Adoption is often overlooked by women facing unplanned pregnancies. However, if the idea of being a mother without having the day-to-day responsibilities of motherhood is comforting, perhaps you should consider placing your child for adoption.
Like abortion or parenting, adoption is not an easy choice to make. However, depending on your current life situation, it could be the best decision for you and your child. Let’s talk about the different types of adoption and what might be right for you.
Types of Adoption Plans
There are three main types of adoption. Each one designed to give you the level of contact you would like to have with your child and the adopting family in the future. There is no right or wrong plan. You are in complete control of the process and can choose what is right for you.
Open Adoption
Open adoption means you and the adoptive family share identifying information such as full names, phone numbers, and addresses. You can have access to one another through face-to-face meetings, phone calls and texts, and letters.
Together, you decide what is comfortable for you, the child, and their family. You will have the opportunity to be a part of the child’s life in whatever capacity is best for everyone.
Closed Adoption
Some women who choose adoption prefer to have no communication with the adoptive family or child. To move on with their lives, they feel this is the best choice.
Your identity remains completely anonymous in a closed adoption. You will still choose the adoptive family, but you’ll have no interaction with them before or after the birth. There is complete privacy.
Semi-Open Adoption
A semi-open adoption means the communication you do have will be through a third-party adoption professional. You choose how much information and contact you would like to share and receive. Usually, the adoptive family and birth family share first names only.
The terms can be negotiated and set by you and the adoptive family. This option allows you to have a carefully defined relationship with your child without the ongoing connection of open adoption.
The Next Steps
As with every decision regarding your unplanned pregnancy, you will have a lot of questions. “How will I know my child will be cared for?” “Does it cost anything to place my child?” “Does the birthfather have rights?” At Women’s Resource Center, we would like to help answer these questions and any others you might have.
If you are not ready to be a parent, choosing adoption can be the best alternative. However, there is a lot to consider. Our client advocates are available to share the process with you and give you referrals to agencies. Once again, we want you to have as much information as possible to make the best choice.