| adoption |
The loving and legal process in which birthparents rights to care
for their children are transferred to the adoptive parents. |
|
agency
adoption |
Adoptions administered by organizations licensed by state
governments specifically as adoption agencies. All legal matters
are assumed by the agency. The agency assumes custody of the
child at birth prior to placing the child in a home usually approved
by the agency. An agency provides many services to both sets of
parents, primarily screening and counseling prospective adoptive
parents so that the birthparents can be reassured that their baby will
enter a good loving home. This is also important for the
adoptive parents, for they must first come to terms with their
infertility and know why parenting is so important to them before they
can be the best adoptive parents. Birthparents also benefit from
counseling during the decision making process and the grief that
follows the birth of their baby. |
|
independent
adoption |
Adoptions conducted by a variety of individuals including attorneys,
doctors, counselors, etc. They act mainly as intermediaries
between the birth and adoptive parents. |
|
open
adoption |
An open adoption means there is some form of free communication
between the two sets of parents after the adoption arrangements have
been completed. This could mean that letters are exchanged
periodically through the intermediary to maintain confidentiality, or
the birthparents are allowed to see and interact with the child they
made adoption plans for. In an open adoption, confidentiality is
often determined by the two sets of parents so an ideal comfort level
can be reached between them. |
|
closed
adoption |
There is a maintenance of confidentiality that is protected by the
courts. No information is exchanged between the sets of parents.
Few adoptions can be termed as completely closed, and most are moving
toward cautious openness. |
