The History Of Open Adoption Part 2

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The American landscape has undergone a multitude of changes over the past 150 years. Citizens seeking domestic adoption options are well aware of the complexities surrounding the adoption process. Because of the discrepancy between children needing new homes and parents waiting to adopt, we work to fill the gap left by adoption agencies in California. A is 4 Adoption is a top-notch adoption center that provides the utmost care for birth mothers and adoptive parents in order to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for the child. Our caring approach is what helps us stand out from the crowd!

 

Last time, we looked at the early stages of the adoption process and how America actually utilized open adoptions up until the 1930s and 1940s. Today, we’ll continue the journey and cover the dynamic changes that have led to today’s adoption system.

 

Closed Adoption To Benefit The Adoptees

 

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The mid-1900s saw an increased demand for closed adoptions. While recent predecessors sought to seal records in order to improve the odds of children finding homes, representatives now worked to hide information for the children’s sake. There was a growing concern that biological families could find the needed information through adoption records in order to find their child and disrupt their new life. The desire for a high quality of life rose post-World War II, prompting increases in privacy for adoptees and their parents. Although not quite as heartwarming, adoption records were also kept private in order to hide the child’s illegitimate backgrounds. Being born to unwed parents at this time in society held a bad stigma for adopted children. Sealing these records from public eyes helped to conceal information so that adopted kids could have a more fair chance at becoming a successful adult with a family that did not know their true origins. The 1950s saw a flux of states moving to seal the adoption records, leaving them inaccessible to the adopted children and their new parents.

 

A Push For Change

 

Starting in the late 1960s, opponents of the closed adoption method began to mount evidence against the practice. These people posited that sealing the records from the adopted child was actually much more harmful than helpful. Many adopted children, whether by accident or through medical intervention, found out that they were indeed adopted, and their parents could not help them find the facts behind their birth or their biological parents. People now started to look at the big picture of closed adoption, notating all of the inefficiencies and dangers of the process. Children whose pasts were hidden often felt shame and anxiety about the uncertainness of their origins.

 

The late 1960s and 1970s brought a lot of change to the American landscape. From civil rights to the open protest of military actions, the American people were more eager to throw off the chains of the past and work to improve their future. Adoptees and their parents were also on the wave of these changes, which brought the process of open adoption back to the main stage. The concept of interviewing and screening adoptive parents and offering support services for all parties was now gaining momentum across the country.

 

Any adoption agency that failed to implement this resurging strategy simply started to receive less business. Adoptive and biological parents were both eager for a better, more comprehensive approach in order to benefit the child. Today’s society reflects these changes. A survey by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute reported that 95% percent of domestic infant adoptions were considered open adoptions!

 

The adoption process can be a miraculous experience for both adoptive parents and birth mothers. A is 4 Adoption aims to help families succeed over California’s adoption agencies with a focus on everyone’s needs in order to ensure the best results for the child. If you’re an expectant mother considering putting your child up for adoption or are interested in our open adoption process, contact us now to learn more!

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