her services, I was very intrigued by the aforementioned article she wrote... more

Some adoptive parents enter into adoptions that are closed or semi-open. For many reasons,they may wish to have more contact with the birth parents, more contact than was instituted at the time the adoption took place. Many of these adoptive parents were "ok" or happy with the adoption being closed at the time of placement. As the years go by, these same adoptive parents may surprise themselves with their desire for more information and contact. This can happen with international adoptions (see my earlier blog on open international adoption). In domestic adoption, adoptive parents may see their children growing older and develop a need to know more about their origins. Some adopted adolescents... more