Closed adoption keeps adoption records sealed, preventing birth parents from being involved in the adoptee’s life. It arose in the 20th century and has advantages and disadvantages. Open adoption allows for contact between birth parents and adoptive families, and organizations facilitate connections later in life.
Closed adoption is an adoption in which the adoption records are kept sealed, creating a situation where the natural parent is not involved in the adoptee’s life. You may also hear closed adoption referred to as a “secret” or “traditional” adoption, although it’s not traditional at all. Closed adoption largely arose in the 20th century, in response to changes in societal values about adoption. The opposite of a closed adoption is an open adoption, where the records are left open, creating the potential for contact between the birth parent and the adoptive family.
In a classic closed adoption, the natural parents decide to give their child up for adoption while they are pregnant and contact an adoption agency, which takes care of the placement. Once the child is born, the birth mother delivers the child and he or she is given to the adoptive family. The child’s birth certificate may be changed to reflect the adoption, and no information about the adoptive family is provided to the birth mother.
There are advantages and disadvantages to closed adoption. Some birth parents find it offers closure, allowing them to move on after the birth, and some also value secrecy, especially if they were having an extramarital affair or fear criticism for being unmarried mothers. Adoptive families sometimes appreciate the simplicity of closed adoption, as it precludes an attempt to retake the child or confusion about coparenting, and also protects the child from unstable birth families.
However, some people find closed adoption to be extremely problematic. It creates a situation where a child may never be informed of their adoptive status, which could cause problems later in the child’s life, especially if the adoptive child’s birth parents have family histories of health problems. It also cuts the child out of his inheritance and can make adopted children feel like their birth parents don’t want them, as it provides no opportunity for birth parents to communicate the reasons behind choosing to give up the child for adoption. Some people also think that closed adoption creates feelings of shame about the issue of adoption.
Several organizations facilitate contact between birth parents and adoptees who are interested in connecting later in life. These groups provide record searches or offer rosters of people looking for each other. In a situation where a child or birth mother wants to make contact, a letter will typically be sent by a third party intermediary, indicating that contact is desired and leaving the decision up to the recipient of the letter.
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