Children are vulnerable because they are young and have not completed the development stage. Thus, they require love, care, and protection from adults to exercise sound judgment on their behalf. The child's formative years are essential in determining the type of adult they become. Unfortunately, not all children can enjoy the love and protection from their biological parents for multiple reasons. Such children depend on adoption and foster care for guidance and protection. However, the adoption process has several challenges that impact the children, adopting parents, and the biological parents. Open adoption mitigates some of these challenges by allowing biological and adoptive parents to exchange information to facilitate post-placement contact. Below are a few advantages of open adoption for parents and guardians to consider.
The Child's Medical History
Every person must know their medical history. This is important in cases involving children because they cannot express themselves as well as adults. As such, doctors require all the available information on children's medical history when making vital medical decisions. Open adoption allows the adoptive parents to receive crucial medical information regarding an adoptee. Thus, the adoptive parents are aware of any underlying medical conditions and the child's treatment history. This includes vital information such as allergies and conditions such as asthma. Failure to obtain a child's medical history compromises the level and quality of the treatment they receive if they fall ill. Open adoption ensures that the adopting parents have access to crucial information any time it is required.
The Child's Peace of Mind
Adoptions are successful if the child receives the required care and guidance. The children grow to become successful and responsible adults in society. However, adoptions can go wrong when children do not settle into the adopting family. Some children feel abandoned and neglected, which breeds rebellious tendencies. Some adoptees cannot focus on their lives and instead search for information about their biological parents. Open adoption allows children to have peace of mind because they can contact their parents to understand their situation. Thus, open adoption suits many children because they do not have to grow up with multiple unanswered questions.
The Flexibility
Open adoptions offer flexibility by allowing the parents to determine the level of openness in the relationship. Some open adoptions allow for contact only between the adoptive parents and the biological parents. Other open adoption arrangements allow for contact between the adopted child and the birth parents. Thus, parents and guardians can assess and determine the best arrangement that suits all the involved parties.
Share15 November 2021
When I was younger, my parents didn't like us to talk about our problems. Instead of voicing our concerns, my parents encouraged us to work on our issues privately. Although this attitude taught me a great deal about personal strength, it has made it hard for me to talk about my problems with other people. After two failed marriages, I realized that the lack of communication could hurt my ability to work well with coworkers, spouses, roommates, and friends. In an attempt to correct my bad habits, I started working with a professional counselor, which made an immediate difference in my life. I know that counseling can help you too, which is why I created a website dedicated to communication and counseling.
