Florida Adoption Plan Options: Semi-Open Adoption

By Eve Jones

If you have already begun to work with Adoption Choices of Florida, welcome! Even if you haven’t, you may have started to think about what kind of adoption you would like for your adoption in Florida. There are three types of adoptions for you to choose from: open, closed, and semi-open. Below, we’ll discuss making an adoption plan based on a semi-open adoption.

What is a Semi-Open Adoption?

A semi-open adoption is a fairly new idea, and one where the birth mother maintains at least partial contact. This communication is often done anonymously through adoption agencies. It is a good way for birth mothers to communicate with their babies after they have been placed with an adoptive family. Many people choose this option because there are certain benefits that may be preferable compared to closed or open adoptions. 

The main benefit for the birth mother is the opportunity to see her baby’s progress as they grow. All while staying anonymous and protecting her (the birth mother’s) privacy. For the adoptive family, a semi-open adoption allows them to have access to the birth family’s medical history without contact. If the child wishes to know more about their medical background when they’re older, a semi-open adoption makes that possible. For many adoptees, knowing where they come from can be very beneficial to their identity down the road. This kind of adoption allows children to learn about their birth family’s background while enabling the birth mother to maintain her privacy. Unless, of course, she chooses to establish more direct contact. 

Making a Semi-Open Adoption Plan

Once you’ve decided on a semi-open adoption, you should make an adoption plan for how you’d like to maintain contact. You’ve already decided you’d prefer not to have close contact with the baby or their new family, but you want to know how the baby is doing periodically. Ask yourself questions and think about what will work best for you and how this will fit into your life.

• Are you comfortable with the adoptive family knowing who you are now or at some point in the future? Or would it make you feel more at ease to stay completely anonymous? 
• How would you like to establish communication through our agency?
• Consider how often you would like to receive updates – weekly, monthly, or yearly?
• What kind of updates, perhaps just photos, videos, or a few sentences?

Adoption agencies will help you decide how much or how little you would like to know. It’s completely up to you.

Boundaries and Communication

It’s important to know your own boundaries and levels of comfort so you can choose what’s right for you and your life. If you think you may want to build a relationship with the child and the adoptive family at a later date, you’ll want to plan for that now as much as possible. It’s also okay if you decide to limit contact at a later point, because our lives go through many transitions and our needs often change as a result. If this happens just be sure to update us as soon as possible so we can make a note in your file. 

It’s also very important to have your medical information readily available, in case the adoptive family has any questions or concerns about the baby’s health and predisposition to various genetic illnesses. Once you have that information collected and in a safe place, it will be much easier to provide it in the future if it’s ever needed. As always, plan for the worst but hope for the best!

Benefits of Semi-Open Adoption

There are many benefits to this type of adoption. You may have a sense of guilt or fear as a birth parent, which is completely normal and understandable. By choosing a semi-open adoption, you can alleviate guilt or fear because you’ll know your baby is being cared for. You won’t have to worry about where your baby will be placed or how to vet potential adoptive families. We’ll handle that for you. Once your baby has been placed through a semi-open adoption, we’ll manage the communication as well. We will make sure to protect both your privacy and that of the adoptive family.

If you’ve decided to choose a semi-open adoption and are working with Adoption Choices of Florida, then you’re in luck! Working with our agency means that establishing and maintaining partial contact while protecting your privacy can be very straightforward. Because, as mentioned above, we will handle all contact and informational exchanges between you and the adoptive family. If you already know you would like to keep some contact with your baby, regardless of the reason, we will help you make that happen!

Potential Downsides

While the advantages listed above can be very beneficial, they can also present many challenges. This is important to keep in mind as you make your semi-open plan. Everyone is different and what works for some people may not work the same for you. Some birth parents feel much less guilt, fear and apprehension by choosing a semi-open adoption plan, but some feel more. Be sure to check in with yourself regularly and ask yourself how you feel. Your feelings are valid, so being aware of them is crucial for your own self-care when you’re going through adoption.

Make the Best Florida Adoption Options for Yourself!

The most important thing you can do is understand your personal limitations and levels of comfort. So you can rest assured that you’re making the best choice both for you and for your baby. You are already making a wonderful decision to place your baby for adoption through Adoption Choices of Florida, so you’re on the right track. Now is the best time to make a plan you feel good about – remember that no one knows your needs as well as you do, so advocate for yourself and your needs, you got this!

If you are a pregnant woman in Florida considering adoption, and have any questions or concerns about the adoption process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information on adoption, visit us at Adoption Choices of Florida or call us at: (833) 352-3678