degrees of open adoption
If you have more than one adopted child, how to handle different levels of openness in the adoptions?

Q: If you have more than one adopted child, how do you navigate the varying levels of openness with the birth parents of your children?

A: Ultimately, adoptions will be different the second time, including the level of openness. Please do not let the difference of openness affect how you proceed with an adoption. Remember that this is a lifetime relationship and many times openness changes over the years, sometimes becoming more connected and sometimes less. Always try and be honest with your child as to why or why not their level of contact is different than their sibling.

Danielle Goodman is the Lead Social Worker in the Delaware office of Adoptions from the Heart, a nonprofit domestic infant adoption agency.

This topic was discussed in more detail on the Creating a Family show: “Talking About Birthparents”  as well as our blog “Do I Have to Pretend to Respect My Child’s Birth Parents.“

Image credit: Sean Dreilinger