Almost 60-70% of adoptions that take place in the US are now open adoptions which means that the birth family and adoptive family have the ability to communicate and see each other. My sister, my three cousins, and I all have open adoptions and we believe that they are more beneficial than closed adoptions. In the long run, open adoptions are better because of the knowledge that you can learn and how your mental health will be more positive than negative.

Knowledge learned from open adoptions

The impacts of open adoptions skyrocket past those of closed adoptions. In a quote said by Brenda Bierman, mother of 2 adopted children, “Research shows that open adoption is healthier for both mom and child, in addition having the benefits of knowing genetic and medical history is a huge advantage which aids in the raising of an adopted child”. As shown here open adoption has even been researched to show that it is a better option than closed adoptions. It allows for the parent to have a relationship with their kid but they are also able to learn more about the medical and genetic history so they know if they have a higher risk of a disease or not. Brianna Beirman, a child who got adopted later in life, agreed that open adoptions have a greater impact by saying “Open adoption can be a better option because it will ensure the child that they aren’t unwanted. If the child can talk to their biological parents they can have a better understanding and appreciation of why they were put up for adoption.” This shows that people who have an open adoption can learn more about why they were put up for adoption instead of always thinking that they weren’t loved. Even though they aren’t with the parent that gave birth to them, their birth parent will always be in their life in some way.

Mental Health

Open adoptions can have a more positive effect on your mental health rather than closed adoptions. In a quote said by Steve Bierman, father of 2 adopted children, “Yes, I think it has been very beneficial because of her situation that her siblings and cousins know their birth parents and she didn’t know who her birth parents were but it allowed them to become closer and gain a new relationship.” This allowed my sister’s mental health to advance because she was allowed to finally have a relationship with her birth family. She also realized how much love they had towards her and she felt happy that she was able to become another part of a family. In another quote said by Brenda, “Yes, your sister addy (youngest child) her adoption was a closed adoption but through the benefits of DNA testing we were able to connect with her birth family and mother. Solving the mystery of where she came from gave her a sense of who she was and able to resolve several unanswered questions.” Addy’s mental health has changed from having a closed adoption to open adoption and it shows that her mental health improved because she is now able to have any unanswered questions answered and she doesn’t feel the sense of abandonment. The changes that my whole family has seen are incredible.

Closed adoptions are more beneficial

Some people still believe that closed adoptions have more benefits than open adoptions. According to American Pregnancy, “for birth mothers with concerns about explaining their decision to others, a closed adoption can offer a way to avoid confrontation.” Although this is true, even if the birth family has an open adoption the mother doesn’t necessarily have to explain about why they put their child up for adoption. Birth mothers also worry about privacy, but they don’t need to share any information that they aren’t comfortable with sharing. So whether or not they share information in a closed or open adoption they will still be hiding in the closed adoption.

Open adoptions have been proven better by both research and parents who have dealt with both open and closed adoptions. Having a relationship with the person who gave birth to you is important because you can answer a whole bunch of unanswered questions. If you are ever in the situation of giving a child up for adoption or adopting a child, the best option would be to have an open adoption to give them the best connection that you can.