Do you think all adoptions should be open by law?

Question

Do you think all adoptions should be open by law?

Answer 1

Yes.

I've suggested before that all adoptions should be open at least to the point of a search being as simple as walking into a gov't office showing ID and walking out with your birthparents names and last known address (connect it to the drivers liecenses)

I'd like to believe that the mojority of bmoms would want to be sought out.

As for open pictures & letters.... I think that should be at the birthparents request. Perhaps by making it manditory that aparents file 2 current pics & a letter once a year as a condition of the adoption, then the onus would be placed on the birthmother to retrieve it from the courts should she choose to. Sometimes it can be just too painfull.

Wishfull thinking I know

ETA: My suggestion would work even in a situation as Gaia Raain suggested. It would allow for annonimity for the aparents to a degree, reassure the bmom she made the right decision and give her some peace of mind. And it's a small price to pay for the aparent. A simple letter & 2 pics once a year..

Answer 2

I do think they should be enforcable by law. That if open adoption was originally promised  by AP's or natural parents, it should be legally enforcable.

I think every child should have all original birth information.

If a natural parent chooses to not be contacted by the adoptee, the adoptee should respect those wishes, but still be able to have all genetic history.

ETA: Of course only if open adoptions are safe for the child.

Answer 3

I think all adoption should be open by law as long as the birth families would have it that way. I volunteer at an adoption agency and there was a person that chose adoption for their child. This was a young girl and she was raped. She was not aware that she was even pregnant. She went to the hospital with some pain, and the doctors told her she was in labor. She did not know what to do, she told them that she could not keep the baby. She signed the papers over to a very loving adoptive family, and now she does not want any contact what-so-ever with the adoptive family. She is trying to move on from that part of her life. Now, do I think one day her child has the right to know about her . . .I sure do.

Answer 4

I agree with a previous poster about the potential situation of the birthfamily not being healthy for the child.  I am an adoptive parent and keep his bio family updated with pictures.

Answer 5

Yes I do especially when children become adults.  In foster adoptions where the natural parents were abusive, I think it should open to the adoptee only.  I mean clear cut defined where the parents are in jail because of the abuse.

Answer 6

Hmmmmm...that's a tough one.  I have to say no, not in every case, because sometimes the biological family is not safe, and the child could be harmed by contact with them.  However, if no abuse, addiction, or mental health issues are present, then yes.  I do think adoptive parents should be held to an agreement they made to keep the adoption open.  And if there's no reason to have the adoption closed (i.e. safety for the child), then the adoption should be open.

ETA:  Samone, I totally agree.  Reading your answer, I realize I totally missed the fact that letters and pictures could be exchanged without compromising safety, if that's an issue.

Answer 7

No.  It's not that simple.  Some birthparents feel the need to move on, and that's their right.  Some kids don't need to know what some of their birthparents are up to.  I wholeheartedly agree that open adoptions agreed to by birthparents and aparents should be enforcable by law, though.  

Since a few of you have mentioned contact with birthparents being a reason to keep adoptions open, then perhaps contact preference forms would keep that option clear between birthparents and adoptees.

Answer 8

No.  I do not and I do support adoption change.  I do not think there is any advantage to a child to have to have continued contact with a parent who has been abusive and it should not be enforced.

Answer 9

No. Our children's parents abused them and cannot have open adoption.  There are safety risks to think about, we all have to do what is best for every child.  Ideally open, but when there are danger issues to child and adoptive parent, no, no, no to open adoption.

Answer 10

No.  I think it's a personal thing that needs to be more flexable than ALL OPEN.  It might deter people who'd rather not be found or known, from giving unwanted children up for adoption.  No matter what, adoption is better than abortion.  Even closed ones.

Answer 11

I think that's a great idea!!

But also take away the power to renage on it

Answer 12

Yes, it happens for kids of divorce so why wouldn't it work for kids of adoption

If there was any real or suspected risk at all to the child then they still deserve to know who and where they come from, the truth and the full story - no secrets and lies.

Supervised contact can be arranged also, it happens all the time with kids of divorce.  We have 'family centres' for those families here in the UK.  I doubt that kind of support for families is available in the USA though.

Answer 13

Yes,but at at age 18. Through Social service,in case there is a need for counseling,as in the case of incest or rape.The adopted child may have aunts uncles,cousins and grandparents that don't know about them. That would welcome into their families.A child has the right to know where they come from. In the case of rape,that's a hard one,how will the child feel if they know they were conceived in violence.