Open adoption in Oklahoma is any adoption arrangement that allows for the continued loving relationship between a birth mother and her child. And, contrary to popular belief, this is standard in modern adoptions.

If you want a post-adoption agreement that gives you the opportunity to stay updated on your child’s life and maintain a bond with your child, you can choose to pursue an open adoption.

Women who choose an open adoption can:

•  Develop a deep, fulling relationship with the adoptive family
•  Rest easier knowing that their child is safe and loved with a family who cherishes them
• Answer any questions their child or the adoptive family has about their family history as they grow up

You will have the chance from the very beginning of your adoption process to set the stage for an open adoption. As you develop an adoption plan with an adoption specialist, you will have the chance to describe your desired relationship with your baby’s adoptive family. This includes the mode of contact and the frequency of your communications. They will work on your behalf to find a family who is open to your preferred relationship.

If you are ready to start the adoption process, contact a professional today.

What Are the Benefits of Open Adoption in Oklahoma?

Open adoption is encouraged by adoption professionals because the benefits are clear. When the adoption triad can maintain a connection, it is advantageous to everyone: birth mother, adoptive parents, and adopted child. If you want to have an open adoption in Oklahoma, you will not have trouble finding an adoption agency that supports this. While there is a need for closed adoptions for some women, adoption professionals are highly supportive of open adoption in most cases.

The benefits of open adoption include the following:

• Birth Parents: Open adoption gives a birth mother the opportunity to foster a relationship with their baby throughout their childhood and allows them to stay updated about their child’s growth, interests, and activities. This continued contact can ease some of the commonly experienced grief that birth mothers go through.
• Adoptive Families: When hopeful adoptive families are willing to enter into an open adoption agreement it will be easier for them to find a match. After meeting the birth mother of their child, they are often surprised at the bond that can develop. An open adoption also gives adoptive parents access to pertinent health information that can help the child if they have any health complications.  
• Adopted Children: Many adopted children will have questions about their birth parents and a desire to understand the reasons they were adopted. An open adoption relationship with a child’s birth parents enables these kinds of conversations to take place and for questions to be answered.

Open adoption in Oklahoma contact can include:

• Exchange of pictures and letters (mediated or not)
• Exchange of emails and text messages
• Scheduled phone calls or video calls
• In-person visits

If you are wondering, “Are there open adoption agencies in Oklahoma?” the answer is yes. In fact, because open adoption is so commonplace now, nearly every private domestic agency will help you develop and negotiate an open adoption agreement. You are in control, and if you want an open adoption, contact the following agencies to assist you:

• American Adoptions
• Lilyfield
• Deaconess Pregnancy and Adoption
• Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma

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

Many birth mothers enter the adoption process with the misconception that their desire for an open adoption will make it difficult for them to find an adoptive family. Most families are willing to enter an agreement with some degree of openness. Even when they are hesitant about it, they are often reassured by adoption professionals who educate them about what is best for their child. Increasingly, families understand the many benefits of an open adoption relationship.

After you meet with your adoption specialist to describe the type of adoption that you want, they will search their database for adoptive families who are open to the same sort of arrangement. This way, when you choose the perfect family for your child from this list of families, you can rest assured that they are open to a continued relationship with you.

The formal process involved in planning your adoption relationship is to develop a postadoption contact agreement (PACA), otherwise known as an open adoption agreement. Your adoption specialist will help you with the details of this and any mediation that may need to happen to iron out any differences. These agreements can range between a simple, informal understanding to a formal contract. The right agency will guide you through this process, and will also emphasize the importance of staying true to one’s word when it comes to honoring an open adoption agreement in Oklahoma.

Open Adoption vs. Closed Adoption in Oklahoma

You are central to the adoption process, and your needs and desires for your adoption are important.

Your adoption agreement can and will be unique to your needs and the kind of relationship you want to build with your child and their adoptive parents. You do not have to choose between no contact or frequent contact. Rather, you can mold your agreement to suit your situation and needs.

Maybe you want to share identifying information with your child’s adoptive parents, and you want your child to be able to contact you later in life, but you do not want much else in the way of a relationship. In this case, you might consider semi-open adoption, that allows for a minimal amount of contact without the obligation to continue a close relationship.

You have a lot of choice in the matter, and your adoption agreement doesn’t need to compare to any other adoption agreement. If you have questions about a particular desire you have for your post-adoptive relationship, contact an adoption professional today.

There are definite pros and cons of open adoption in Oklahoma that you will want to consider. A closed adoption can provide anonymity, closure, and privacy that some women need, and this is necessary sometimes. But there are many benefits to open adoption:

• You will get to watch your child grow. Whether you choose to receive annual updates from the parents or have frequent and consistent communication, you will have the opportunity to see your child mature and thrive in their adoptive home.
• You will gain lifelong connections. There are no relationships quite like the ones fostered by open adoption. You will be a part of something special and bond with the adoptive parents through the love for your child.  The bond between the adoption triad can be rewarding.
• You will have the opportunity to answer your child’s questions. The truth is that your child might struggle to understand their adoption and have questions about it as they get older. Open adoption allows you the chance to answer these questions and help them through any challenges they face. 
• You can update your child on changes in your health history. A disconnect between birth parents and adoptive parents could leave an adopted child uninformed about important hereditary health issues. Open adoption makes it possible for you to share any risk factors with your child.

Open adoption is a great opportunity for birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adopted child to foster a loving relationship centered around the well-being of the child. The benefits are clear. Still, closed adoptions in Oklahoma have their place. For some birth mothers, they are the best option.

A closed adoption means that very little (if any) identifying information will be kept private during and after the adoption and there is little to no communication between birth mother and adoptive parents after the adoption is final.

Some reasons that birth mothers consider a closed adoption are:

• The woman needs emotional closure after placement.
• The woman has safety concerns that make it difficult to enter an open adoption.
• The woman needs to maintain her privacy.

You get to oversee your adoption. You are in control and get to define the kind of adoption relationship that is best for you. Adoption specialists will provide you with the information and assurances you need. They can also offer mediation of that is necessary.

If you are ready to speak with an Oklahoma adoption specialist about the type of adoption you want, contact an agency today.