Prospective birth mothers have different needs and preferences regarding the relationship that they want with their baby’s birth parents. If you are wondering if you can have an open adoption in Kansas, where you will still have contact with your child, the answer is yes. And if you are wondering if you can have a closed adoption in Kansas, where contact is minimal and information is not shared, the answer is also yes.

You are in control of your adoption choices and get to develop your adoption plan according to your needs. If you are ready to develop your adoption plan with an adoption specialist, contact a professional today.

What is Open adoption in Kansas?

Open adoption is an adoption agreement that allows the birth parents and adoptive parents to maintain contact after placement. Depending on the details that you include in your adoption plan, you can continue a relationship with your child and their adoptive parents that can last forever.

Not only can you build this sort of relationship into the adoption agreement, but this kind of post-adoption contact is encouraged by adoption professionals. Open adoptions have proven to help your child develop a positive identity as an adoptee. Having you as a part of their life can help answer some of the questions they will have as they grow up and to work through common struggles that some adoptees face.

Once you decide to adopt, the next step in the adoption journey will be to create an adoption plan. Among the many choices you will get to make while you develop this blueprint for your adoption, you will determine what kind of contact you want with your child and their adoptive parents.

This can include:

• Pictures and letters mediated by your adoption specialist
• Emails and text messages
• Phone calls and video calls
• In-person visits.

Most modern adoptions have a degree of openness, so you will find that most agencies in Kansas are “open adoption agencies.” You should not have trouble requesting whatever kind of post-adoption contact you would like to have with your child.

If you are unsure at first how open you want the adoption to be, these are details that you can revise later. Many birth mothers find that their expectations about what an open adoption relationship could be like changes when they choose a family for their baby and then meet them for the first time. You may be surprised to know that many birth parents and adoptive parents become friends or even describe each other as family.

Caitlin, a birth mother, said of her open adoption:

“Knowing that I can be around and be there — I don’t even know how to put it into words… I’m like a cheerleader on the sideline, and that’s more than I could have asked for. He gets this family who can take care of him and do everything I couldn’t, but he can also know that I didn’t just give him away. I had a purpose for him, and it was meant to be.”

How Will I Find an Adoptive Family Who Wants an Open Adoption in Kansas?

Nine out of ten hopeful adoptive couples who want to enter an open adoption and have a relationship with you.

More and more, families understand the benefits of open adoption and want this for their child. After you give your adoption specialist an idea of the type of adoption that you would like to have, they will consult the preferences of their hopeful adoptive families and send you family profiles that match your needs.

Once you are matched with a family, your adoption specialist will help you develop a postadoption contact agreement (PACA) that will outline your agreement for your postadoption relationship. You may hear these referred to as cooperative adoption or open adoption agreements, and they can range from an informal understanding to a written, formal contract. 

In Kansas, open adoptions are not legally enforceable, but if you are working with the right agency, you will find that adoption professionals counsel both birth mothers and adoptive families to stay true to one’s word when agreeing on open adoption details. Following through on the plan is the right thing to do for the adopted child.

Open Adoption vs. Closed Adoption?

You might be wondering what the pros and cons of open adoption are, and you are not alone. Many prospective birth mothers want some insight into what to expect when they make decisions regarding their adoption agreement. Some women may want the privacy and the anonymity of a closed adoption, and that is totally fine. Others may just want to know what degree of openness they would like.

Benefits of Open Adoption include:

• You can watch your child grow. Just knowing that they will be able to keep a pulse on their child’s development helps birth mothers to heal emotionally post-placement.
• You will create lifelong connections. The bond that can form between birth mother, adoptive parents, and child is unlike any other, and can truly be a gift in each of their lives.
• You will be able to answer any lingering questions your child has. A worry that some prospective birth mothers have is that their child will not understand why you chose adoption. Open adoption offers you the chance to explain this to your child when they are ready.
• You can communicate any health concerns. When you maintain a relationship with your child’s adoptive parents, you can update your health history and ensure that your child has all the necessary information to prevent or treat any hereditary concerns.

A closed adoption is the type of adoption where the adoptive family and the birth parents share little to no information with one another and have little to no contact with one another. Unfortunately, this is the prevailing understanding of adoptions. The truth is that most modern adoptions are open or semi-open.

Reasons you may consider a closed adoption include:

• You need emotional closure after placement.
• You have safety concerns that override the benefits of an open adoption.
• You need to prioritize your privacy.

Only you can make the decision about what you need in an adoption agreement, but you will have help along the way. Adoption professionals will guide you and mediate communication as needed.

If you are ready to speak with a Kansas adoption specialist about the type of adoption you would like to pursue, contact an agency today.