Open Adoption - Semi-Open Adoption - Learn the Difference

Thinking About an Open Adoption in Arizona?

Types of Adoption

There are different types of adoption including open adoption, semi open adoption, and closed adoption. Open adoption is an adoption in which the birth parents and adoptive parents are in an open relationship that usually gets established during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

What Open Adoption Looks Like

While open adoption is on a continuum, many open adoptions include visits, photos, contact (emails, texts, phone calls) throughout the child’s life. Open adoptions evolve and change as the child grows.

The hope with open adoption is that the child will always have access to his or her birth parents. Sometimes open adoption can include other extended birth family members.

Our families at Christian Family Care are open to at least three to four visits per year with contact in between.

What is Semi-Open Adoption?

Adoption Continuum

Just as an open adoption is on a continuum, a semi-open adoption can look different depending on your situation.

Semi-open adoption does not involve visits and often includes updates in some form, not limited to emails, phone calls, photos, and letters.

Why Semi-Open Adoption May Be For You

Semi-open adoptions may be a good choice if you feel like you cannot handle visits yet, but may still want to have updates and shared information.

You Can Choose to Make a Change

Even if you choose to have a semi-open adoption and start without visits, our adoptive families desire an open relationship and contact.

In the future, you can always reach out to the agency for support in reestablishing or growing your relationship with the adoptive family.

What is a Closed Adoption?

Questions about Closed Adoption?

In a closed adoption, identifying information is rarely shared with the adoptive family. Historically, many adoptions were closed, and families valued privacy. Many thought it was best for all members of the triad to have closed adoptions.

How Closed Adoptions Have Changed

As adoption has changed, so has openness. More adoptions are open than closed. However, if you desire a closed adoption, everyone involved will honor your choice.

You Can Choose to Change Contact

Even if you choose to have a closed adoption and start without visits, our adoptive families desire an open relationship and contact.

In the future, you can always reach out to the agency for support in reestablishing or growing your relationship with the adoptive family.

We are an open adoption agency – meaning that all our adoptive families would like to have an open adoption. However, whether an adoption is open, semi-open, or closed is up to you.

Wondering About Open Adoption and want to know more?

You may have never heard of open adoption and may not know what this could look like for you if you choose to make an adoption plan. Once you decide to make an adoption plan, your pregnancy counselor will walk you through the process step by step.

Selecting an Adoptive Family and the Open Adoption Process

When it’s time to choose a family, we will give you family profiles to look through. When you decide which family feels right, we set up a time to meet and get to know them better if you want to meet them.

The Match Meeting

The first time a potential adoptive family meets with a birth parent is called a match meeting. It’s kind of like an awkward first date because everyone is nervous about meeting one another. We are there to support you and make the conversation, as comfortable as possible and so that you learn as much as you need to from the family.

Choose Your Level of Openness

The Covenant Meeting

After the match meeting, if you feel confident about the family, and if you want to, we will set up a time to meet and talk about the level of openness you desire throughout the baby’s life. We call this meeting a covenant meeting. We take this very seriously, and so do the families.

What does this look like?

We are an open adoption agency – meaning that all our families would like to have an open adoption. However, whether an adoption is open, semi-open, or closed is up to the birth parent – you. Together with the family, we talk about what visits, updates, and pictures throughout your child’s life.

If the covenant meeting happens prior to the baby being born, we talk with you about what you want the hospital experience to be like.

Your Delivery Time

The hospital is your time with your baby. After you deliver, we’ll help coordinate the time you would like to spend with the baby, whether you want to spend time with the adoptive family, and the time you feel like you need to yourself (or with us) to process your feelings.

How do we establish an Open Adoption Relationship at Hand-in-Hand?

Here’s how an Open or Semi-Open Adoption Works

You may have never heard about open adoption or know what this could look like for you, so we are here to answer your questions. Each adoption is unique and can look different. We hope that if you decide to place your child for adoption and desire openness, we can help support you in building your relationship with the adoptive family you choose.

What is a Covenant Agreement?

Covenant Adoption Agreements and Open Adoption

The open adoption relationship is established through a covenant agreement. The covenant is created with the birth parents, the adoptive parents, and the pregnancy counselor.

