An Open Adoption is a form of adoption where the biological mother and father, and the adoptive parent or family has access to varying degrees of each other’s personal information and have an option of contact.
Essentially, the birth mother and the adoptive parents either know each other or become acquainted during the course of a pregnancy or during the adoption process.
Some birth mother’s who plan to give their child up for adoption choose to enter into an open adoption because she wants to know first-hand her child will go to a family she is comfortable with.
An open adoption may include a legal agreement between the birth mother and the adoptive parents that includes specified degrees of contact between the child and birth parents, such as by email, letters, contact by phone, exchanging photos, face-to-face visits, or any other specified and agreed upon methods of contact.
An open adoption may involve a birth mother and someone she already knows and trusts, or the birth mother may choose to review profiles of those who wish to adopt a child, also giving the birth mother the opportunity to interview prospective adoptive parents for her child.
It is important to note that if the biological father is known, he has a right to consent to, contest, or deny the adoption. Therefore, if you wish to enter into an open adoption it is important that when necessary, the biological father must also legally relinquish all paternal rights to the child that will be adopted in an open adoption.
Additionally, if the child being adopted is over 6 months old, there are circumstances listed in Florida Statute 63.0425 that stipulates when a grandparent may and may not have rights involving the adoption of their grandchild.
Building Families Adoption Agency assists those who are considering entering into an open adoption to adopt a minor child (or children). Please contact our office today by calling 863.937.9100 or by filling out our online submission form. We can help you prepare for, and guide you through the open adoption process.