The reason we call our open adoption agreements a covenant and not a contract is because covenants are not meant to be broken, and contracts can be viewed as transactions.

A covenant is a commitment to one another to withstand time. As the open adoption relationship evolves, we are here for you. If any problems arise or there is a need for mediation, you can always reach back for help.

The agency can act as a middleman to support all members of the adoption triad if needed. We are an open adoption agency because we highly value honesty and openness over secrecy.

Do you have more questions?

The Role of a Pregnancy Counselor

Regardless of how much openness you desire, your pregnancy counselor will ask you to provide your child’s complete medical and social history. Medical and social history is required by the State of Arizona.

Sharing Your Information in an Open Adoption

You may choose whether you’d like to share your full identity and where you live with the adoptive family. If you’ve made an open adoption plan, you may have ongoing, direct contact with your child and the adoptive family. You will have the opportunity to share information with the child and family directly.

The Birth Father’s Identity

The information your child will receive about the birth father depends on his relationship with you and your pregnancy counselor. Birth fathers are often willing to give their complete medical and social history to the adoptive family, recognizing its importance for the child. In some cases, though, the only information available about the birth father is only what the birthmother provides.

Hand in Hand Pregnancy Adoption Services

As an expectant mom or dad considering adoption as an option for your pregnancy, you may wonder what the process looks like for adoptive families. We ensure that every family is properly vetted and can safely care for a baby. Our prospective adoptive families go through the process that the state requires to be certified to adopt. We also require additional steps to be a part of our program.

What is an Adoption Home Study?

Arizona state law requires all prospective adoptive parents to be certified by the court as acceptable to adopt. A thorough home study is required by state law. The study is used to determine whether a family has a stable environment to bring a child into their home.

Typically, home studies explore personal relationships, finances, and family background. All Christian Family Care prospective adoptive families go through additional adoption education courses to prepare them.

We also perform an in-depth marriage assessment before a family can enter our matchbook. The home study process requires an extensive review of documents. The adoption specialist, who works with the family, is the one who completes the home study.

Adoption Resources We Provide

Each adoptive family has their adoption specialist who will complete their home study and support them. Your pregnancy counselor is separate from the agency’s adoption specialist so that we can advocate for you throughout the process.

We can provide you with education on adoption and all your options. At the same time, the adoptive families at our agency will have access to resources through their adoption specialist. We are available to talk almost 24/7 to answer any of your questions.

You can text us, call us, and we would love to meet with you in person. We can come to you, talk over coffee somewhere, or meet privately at the office. The first meeting is always the hardest, and we want to make it as comfortable as possible. During the week, we can usually meet on the same day you call.

To view profiles of Hopeful Adoptive Parents

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FAQ - Open Adoption in Arizona

Open adoption removes the mystery and allows the child’s questions to be answered openly and honestly. With their birth and adoptive families’ love and support, children develop high self-esteem and a healthy sense of identity. When you choose an adoptive family with us, you can rest knowing that your child will be raised to know they are adopted. Their adoptive parents will honor you for your sacrifice and the love you have for your child.

You may have as much contact with your baby at the hospital as you want. When planning your child’s adoption, you can choose an open adoption —one that allows ongoing visits with your child, or you can choose a less open adoption that keeps you informed about your child’s progress through letters and photos. Adoptive families respect the need of birth parents to know that their child is loved and happy. Finally, if you decide you would not like to have any ongoing contact with your child and the adoptive family, confidential adoption plans are also possible. The choice is up to you.

Yes! We have adoptive couples who come from various backgrounds and walks of life who have been carefully screened and approved to adopt. There are additional options, such as choosing a family member, friend, or someone who has been recommended to you. Your pregnancy counselor will discuss all of these options with you.

You may choose to allow your child to access their adoption record when they turn 18 or deny them access to their file. You can change your mind about this at any time and provide the agency with this information.

Adoptive families go through an extensive home study process and must be approved by the agency and Arizona’s juvenile court. Before finalizing the adoption, a caseworker will make home visits to ensure the child’s well-being.

In an open adoption, you will be able to see for yourself how well your child is cared for and how much he or she is loved through your ongoing relationship with your child and the adoptive family.